Travelling Europe for Less
A budget traveller all my life, I'll be passing on my tips about where to go, what to see and how to enjoy travel from a budget perspective no matter how old or young you are.
This week's photo is Istanbul, looking from the roof terrace of the Hotel Ambassador in Sultanahmet.
Istanbul in Literature
Atmospheric detective novels
I have learned more from her novels about the history, social history,architecture and present day tensions in Turkey than I would have done in umpteen visits.
As I follow her empathetic and sympathetic police hero Cetin Ikmen and his colleagues through the landscape of Istanbul, the accuracy of her descriptions and detailed knowledge of the issues affecting its citizens add layers of depth which haunt the imagination.
Pretty Dead Things by CWA Silver Dagger Winner Barbara Nadel is a thriller with links not only to the hippy invasions of the sixties but even further back in time to the ancient Byzantine architecture of the past.
Istanbul the city is not so much a background as an all-pervasive influence in her plots. If you can't afford an immediate visit, Barbara Nadel's books are for me the best way to go.
Istanbul Book Choices
Novels by Barbara Nadel
Belshazzar's Daughter (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspector Ikmen Mysteries)
Amazon Price: $11.21 (as of 07/19/2008)
Arabesk
Amazon Price: (as of 07/19/2008)
The Ottoman Cage (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries)
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/19/2008)
A Chemical Prison
Amazon Price: $15.80 (as of 07/19/2008)
Pretty Dead Things
Amazon Price: $37.00 (as of 07/19/2008)
Istanbul Skyline
from World Hum Travel Blog
T-Box
The magic of Istanbul in Southampton Airport
This time I was amazed and delighted to see a small stall of brightly coloured, inexpensive holiday clothes imaginatively packaged in tiny boxes.
T Box of Istanbul is a great idea --you could buy all your holiday clothes at the airport and fit them easily into your hand baggage allowance.
A T-Box site
This site is from Australia so the dollar sign is Australian dollars. One AUD equals approximately 0.91 USD but prices vary from country to country.
I chose it as it seems faster loading than the British site and the American site would not load at all on my slow connection.
The clothes all compress into sttractive packages, square, rectangular, heart-shaped--would make a great Valentine's present--and lollipop packs for headbands and belts.
Summer, winter, everyone catered for. What a great idea with all the bright colour and warmth of Istanbul itself.
What --no module?
Been and done too much
Just back from a whizz around Europe from London to Istanbul, by train through Bulgaria to Veliko Tarnovo, by bus to Sofia (narrowly missing George Bush) and back to London.I have four commissioned travel articles to write. I've lost the magic notebook and the worlds I've passed through are just whirring through my head with no logic at all.
The first two articles are due at Garden and Hearth this weekend. Then I'll be straight back to log the special notes here.
The photo of the Golden Horn was taken from the cable car between the Pierre Loti cafe and the Sultan mosque at Eyup.
Traditional Turkish Designs
free samples from illustrated book
Dover Publications have a number of beautifully illustrated books selling for almost half price in their summer sale.The book with CD on Traditional Turkish Designs is also featured in their free sampler newsletter which lets you copy three pages of certain featured books each month.
As the picture allowance with the article is small, I have chosen the individual samples as illustrations.
Animals in Traditional Turkish Designs
Designs from the Iznik pottery
Here is a sample of the animals in Traditional Turkish Designs, by Azade Akar published by Dover Publications and released as a sample illustration this month.It is one of an electronic clip art series and comes with a CD-ROM.
Turkish scroll design
Look for these designs in Istanbul
This is the third sample illustration from the Dover Publications CD.ROM and book on Traditional Turkish Designs. Istanbul and the wonders of Turkey
Turkish historical sites with maps
Turkey
wonders of Turkey... WONDERFUL TURKEY !! PLS JUST RATE MY VIDEOS. LUTFEN VIDEOLARIMI OYLAYIN, TŞK.
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Visit Istanbul
Turkish Election Results
Turkish Daily News Analysis
Covering the elections
Twice the number of foreign journalists
Britain has 45 journalists in place, America 20. Many are based in Ankara, the capital, though Istanbul also has its fair share.
The Turkish Daily News today (July21) published a profile of BBC reporter Ben Hammersley and his use of modern technology in compiling his reports.
The Turkish Elections
Thoughts pre July 22
Granted we landed on the day of the Red Bull Air Race when the grumbles were more about litter left by the millions watching from the banks of the Bosphorus than about political parties.
