Travel Diary: Istanbul, Part 1

Dress & Jacket - Free People;  Shoes - Steve Madden; Flower Crown - Street Vendor on Buyukada; Bag - Longchamp; Jewelry - Madewell, Valentino, Michael Kors

I recently took a vacation with the hubby to what TripAdvisor notes as the top travel destination of 2013. Well, a place so designated must have something exquisite to draw in tourists from around the globe. Here's my first unofficial finance lesson for you from a self-diagnosed, chronic over-thinker. Travel ain't cheap. In other words, when you're spending heavy it better be on a place where you'll make amazing memories and accumulate worthy experiences. Istanbul was the perfect place for this Mrs. and Mr.

Istanbul is a beautiful, cultured city stretched across the border of Europe and Asia, divided by the blue Bosphurus strait. Situated in the old Ottoman Empire and in modern day Turkey, Istanbul (not Constantinople) is the perfect dichotomy of the old world and new. There are so many historical sites, rich in Islamic Heritage and architectural pizzaz, such as the Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Mosque ("Blue Mosque"), Basilica Cistern, Dolambache Palace, Galata Tower, and the Topkapi Palace. It also happens to be foodie heaven, with non-heart-healthy meals with meats ("kebaps") and pastries all laced with the greatest ingredient to ever to have been invented, butter, as well as rich coffees and teas.

Here's a little view into one day spent, not actually in Istanbul, but on Buyukada (Big Island) of the Princes' Islands, an archipelago in the Sea of Marmara Sea. It's a 45 minute ferry from Istanbul and a recommended day trip for someone who wants to escape the hustle and bustle of the city to an island where no vehicles are allowed and transportation options include horse-drawn carriages, bicycles with baskets, or your own two feet.