My birthday break from the UK began with a short trip to Turkey. Unfortunately, our journey got off to a rocky start when Debbie realized on the train to the airport that she had updated her passport but not the airline booking, resulting in an incorrect name. We encountered a lot of stress at the airport, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
We had chosen to fly with Wizz Air, which could give Ryanair a run for its money as the worst airline. After a 30-minute delay past our boarding time, we were finally allowed onto the plane. However, we were then informed that we had missed our slot and had to wait on the runway for an hour. To add to the chaos, it was the Champions League final, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the rowdy chants of the enthusiastic, intoxicated Man City fans.
Eventually, we arrived in Istanbul without much further trouble. From the airport, we took a taxi to our accommodation for the next four days. The hotel was in an incredible location, just a five-minute walk from the Blue Mosque. The hotel owner, who happened to be shorter than me, was very helpful, showing us our room and recommending two great restaurants: Garden 1897 and a local pizza place.
Once we settled in, we took a leisurely stroll, passing by the iconic Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. For dinner, we decided to try out Garden 1897, and it turned out to be a delightful culinary experience. And that concluded our first day of the trip.
