Reading for Turkey
We’re going to Turkey on Friday. It’s a “famtour” (familiarization tour) for travel agents and media (We’re blogging this) organized by Turkish Airlines (They don’t fly here, we catch a plane in Hong Kong) and a tour operator called Meteor Philippines, covering Istanbul-Kusadasi-Izmir-Pamukkale-Konya-Cappadocia. We expect it will be hectic (8 nights, 6 hotels).
As always we prepare for a trip by reading books about our destination. We asked Teddyboy for a reading list and he said John Julius Norwich’s Byzantium, some of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and a detective novel set in Istanbul to help us form a mental map of the city (Maybe Jason Goodwin’s detective novels featuring Yashim the eunuch). He was adamant that we read Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West (which is about the Balkans, which were under Turkish rule).
Then we realized we have quite a few Turkey-related books in our library, including Orhan Pamuk novels and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and our sister the Louis De Bernieres fan club has Birds Without Wings, which is set during the rise of Ataturk. Now we have to decide what to bring on the trip.
Probably P.G. Wodehouse.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
February 26th, 2013 at 12:00
Have a safe trip! Turkish cuisine is really good. When I went to Istanbul two years ago, I used Orhan’s Pamuk’s Istanbul: Memories and the City as my tour guide. I also went up and read the Epistles to try and trace St. Paul’s memories while travelling all over Turkey. Another of my travelling companions was Ionia by Freya Stark.
February 26th, 2013 at 20:11
I like Orhan Pamuk! Have a safe and enjoyable trip, Jessica! We look forward to reading about this trip. Don’t you have the best job in the world?
February 27th, 2013 at 01:25
i’m glad you’re going on the trip to turkey and that’s a great itinerary :) pls bring clothes that are warm enough. it’s almost spring but the weather can still be below 10 degrees on most days. if you’re in istanbul on Saturday or Sunday before you go to the other places and you’re interested to meet, i can go around with you to the old city of sultanahmet if you like.
February 27th, 2013 at 01:49
Thanks, oriames, but we don’t have any free time on this trip. (By the way the travel taxes are killer!) But please post your contact number (won’t publish it) just in case.
Should we bring a heavy winter coat or will layers (T-shirt, wool sweater) and a fall jacket do?
February 27th, 2013 at 02:06
Thanks, wenkebach. Any job that allows you to do as you please is the best job on earth.
February 27th, 2013 at 02:30
it’s difficult to say what to bring because kusadasi and izmir are warmer (15 deg) but cappadocia can go below zero.
you may have a lot of walking to do in izmir (ancient city of ephesus) and cappadocia (underground city that goes down 7 levels).
you can bring your winter coat, just to be safe. you can leave it in your tour bus for warmer days and places. but bring clothes that you can layer. definitely bring a warm hat and gloves.
February 27th, 2013 at 03:59
Hi Jessica, you might also want to watch, “No Reservations: Istanbul” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzGyTebZuYQ. Have a safe trip!
February 27th, 2013 at 18:16
Have fun! Istanbul sounds so exciting, it would be great to overdose on Gibbon and then go out and actually see it. If you can, eat some dolmades for us while you are there.
February 27th, 2013 at 18:28
In the first episode of one season of survivor turkey, the contestants constantly complained about missing breakfast. There’s a good reason (or reasons) why. Balkaymak (honey with clotted cream) as a bread dip is comfort food. They also have the sunny side up egg or 2 eggs dotted with slices of Turkish sausage. Both are in the no reservations video.