However, these are elections the world will be watching closely for various reasons.
An interesting background summary is given in a freelance article on Turkish elections by journalists Suzan Erem and Paul Durrenberger in the Monthly Review.
It's a long article and the Monthly Review is staunchly labour in its political stance but it certainly helped me sort out my confusion of ideas on what is a complicated issue.
The BBC has been compiling a series of reports, one of which was broadcast on Radio 4 this week but hopefully I have managed to link to Ben Hamersley's second report on the Turkish elections in video format.
His first report starts out talking to the minority group of Kurds and ends with him locking himself out of his recording equipment.
Haven't done that yet but I have still lost the notebook.
If you're looking for the Air Race videos from Red Bull 2007, there are three listed at the bottom of the race website page for the moment. Nine more You Tube videos at the end of this lens.
Turkish elections
The latest videos
Vote for Hagia Sophia
New Seven Wonders of the World
Sadly the world's online voters did not chose Hagia Sophia as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Voting closed at midnight on Saturday July 6,2007. And the top seven results were announced from Lisbon on 07-07-07.My vote was timed out twice before I gave up. I shall always wonder if that would have made the difference.LOL.
Despite that, visit the New Seven Wonders to see the results announced in Lisbon and now it's the seven wonders of the natural world you're being asked to vote for.
Hagia Sophia
In the final rwenty nominations for new Seven Wonders of the World
I did let Flickr choose and no, that is most certainly not me in the Hagia Sophia...I have much worse photos than that.
Sunset over Istanbul
Hagia Sophia featuri...
Hagia Sophia / Turke...
- wanna get in?
queueueueue
Istanbul Live Earth concert
On or off?
The news broke last week that lack of funding was causing Turkish organisers to cancel even their last minute plans for a smaller event.
The BBC report on the cancellation.
Yet now the Google news report issued only three days before the event seems to suggest otherwise.
However on careful rereading, that part of the interview took place over a month ago. So much for new news.
NOTE: The Live Earth concerts going on round the globe will be televised by over 100 stations and streamed by MSN. Over two billion people are expected to watch the events either live or on screen. Madonna of course is one of the stars of the London concert.
Istanbul on video
Istanbul for children
Children's activities and attractions in Istanbul
For an article on children's museums offering hands on exhibits, learning and entertainment opportunities read Family friendly IstanbulSpot the mistakes and I'll feature you and your lens here.
The photo, again from the roof terrace of the Hotel Ambassador, shows the trams that run through Sultanahmet down to the Sirkeci (the old Orient Express terminal), the spice market, the harbour and now across the Galata bridge to the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus where many of the children's museums mentioned in the article are situated.
Istanbul, fact and fiction
Travel through the city and the psyche
Rick Steves writes in the predictable travel guide format.
Istanbul: Memories and the City
This is now on my to-read list. The joy of travel is finding out not only about other places but other people and other literature. My phrasebook Turkish will never be up to the nuances of writing like this so thank goodness for the English translation.
Rick Steves' Istanbul (Rick Steves)
Certainly cheaper to walk round with Rick Steves in your pocket than pay for a half day walking tour. True you may miss the company of other tourists and a guide but Rick Steves is a congenial companion with a lighter touch than many.
The Chinese Bride
from Today's Zaman, June 27
I have saved it here for as long as its own link in Today's Zaman lasts.
This English daily is on its way to becoming the largest circulation daily in English in Turkey and searching through its articles and illustrations has been a revelation.
The article on Istanbul in 20 monuments or less which I found on a link from the travel pages provoked a wry smile.
I may well become an addict of the e-gazette.
Google on Istanbul travel news
Read the best of the past articles above.
Hagia Sophia the winner
Top spot in the New Seven Wonders of the World contest.
British newspaper the Daily Telegraph has just announced the winning submission in its Seven Wonders of the World contest. (June 30 2007)This article on the contest quotes the winning entry on the Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia photo from a shared Photobucket album.The winner gets a trip to Egypt -- perhaps he might have preferred to return to Istanbul?
The final seven chosen by the public on an online voting site will be announced on July 7 so you may still have time to vote for your favourites if they have made the short list.
Interesting that in this article from Australia on the Seven Wonders of the World the Hagia Sophia appears as a consistent choice from their top architects too.
Turkish coffee, cooking and recipes
Coffee and Kebabs and more ...
