Boy what a different, and fun, day this was!

With our friends (Brad, Ashlea, Leslie and Liz) having arrived late yesterday, today was a delayed start by design. Our day revolved around a 1:30 appointment at a Hamam (more on that later) and began with a late breakfast. Just down, like seriously down, the hill from our condo we found a really cool hole-in-the-wall coffee shop tucked into a set of stairs.

There’s really no way to convey the steep nature of these stairs, but we tried to capture it in photos.

With plenty of time after breakfast, we trekked 2 miles toward the hamam. We crossed the Bosphorus river and found ourselves in the spice bazaar. What a fascinating place that is. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time there because we’ll be going back on Sunday as part of our Secret Food Tour. But we did snap some photos.

The highlight of the day was at the Cağaloğlu Hamam. There is no way to adequately describe the vibe of this 300+ year old structure, the kindness of the people, the bizarre treatments we got, and the total relaxation we each felt. This is a segregated hamam with men’s and women’s sides. We signed up for the ultra-treatment package and were not disappointed. The ritual of a Turkish bath is unique with a dry sauna, followed by a body scrub (in an open area nonetheless), a bubble bath (where they dipped this special cloth in water and then manipulated to create a cascade of bubbles), a full-body clay treatment for skin rehydration, followed by a full body massage, then relaxation and a snack. It was so different.

After we recovered from the hamam and regained some strength we headed back the way we came to grab an early dinner and early bedtimes. Tomorrow is an 8AM start!

We found a neighborhood café just around the corner. They had an interesting menu and just as we were sitting down, I asked the owner if they served beer, he paused and almost said “no” before he said “yes, yes, yes!”). As he started taking orders he said, “You all want apple juice, right?” We were all puzzled and said no, and with a wink he said, “You REALLY want the apple juice!” So we did. After we placed the order, we saw him hastily walk down the block to a store that sold beer and brought some back. The food was delicious, and the beer was cold. Check out the photo of the receipt where they recorded a food item followed by “not beers.”

I cannot get over just how genuinely kind people are to us. We feel so welcomed and appreciated everywhere we go. Istanbul certainly is exceeding my expectations.