A mosque in Istanbul
I am excitedly planning a two-week journey that I will embark upon in three short weeks. I’m sure the trip will spawn plenty of posts here, but here is a preview of my adventures. I’m going straight from Boston to London to Istanbul, all with a carry-on bag, so packing should be an adventure all its own!
Boston
I am visiting Boston for three nights with my boyfriend. I haven’t been to Boston since I was a senior in high school scoping out liberal arts colleges, so I am interested to go back and see what I think about the city as an adult (I ended up going to undergrad in Texas). I remember that Boston reminded me of a smaller and more toned down New York. We are staying in a plain budget hotel near Northeastern University, which seems to be a good home base. We plan to do a lot of exploring by foot, despite the cold! Coming from a city where driving is practically required, it is always exciting going to places that are walkable and have good public transportation. My boyfriend is a history buff, so I think we will have a great time there.
London
I am going straight from Boston to London for a week-long trip for my day job (I’m a web copywriter at a company in the travel industry). One thing I am really excited about is the short flight. It’s a pain to fly from where I live (Austin, TX) to anywhere in Europe, as the flights are long and there is always a layover somewhere. It is usually about 11 hours of flying total, if not longer. Awful! This time, I am taking a direct flight from Boston to London, and the flight is only 6.5 hours. Amazing.
In high school, my mother took me to London for eight or nine days, so I got a great feel for the city and visited all the major attractions. I will spend most of my time working in our two offices, so it won’t be disappointing if I don’t get to do much exploring, though I definitely want to go out and about when possible! I’m staying in a boutique hotel in Kensington called base2stay, which looks really modern and hip. I stayed in West Kensington last time and thought it was a lovely area. I have a few old friends who live in London, so I hope at least one of them are able to meet up. My coworkers and I may go see a musical, as well — maybe “Wicked” or “Chicago!” I love the architecture and history in London and can’t wait to be back.
Istanbul
Last summer, I stopped in Turkey for a day while on a Greek island cruise, but hardly had enough time to get a feel for it. So one of my British coworkers and I are heading to Istanbul together for three nights once I’m done with the London visit. It’s amazing how cheap flights are within Europe….I’m wildly jealous! I have heard amazing things about the city, and after doing a lot of research, I am thrilled. I think it’s fascinating that it’s the only city to sprawl across two continents (Europe and Asia). We haven’t planned where we are staying yet, but I really want to stay in Sultanahmet, the historic district. I’m dying to see the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia, visit the spice markets, and (hopefully) ride a ferry along the Bosphorous.
I would love to hear any tips or suggestions about fun things to do off the beaten path or places to eat in these cities!
Photo by David Spender
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
SWEEET! Yeah, I hear you on the long travel time from here to Europe/UK/anywhere. Ugh. Have a blast though, I’d love to get back to London at some point.
HI Emily. Sounds like an exciting trip! I have written a couple posts on my blog about off-the-beaten path things to do in London, so you may want to check that out. London is my favorite city in the world and I maintain it’s impossible to get bored there!
Super huge congrats Emily! I’m looking forward to the Boston and Instanbul posts. I too really considered a liberal arts college up there, but staid in-state to cut down on costs – so my dreams of exploring Boston will be through you for now!
Same goes with Istanbul, that should be a really fun three days you guys spend exploring the city! Have fun and looking forward to your adventures!
Thanks for the comments, ladies! Stephanie, thanks for reminding me — I will definitely check out your London posts!
Istanbul is awesome. Here are just a few suggestions, if you need anything else feel free to get in touch.
http://www.foxnomad.com/2009/04/23/48-hours-in-istanbul/
Wooohoo-Have an awesome time!! Can’t wait to hear all about it.
I’m in Boston!
It’s funny because I left Texas to go for my undergrad here in Boston. Totally jealous that you’re in Austin, though – that city is amazing!
And I can’t wait to read about Istanbul – it’s been on my to-travel-asap list for a while, now.
Sounds like you have some great trips coming up! I can’t wait to hear about them.
Thanks, everyone!
Anil, I appreciate that link — it looks really helpful. I will keep you guys posted!
That’s awesome—I am going to Istanbul as well! I am guessing you are probably on your trip now, look forward to reading about it!