Istanbul_ The Collected Traveler_ An Inspired Companion Guide - Barrie Kerper [194]
Finally, the stellar translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey by Robert Fagles (both published by Viking). Fagles, who passed away in 2008, was a renowned translator of Latin and Greek. His versions of The Iliad and The Odyssey became “unlikely best-sellers” according to his obituary in The New York Times, and together with his translation of The Aeneid, sold millions of copies. Their success, according to the obituary, “was due largely to Mr. Fagles’s gifts as a writer. He was not an exactingly literal translator but rather one who sought to reinterpret the classics in a contemporary idiom.”
A TURKISH MISCELLANY
I think of this section as an informative and interesting source-book, one that could almost be published as a separate volume. I say “almost” because the original version I wrote was over two hundred pages, which is just about the size of a separate book, and which my editor said was too long. So I had to delete many entries, kicking and screaming all the while. Happily, however, you’ll find those entries—along with updates, more recommendations, and all kinds of worthy tips and noteworthy trivia—on my corner of the Vintage Web site, randomhouse.com/vintage.
A
Accommodations
Unlike France, for example, with its chambres d’hôtes, auberges, hôtels de charme, gîtes, and châteaux-hôtels (among others), Turkey does not have as many different types of lodgings—most everything is a hotel, a pansiyon (pensione), or a simple room in someone’s house. Istanbul, however, has an astounding variety of hotels, in all price ranges, and so many of them are so appealing that it may prove difficult to choose among them—I love the hotels of Istanbul! I also believe that choosing where to stay is as important as any other trip-related decision. I do not buy into the idea that accommodations are only places to sleep—where you stay can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip, and the staff at a hotel can be enormously helpful in making your trip special. Deciding where to stay should not be taken lightly and deserves your best research efforts.
Because the city is so spread out, and because it is next to impossible to select just one place to stay, I recommend making reservations at two or possibly three places. In this way visitors may experience different neighborhoods as well as lodgings, perhaps choosing a moderate inn initially and then splurging on one of Istanbul’s splendid palace hotels. Additionally, keep in mind that Sultanahmet, a great neighborhood to stay in due to its proximity to all the major sites of the Old City, is not known for great restaurants, so if you stay here you may find yourself taking a lot of cabs to Beyoğlu and the neighborhoods north of the Golden Horn.
When I first visited Istanbul, in 1990, the Hilton was the nicest hotel in town; it still is a fine hotel, and in fact it was the very first deluxe hotel in the city, built in 1957. But nineteen years later the list of world-class hotels in the city is long, a sign that for both business travelers and vacationers Istanbul’s lodgings are now equal to those in any of the world’s major cities. I myself do not generally prefer chain hotels, especially American ones, but those who do will find not only Hilton represented but also Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton, Ramada, and Best Western, among others.
It is not my intent to visit dozens of hotels in Istanbul and report on them—that is within the purview of guidebooks, Web sites, and accommodations guides (one I particularly like is Alistair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Turkey). But as someone