A Town With A Sweet Tooth

I’m paying my first-ever visit to Istanbul, and aside from some mishaps getting here and a bad case of jet lag that caused me to doze off in the middle of a sentence at lunch, it has been great so far. I’ll have a lot more to say about Istanbul, but for now I simply want to point out that this is a town with a serious sweet tooth. Whether it’s candy, cookies, ice cream or fine pastries, we’ve seen virtually every kind of sweet being consumed by the locals, with relish.

These photos were taken as we walked through the thriving old town section of Istanbul at about 11p.m. on a Wednesday night, as people were out eating ice cream or having a last tea and baklava before heading home. This store was open and selling high-end confections that looked delicious. I’ve always though of Vienna, Paris, Florence and Munich as the capitals of sweets, but Istanbul belongs in that conversation, too.

The Turks may look fierce, but they obviously have a soft spot for the sugary end of the spectrum.

The International Travel Buzz

At check-in you clutch your passports as you wait for the ticket agent, and you notice many of the passengers have luggage carts piled high and are checking four, five, or even six bags.

You notice that the plane you’re boarding is a lot bigger than the planes you take on domestic flights.

As you take your seat you see a pillow and a blanket and a travel kit left just for you, and you hear everyone around you speaking excitedly in a different, lyrical language.

The flight attendants seem uncommonly well dressed and may be wearing nifty hats. Shortly after takeoff, they serve you a nice, hot breakfast.

These are all visual cues that you’re taking an overseas trip. As you note each visual clue, the thrill of an international trip begins to build and build.

Where will your next adventure take you?