Making the most of my long weekends in Istanbul, Turkey!!

Merhaba! 

That's about all the Turkish I know haha. First off, WOW. What a beautiful city!! I was only fortunate enough to spend two full days there, as I arrived late in the evening and had a noon flight. I think I could easily spend four or five days there just to see everything I wanted to see in terms of attractions and landmarks. It really is a large city, but so friendly and so amazing. I will have to go back when I come to Europe next time. 

There was lots to see, including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Asian side of Istanbul, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square, Spice Market, Galata Bridge & Tower, the many various beautiful mosques and so much more. And unfortunately I did not get to see it all, such as Taksim Square, Galata Bridge & Tower, and the museums. So little time and so much to see! But I am very happy with what I did accomplish during my trip. 

I travelled to Istanbul alone, completely aware of the dangers of travelling alone and how Istanbul is particularly 'special' when it comes to solo female travellers, but it really is a unique experience that can't be explained in a guide book. On the European side, which is where all the landmarks and attractions are, it's covered with tourist shops, restaurants and so on that all have their own staff member or 'pusher' standing outside trying to get your service. It's a lot harder to say no than you think, especially being a nice Canadian, I just wanted to say "no thank you, maybe next time, sorry no" but that didn't prove to be as effective as I thought it would be. And when I would walk past the 'pushers' they would say "ohh must be American" which I think was a tactic in itself, because I just wanted to turn around and respond with a furious "NO, I'm Canadian thank you very much!" but I bit my tongue and carried on. It was a bit of a shock going to the Asian side of Istanbul, where there are no tourists, no one speaks english and there are no pushers. It felt like a completely different city! 

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

My first day I covered the basics: The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Gulhame Park, and went to what I call the Old Bazzaar. The Grand Bazzaar was closed on my first day, and there was a similar market up the street. There I would be walking through the lanes of shops and people would just start talking to me and wanting to chat away, everyone was super friendly! (But don't worry, I kept my wits about me and wasn't that gullible) After a long day of walking and enjoying the company of some locals, I returned to the hostel and went for dinner with some people I met there! 

Me inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.  The only picture I could get to prove I was inside!! 

The second day I went all over because I knew it was my last day, and luckily it was perfect weather! I saw the Grand Bazzaar, Istanbul University, Süleymaniye Mosque, Spice Market and the New Mosque. Then headed back to the hostel to meet with the group to take the ferry over to the Asian side and went to the top of the Camlica Hill, where you can see the both sides of the city, with incredible views!  

Me in front of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Such great weather!! 

Aside from travelling to Austria, Istanbul was my first solo trip, and I really enjoyed it. It allowed me to put myself out there and meet some really great people in the hostel as well as locals. I was a bit nervous going to Istanbul, but I think it was a great learning experience, and it made me so excited for my summer travels! 

I know this post is short and sweet, but I am only home for two days before leaving to London on Friday :) 

I hope everyone is smiling and loving life! 

Talk soon, 

Tschüss!! 

München! aka Munich

Servus!

One amazing thing about living in Austria is the central location within Europe, with everything and everywhere being so easily accessible! With that being said, Michèle and I decided to take advantage of a long weekend and take a couple day trips to Munich! In just 2 short hours on the train (not to mention only 8 Euro for a return trip) we were at the main station in Munich ready for some exploring!

We went over a holiday weekend, called Maibaum (translated to "May pole") which is a holiday (in some European countries) on the first of May. Friends in Salzburg would wear the traditional dirndl and lederhosen, attend the celebrations, climb some trees, and drink beer of course! Being in Munich, there wasn't a big celebration that was noticeable, aside from the Hofbräuhaus (a well known brewery/inn/restaurant) being really busy! Since Salzburg is so close, it was actually cheaper for us to take the train there and back in the same day, than to stay in Munich overnight. It's pretty expensive there!

