continents and offers travellers front-row
views of the ornate palaces that line the
waters’ banks. There’s something to be
said for travelling during the European
shoulder seasons. Come November, the
throng of summertime tourists are long
gone, having posted their last throwback
Instagram posts months ago, while the
weather remains amiable. And, when we
enter the city’s famed Spice Bazaar – a
magnet for itinerant gourmands – we’re
bestowed the luxury of room to roam
and sample vendors’ flavoursome
merchandise. Piles of golden saffron
strands sit alongside small dunes of
enticing spice blends and dried figs, while
pomegranate-and-pistachio sweets rolled
in dried rose petals line the stalls’ walls.
Outside the markets, street-food carts
peddle charred corn, chestnuts and simit
(a Turkish bagel), and entertaining
ice-cream or dondurma merchants
perform tricks for customers. Alongside
traditional restaurants, a host of new-age
dining destinations honour the Turkish
cuisine with innovative dishes. Neolokal,
with its enviable views, injects new energy
into the local fare with its forward-thinking
menu that pays tribute to the city’s past.
Days in Istanbul are well spent exploring
its iconic structures – from the Mosque of
Sultan Ahmed (commonly known as the
‘Blue Mosque’), to the stunning Hagia
Sophia and Top Kapi Palace – to a melodic
soundtrack of the ezan, or ‘call to prayer.’
If suitcase space permits, a stroll through
the Grand Bazaar will see visitors pick up
lamps, plates, vases, tiles and rugs (plus
extra Turkish delights for the trip home).ÇANAKKALE AND TROY
While passengers feast on their morning’s
repast at on-board Amalthia Restaurant,
the silhouette of our next port, Çanakkale,
appears. And it’s a good thing we’ve
begun the day with a plentiful spread;
today’s excursion is a full-day tour that
takes us to Gallipoli Peninsula, Anzac Cove,
the site of the excavated ‘immortal city’
Troy, and, finally, to the Museum of Troy.
From Çanakkale, we travel by coach to
Gallipoli Peninsula, where we see the
deeply tunnelled trenches that remain
more than a century after they were
burrowed, as our expert guide, Kenan
Çelik OAM, walks us through the sombre
landscape. From the peninsula, we
traverse further back in time to legendary
Troy. Its open-air museum allows you toCLOCKWISE: Meteora's
unbeatable views; an olive,
tomato and cucumber platter
in Crete; Grand Bazaar's
homewares;
a ‘hanging’ monastery
of Meteora; moussaka
is served.delicious.com.au 7