Istanbul
May 25-31 2020
Istanbul is a fascinating city combining the opulent romance of the East with the grandeur of the Roman Byzantine empire. Situated on a peninsula flanked by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and a safe harbour, the Golden Horn, it stands astride Europe and Asia at the only entrance to the landlocked Black Sea and has been the capital of three great empires, the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. For more than 1,500 years over a hundred emperors and sultans ruled the world from here and they have left modern Istanbul a fascinating heritage.
There is almost too much to see – the lovely Blue Mosque, magnificent Hagia Sophia, glittering Topkapi – these are names to conjure with . But this magical city also stirs the imagination and the narrow streets seem to echo with the footsteps of janissaries and crusaders. In the tiled courtyards we hear the whisper of silken girls bringing sherbet and the splashing fountains suggest the plaintive sounds of the tanbur, or lute. Come and be enchanted.
Istanbul is a feast for the senses with its vibrant colours and aromas, and this brings us to food and my feet back on the ground ! In Istanbul there is a variety of cuisine and we shall try them all – carefully researched Ottoman court, Sephardic Jewish, Armenian, Greek, Hatay province, Black Sea and Kebabs. Surrounded by sea it is inevitable that fish plays a leading role and it appears in many guises.The shopping is legendary and we will come back laden like the old camel trains !
Without leaving Istanbul we will sample food from all over Turkey, from the intriguing kebabs from the south east Hatay province to the Black Sea dishes and the incredibly varied seafood. We will eat in simple bistro-type places, historic palaces on the Bosphorous and the elegant ‘Asitane’ where they use historic recipes from Topkapi.
Culinary Secrets of the Old City
Our “Culinary Secrets of the Old City” walk takes you beyond the major monuments and into the backstreets where all of the serious eating is done. We set off through the atmospheric, lesser-explored market streets around the Egyptian Spice Market and deeper into the untouristy Fatih neighborhood. In Kantarcilar, a district that has been selling weights and measures since Ottoman times, we visit a local confectionary where Turkish delight has been made and sold for 4 generations. From there we visit all but abandoned caravansaray, a couple of hidden historic sites, an old school pudding shop, an Ottoman era bozaci and finally a full lunch of traditional pit-roasted lamb in a very local, family-run place next to the Byzantine aqueducts (with lots of other edible treats along the way). These are the quintessential culinary backstreets.
Price 2950 euros, to include 6 nights, breakfasts and main meal, guided visits, one culinary walk and one hands-on cooking class