Travelling Europe means eating more adventurously. Kebabs are a good compromise. I did try one of my favourites from Bulgaria -- a shepherd's salad --in Istanbul. Seems like Turkish shepherds don't eat so well.-
Kebabs
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Kebab refers to a variety of grilled/broiled meat dishes in Middle Eastern cuisine. Kebabs usually consist of lamb and beef, though particular styles of kebab have chicken or fish. Pork is never used for kebabs by Muslims because of the religious pro...
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Turkish Coffee
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Turkish Coffee information, news, and history. Everything you need to learn about Turkish Coffee.
New Del.icio.us bookmarks
Clothes to wear on the journey
Black is always right
But I like black and feel it respectful to dress as far as possible like local women who do not go all out to draw attention to themselves.
The guides and travel professionals wear casual clothes and I love black and wearing my heart somewhere if not on my sleeve.
T-SHIRT WOMAN RED " KISS ME , I'M FROM ISTANBUL " TURKEY
Seems a really odd slogan to me but if you're a scarlet woman...?
Amazon Price: (as of 07/19/2008)
Sweatshirt Black " I Love Istanbul " Turkey City
Might get this. Classic, great collar and I never wear hoodies. Mosques provide headcover for visitors and seem to have more worries over bare collarbones than bare heads.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/19/2008)
CAPS BLACK EMBROIDERY " CLASSIC I LOVE ISTANBUL " TURKEY
Just a reminder that the sun is very hot and even on an overcast day, you could get very badly burned. Protect yourself from the sun. Wear a scarf round your neck and use the peak brim to shade your face.
Sunscreen can't do it all.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/19/2008)
Walking in Istanbul
How to find your way about Istanbul -- or any new town
- The free map from the airport shows all sites of interest.
Study it. Choose a small grid pattern of streets to explore for your first foray outdoors.
Budget Travel Guides
These should more than repay their own cost
Eastern Europe on $30 dollars a day still seems quite pricey to me but it depends where you're staying and the standard of comfort you insist on.
A double room with bathroom in a Bulgarian city can cost as little as $20. And yes, you do get hot water, lashings of it.
Istanbul however if you don't know where you're going can be much much more expensive.
Travel Europe means mediterranean cuisine
Italian cuisine and tomatoes at their best.
..and these really are totally terrific. Lots of European recipes here to tempt the tastebuds. Latest thinking is that tomatoes ward off certain cancers so eating them must be a win win situation. Find tips here for growing them too.-
Italian Food
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Totally Terrific Tomato Recipes
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Totally Terrific Tomato - Recipes and Growing Guide is a collection of totally terrific tomato recipes, a treasure trove of tomato information and a growing guide to help you grow the most totally terrific tomatoes ever. You'll find everything you nee...
Travel writing
Creative writing tips
All writing whether it be fact or fiction demands creative writing skills and this one is top of the creative writing lenses.-
Creative Writing Tips and Tricks
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Creative Writing Tips Do you want to be a better writer? Are you ready to be more successful at getting published? At Creative Writing Tips and Tricks I offer my best articles, tips, and ideas to help get you on the path to writing fame and fortune. T...
New Guestbook
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UrbanLejendz
This is a great lens, extremely informative. Check out my travel tips for Round The World backpackers. Let me know what you think. Posted January 30, 2008 |
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rms
Nice lens on a great topic! 5 stars! Posted June 26, 2007 |
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AnnieDee
Share your tips or let me know where you want to go and I'll update as soon as possible with useful advice and weblinks. Posted June 22, 2007 |
Links for Budget Travel
Articles and websites which may help you save money.
As I find useful articles on budget travel, I shall add them here.
So far I shall be collecting Top Tens
Europe Travel Insurance
The ins and outs of Travel insurance and how it ca more...1 point
http://www.gardenandhearth.com/Bargain-Shopping/Travel-Bargains.htm
A useful article on finding cheap travel from the more...0 points
Travel Europe-Your European Travelling Guide
Your Guide to family-friendly trips to the countri more...0 points
Red Bull Air Race
Istanbul 2007
Outside links
No, not quite yet but here's hoping....
If you're trying to raise visibility and generate traffic for a site of your own, try linking to a relevant site and remember to ask for a link back.It could prove an interesting way to pick up back links and promote more traffic to think about your topic. I shall experiment by finding other interesting sites on visiting Istanbul. I'll monitor results in a month and let you know what I think.
Image from Sevenoaks Art again --I really do like these. Find them at Sevenoaks Art.