Munich: Prost!

Germany's most biggest beer festival (and probably the world's largest fair), the Oktoberfest is great fun, as you meet loads of people from around the world. You sing, dance and drink together with strangers, but in that moment no one seems to care, everyone just wants to have a great time!
The event goes on for 16 days and the second weekend is usually an Italian weekend, as most Italians come over to Munich for the Oktoberfest.
Trust me, Germans can figure this out, as Italians generally get drunk very quickly.
Here are the lyrics for the most played song on the Oktoberfest, "Ein Prosit".

GREECE: Atatürk Museum

Having spent six days in a quiet place like Afytos, I felt like going back to a vibrant city, the closest was Thessaloniki. It's a very pretty city with a few sights, like the white tower, the Hagia Sophia church and more importantly the Atatürk Museum.

The first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was born in today's Thessaloniki and there is a museum documenting his life.

Having seen Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Madame Tussauds, I find that the one here looks more real than the one in London. They also told me that the production of this figure was more expensive with better use of material.

Me and the legend!

Isn't he handsome? ;)

GREECE: Greek Cuisine On The Test

Afytos might be small, but after the third day you realise that the food is similar in every restaurant. There are probably around 10 restaurants and all you get is the same food everywhere. I am not complaining that it is not tasty, I just wished to have different variations now and again. 

What I really liked was the baked feta cheese and the delicious, juicy, green olives. 

One of the must-tries is also sardine fish and the chicken stew, Souvlaki. My Greek friend told me that on every Greek table, an octopus is a must. The more sand on it, the more likely it is fresh, they say, but I'm not so sure. Also, they love spending hours and hours at the table and sharing different dish together. Ouzo is not necessarily a must on the table, but it goes nicely with the fish and makes you eat more. For beginners I would suggest mixing Ouzo with water to make it less strong. 

When you ask for the bill, it might be possible to wait for more than half an hour until the waiters come back. Not sure why that is or if they do not even want us to pay. As a little gift, they usually offer a dessert from the house for free.

I also realised that it is very difficult to find chicken Gyros, but we were lucky and found two places in a week where they had a Greek kebab. 

I had seen so many Greeks drinking a type of coffee with three layers, so I tried one as well. It was okay, but did not beat our Turkish mocha, I'm sorry!

GREECE: Quiet Holidays

I have not been to Greece before and, especially being Turkish, you should definitely go there once in your life, even just to confirm that our country is more gorgeous and our cuisine much more varied and amazing than the Greeks!

Having arrived in Thessaloniki airport, the first thing I realised was that Greeks are as cheeky as the Turks. It started with the taxi ride from the airport to the bus terminal. He literally tried to convince us to drive us all the way from Thessaloniki to Afytos, which is a 1.5 hour drive. His arguments were hilarious, such as "it's much more comfortable in the taxi", "you have to pay more for the bus" etc. All of it was nonsense. The bus ride was much much less and at the same time very comfortable.
At the end he charged us an extra amount of money, just because he had to put our luggage in the boot!

Having arrived in Afytos, we realised how small this part was! There were hardly any people and if you saw any, they were Germans! That's why most of the waiters could speak either Greek or German, hardly any English.

Probably not the cleanest part of the beach, but still enjoyable ;) !

BERLIN: Hipster City

Berlin is the place to be. Last time I was in the capital city was 3 years ago and, oh my god, how "hipster" did it get? Look at you! Everyone seems to follow the hipster-trend, dressing up as stylishly as possible; the more you stand out, the better. Hasn't that already been the motto in London already for many many years? Good morning Germany, there you are, still a bit late with the fashion!
I spent most of my time around Rosenthaler Platz, Helmholtzplatz and Kastanienallee. It is a perfect place for meeting up with friends, as they have plenty of good cafes, bars and restaurants, but also some new fashion label stores. If you fancy some Lebanese food, check this one out: Babel Restaurant. 

As a Turk, I obviously had to also drop by Kreuzberg, to feel at home. It is unbelievable how many Turkish shops opened up here. It really feels like you are not in Germany. If you fancy a tasty Döner, you should definitely drop by the Kottbusser Tor and get one at Tadim restaurant.

Look at this variety of nibbles!

..Turkish delight paradise!

Hmm Simit!

BERLIN: History Of Berlin

Berlin is just so vibrant, creative and colourful. There is always plenty to discover. One thing I still hadn't seen was the DDR museum, that's why I gave it a go this time.

On the way to the DDR museum, passing the river Spree.

I probably spent 3 hours inside, which might seem a lot, but when you see the size of the museum, you will understand why. It's super-informative and, the best thing, it is interactive for both adults and children! 

Beautiful Berlin Cathedral.

BERLIN: Holocaust Memorial

One of the must-sees in Berlin is definitely the Holocaust memorial, which is a huge steel field.

ISTANBUL: Relax Your Soul

One of the most popular bazaars in Istanbul is the Grand Bazaar, but my favourite is after this journey the one in Yesilköy, which is not central and you definitely need cash to be able to pay. You can get anything you want there, from furniture to clothes, shoes and even a very nice and cheap lunch, the Turkish pastry dish, Gözleme.

Gözleme is done on a Sac.

This is a ferry commuting daily between the European and the Asian side.

The beautiful Bosphorus bridge.

Me on a windy ferry.

The marvelous Dolmabahce Palace. 

Ferry trip from Kadiköy to Eminönü. 

The traditional Turkish mocha served in a very vintage cup.

A classic menu in a park restaurant. 

Stuffed vine leaves called Sarma, very enjoyable with fresh salty yogurt and a traditional salad. 

Manti is Turkish tortellini served with a garlic yogurt sauce. 

Outdoor restaurant in Saray, which is a 2 hours drive from central Istanbul. 

Now and again, you will also see some old toilets, like this one in the park restaurant. 

A very good restaurant to have fresh fish is this place in Fetihpasa.

Kaymakli ekmek tatlisi is a very sweet dessert with a self-made delicious cream on top.

Getting hungry? No one wonder. Istanbul is the place for premium cuisine, to relax your soul, get inspired and live life to the full.

ISTANBUL: Know How To Enjoy Life

One of the most beautiful walks along the Bosphorus are leading to Etiler and Bebek.
Each neighbourhood in Istanbul has a different character. Bebek is one of the most expensive places to live and the place to show off on a weekend, most likely by renting an expensive car and driving along the waterway.

A beautiful old house at the Bosphorus. 

Traditional Tavla board game. 

Turks love fishing in their spare time. You can buy small fish for a bit of money and enjoy them on a pan or even on a barbecue. 

This is the place to get fresh fish sandwich in Eminönü.

You can also get traditional pickled vegetables, Tursu, in Eminönü.

Nakkas restaurant was one of the most amazing restaurants in Istanbul I have ever been to. I guess I do not have to say anything when it comes to the following pictures.

Çiğ Köfte is a raw meat dish and very delicious with some lettuce. 

Ezme salad is one of my favorite salads, as it is very spicy. The one next to it is the patlican salatasi with grilled aubergines.

This is the kebap meat, served on some home-made wrap bread. Very different to how you get it served in European restaurants.

This is the beautiful Bosphorus bridge with a height of 105 m and a length of 1,510 m. It is impressive any time of the day but most spectacular in the evening with all the different colours highlighting it.

A less traditional lunch in a restaurant in Bebek.

This is the beautiful Galata tower.

Central Istanbul. Streets are mainly narrow and steep, a good workout after a heavy meal.

You can get fresh fish on the right hand side of the picture in Eminönü.