Tag Archives: Ottoman Hotel Imperial

Turkey: Taking a Turkish Bath

March 22, 2016.  “Looking for a true Turkish experience?  Try a public hammam,” advised Rick Steves’ guidebook.  Many of our colleagues had also raved about their own bathhouse visits, so we’d booked a reservation to try one out.  Rick listed two options:   traditional segregated establishments, where men and women bathe in separate quarters and are pampered by members of their own sex.  Or more modern coed facilities, where husbands and wives bathe together but are served only by male attendants. Continue reading Turkey: Taking a Turkish Bath

Turkey: Intro to Istanbul

March 19, 2016.  One of my favorite things about international travel is comparing the passenger experience in different airports and aboard various airlines.  For example, in Chicago’s O’Hare airport, employees motor through the terminals on golf carts, while in Oslo’s Gardermoen, they zip along on kick scooters, and in Amsterdam’s Schipol, they race around on bicycles. Continue reading Turkey: Intro to Istanbul