During our two days we saw a lot of the main attractions, such as the Marienhof, Hofbräuhaus, Viktualienmarkt, Asam Church (couldn't go inside due to cleaning/maintenance), the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) which is the main Dom of Munich, Obelisk, Glypotothek, Königsplatz Square, and Marienplatz Square with Townhall and Carillon which is the centre of the city. Unfortunately we did not have time, or easy accessibility to the Munich Palace or the BMW Museum. They are both located far outside the city centre. We also walked everywhere, never took the metro, which just tells you how easy it is to get around on foot!


So much to talk about so I will just mention the highlights!

Englischer Garten
We saw lots in two days, and we were extremely lucky to have such great weather. It usually rains at this time of year in Munich, but we could barely keep our jackets on because it was so warm! The parks in Munich were very beautiful, and did not disappoint. The main park Englischer Garten is huge. So massive. We were walking in a straight line for at least 45 minutes, and we maybe covered 1/8 of the park. Such large open spaces with everyone enjoying the sun, playing frisbee, having family picnics, riding bicycles... it was just so simple and lovely. Before the entrance to the Englischer Garten there is a Surfwelle, which is (you guessed it) a surf well! The current coming out from under a low bridge combined with the dam, creates the perfect waves for surfers. Here you can find anywhere from 2 to 10 girls and guys surfing the waves with many tourists watching, and getting splashed!

Locals surfing at the Surfwelle, near the entrance of the Englischer Garten in Munich, Germany

Hofgarten
Another garden that stuck out to me was the Hofgarten. It's a lot smaller than Englischer, but just as humble. In the centre of the garden there is a tiny 'dome' called Diana-tempel, and inside there was a gentlemen sitting near the perimeter playing Someone Like You by Adele on the cello. A huge smile came on my face (the cello is still my favourite instrument) and I just melted...it was too good to be true! This park was beautiful and would be the perfect place to read a book or enjoy your lunch break. The park just had this majestic feeling to it, making me want to sit down and reflect on how amazing life is.

Me standing in front of the Diana-tempel in the Hofgarten in Munich, Germany. The cello player was inside of Diana-tempel. One of my favourite gardens so far! 

Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
I love to see all the main churches in each city, because they are all really astonishing. It's something that is really unique in Europe. Even though there is a 'Dom' in every city, they are all equally beautiful and unique. Although half of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) was under construction, it was still easy to observe its raw beauty! And then there is the inside of the dom....my goodness. So beautiful!

The Dom "Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)" in Munich, Germany. Half of it was covered due to renovations. 

This is a overview of the city centre, the two golden looking towers is the front of the Frauenkirche. Due to renovations/restorations we could only see one of the towers. 

Marienplatz Square with Townhall and Carillon 
The main city centre was very beautiful, even though parts of it were under renovations. The architecture was outstanding! On May 1st, all the stores were closed because of the holiday but there was lots of activity going on in the streets. Protests, demonstrations, and very tiny fairs celebrating the holiday. But it was a beautiful street to walk along!

The Marienplatz Square with Townhall and Carillon (main city centre) in Munich, Germany.  

--
Michèle had to point out a Canadian flag to me, as I did not see it right away...le sigh. I guess I need to look up more! There was no building name or anything, I think it was just hanging out of someones apartment or office building. Normally I only see them at consulates or embassy's in different cities...but this was actually just a normal building with nothing incredibly special about it...except the Canadian flag! haha

No big deal...just a GIANT CANADIAN FLAG hanging out of a office building in Munich, Germany. You can imagine the smile I had on my face :) 

We spent a total of two days in Munich and it was nothing short of amazing. Aside from the few landmarks being partially under renovations or restoration, we were able to see all the big landmarks and get a feel for the Munich life! I constantly have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming...this experience is too amazing! Austria has been the perfect starting point for me, and I can't wait for my future adventures!!

Next stop...Istanbul!

Keep smiling and loving!
Until next time,

Tschüss!