This weekly wrap-up covers our journey from October 13 to 19. We spent the first half of the week in Baku, including a half-day trip to Atashgah Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Yanar Dag (the “burning mountain”). On Wednesday morning, we flew to Istanbul, where we spent the rest of the week.
Favorite thing we ate: Jonathan loved eating all the baklava his heart desired once we arrived in Istanbul [pictured above left]. Megan’s favorite meal was a delicious pumpkin and lamb stew at Firuze Restaurant in Baku [above right]. I thought it was called “mutencem,” but some lazy searching has not brought up any Azeri dish called mutencem, so I’m not sure what the local name is—but yum!
Favorite thing we drank: According to Lonely Planet, apple tea in Istanbul is a tourist drink and locals “wouldn’t be caught dead drinking the stuff.” But apple tea is delicious, so we don’t care—it’s still our favorite thing we drank this week.
Favorite thing we did: Jonathan enjoyed visiting Yanar Dag—the “Burning Mountain” that’s more like a small hill—on our half-day trip from Baku [pictured above]. Megan loved meeting up with her mom, who was in Istanbul for work. Long story short: The week before we traveled to Turkey, we learned Megan’s mom would also be there, and we were able to see her twice. It was a nice surprise.
Biggest splurge: One afternoon in Istanbul, we ducked into a cute restaurant (Arch Bistro) to drink apple tea and write postcards. We decided to go back for dinner, and though it was delicious, it was a bit pricey (around $71 USD). This included a mixed meze plate [above left], lamb entree for two [above right], two glasses of wine, one shared dessert and a 10 percent tip. The owner gave us complimentary glasses of tea after our meal (which we found was quite common in Turkey).
Best deal: On the other hand, we also ate very cheaply in Istanbul: Our first afternoon in the city, we found a buffet lunch that cost about $6 USD total for both of us to eat lunch with dessert and soft drinks. We also had free entertainment during lunch, as a very cute and energetic kitten joined us. 😉
What we’re reading: Jonathan finished The Lost Man by Jane Harper and started The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang, the sequel to The Poppy War. Megan finished Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier for her book club and decided to continue her spooky seasonal reading with Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand.
Total walking distance: 42.81 miles
Up next: Exploring more of Turkey.
Featured image: View of Istanbul from a Bosphorus Cruise
