Taksim at Night - Istanbul, Turkey

Sparkling lights. (Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey)

A night out in Taksim in Istanbul, Turkey.

I met up with Gulender and Murat again on Friday night in Istanbul. We decided to head to another area of the city called Taksim. It was a nice area, full of people and restaurants and pretty sparkling lights, and a far cry from Sultanahmet and the Bazaar District where I’d spent the majority of my time so far.

Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey

Our first stop was the Galata Tower. From the top we saw the city all lit up at night. Istanbul really is a beautiful place.

Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey

Afterwards we went to Haci Abdullah for a traditional Turkish meal. We started with a Turkish soup and some dolma (stuffed grape leaves and cabbage leaves and peppers and eggplant) and some artichoke. And then I had a delicious lamb. And we drank bowls of sweet fruit nectar. And then, of course, finished with some tea. It was definitely one of the best meals I’ve had since starting this ’round the world journey.

Turkish soup at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

Dolma at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

Artichoke at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

Lamb at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

Turkish fruit drink at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

Tea at Haci Abdullah in Istanbul, Turkey

After dinner we found a coffee shop for another round of Turkish coffee. This time, though, instead of guessing our fortunes, we brought them to the resident fortune teller who read our cups and our cards. She gave me the exact date I’m meeting my next boyfriend. And, apparently, I’m getting married in ten months, which seems entirely too soon. Though, I have a feeling she was just trying to tell me what she figured I wanted to hear because she often would say “oh, that’s a depressing card, pick another one.”


I’ll let you know if any of her predictions come true.

Reading our fortunes in Turkish coffee in Istanbul, Turkey

Reading our fortunes in Turkish coffee in Istanbul, Turkey

Reading our fortunes in Turkish coffee in Istanbul, Turkey

Reading our fortunes in Turkish coffee in Istanbul, Turkey

And then went for a round of Efes beer at a seemingly Christmas-themed bar. And we sat and we talked until late.

Bar in the Taksim area of Istanbul, Turkey

Bar in the Taksim area of Istanbul, Turkey

Bar in the Taksim area of Istanbul, Turkey

Hi, I'm Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the kitten. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job, bought a one-way ticket to Europe, and traveled for three years. Now I'm back in Chicago, decorating my apartment in all the teal, petting my cats, and planning my next adventure.

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4 Comments
  • Jaime
    October 11, 2011at10:10 am

    Im loving all your Turkey post… Im loving all your photos… ahhh I can’t wait for Turkey.

  • Ali
    October 22, 2011at5:07 am

    Ditto what Jaime said! You know, Andy and I got married about 10 months after we “met” so you never know!

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