InStyle

My Turkish Delight

From the bazaars of Istanbul to the Lycian coast, shoe designer Olivia Morris lets InStyle in on her honeymoon with graphic-designer husband Nathan Lauder.

MONDAY, London and Istanbul

“Nathan and I were married on Friday at Chelsea Register Offce, then held a party at Wilton’s Music Hall on Saturday. Our honeymoon begins today and, after four hours’ sleep, we arrive at the W Istanbul feeling a little fragile…”

TUESDAY, Istanbul

After breakfast, we head straight to Sultanahmet, the oldest part of the city. First stop, the Topkapi Palace and its harem.

Wandering through the maze of rooms, corridors and courtyards, where 18th-century neoclassical trompe l’oeil mixes with 17th-century Iznik tiles, we step back in time. Throw in a 19th-century chandelier and you have an interior that is seriously indulgent and wonderfully inspiring.

Next, we cross the gardens to the Imperial Treasury, where our eyeballs bulge at jewels the size of gobstoppers. Afterwards, we walk past Galata Tower to lunch at 360º – super-slick in design and fabulous views from the rooftop.

It dawns on us that there is a huge amount to see and do in Istanbul and we agree to pack as much into our four days as possible, even if it means sacrifcing lie-ins. We know we can relax once we get to the beach.

After an afternoon of shopping, it’s back to the hotel, on with my new Temperley London frock and OM heels, then off to dinner at hot spot Topaz. With foor-to-ceiling glass windows, our table has spectacular views over the twinkling lights of the city. After a celebratory glass of champagne, we dine on a delicious modern Ottoman tasting menu and a different Turkish wine with each course.

WEDNESDAY, Istanbul

Today, we take a cruise on the Bosphorus strait and meander up the water past the stunning waterside yalis [houses] that grace its shores. Then a walk to Karaköy Güllüoglu, the best spot for baklava in Istanbul. Not a tourist in sight, yippee. We are buzzing from our lunch-time sugar and caffeine rush.

We take the tram back across Galata Bridge to visit the Hagia Sophia mosque. Having thought the architecture couldn’t get any more impressive, we are blown away. Like Istanbul itself, it is a melting pot of cultures, religions and decoration. The dome is magnifcent and the mosaics divine.

After some retail in an area called Cukurcuma, we have a relaxed dinner at Ali Baba, famous for its meatballs, followed by home-made Italian ice cream at Cremeria Milano. It is as good as the ice-cream parlour I visit each season in Bologna.

THURSDAY, Istanbul

We wake early and set off to Istanbul Modern. It’s an interesting contrast to the sites we’ve visited and it’s nice to see Turkey’s contemporary artists. We’re coming to realise that Istanbul is a great mix of ancient and modern. I particularly like Ramazan Bayramoglu’s ‘The Portrait of Alexandra Maria Lara’, which is made from stitched textiles and has beautiful surface texture.

We have lunch at Pandeli, near the spice bazaar. The interior has barely changed since it opened in 1901 and the turquoise tiles and stone foors are so atmospheric. To round off the day, we have a romantic evening at Balikçi Sabahattin, one of the best fsh restaurants in the city.

FRIDAY, Istanbul

On our last day in Istanbul, we decide to tackle the Grand Bazaar.

We take a ferry across to the Asian shore in the afternoon. It’s strange to think that, after a ten-minute journey, we’ve crossed into a different continent. We drink Turkish beer from metal cups and eat amazing street food at Ciya Sofrasi, then watch the sunset as we journey back to Europe.

As our plane takes off, even though we are sad to leave, we are very excited about our next destination in the middle of Turkey: the National Park of Cappadocia, famous for its surreal landscape, caves and ancient underground cities.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, Cappadocia

Nathan and I are smitten with our hotel Esbelli Evi, the oldest original cave hotel. We’re staying in the Honeymoon Suite, carved into the side of the mountain. It’s suitably romantic, with a roll-top bath in the middle of the room.

The whole area is a designated World Heritage site and we start to discover why when visiting the Göreme open-air museum, with its incredible frescoed Byzantine churches.

We also trek through the surreal valleys and rock formations on foot. There’s an abundance of brilliantly coloured wild fowers that stretch across the valley and it gets me thinking about the colours for my s/s 2010 collection.

I have my own Demi Moore moment when I end up at the potter’s wheel at tile manufacturer Güray Seramik. The most embarrassing thing about it is the elasticated foral trousers they make me wear. We buy a small selection of Iznik tiles to bring back for our bathroom.

On our second night here, I don’t sleep at all. I’m petrifed of heights and today is our hot-air balloon ride with Kapadokya Balloons. We get up at 4am and I feel sick to the pit of my stomach, while Nathan is full of excitement. I giggle when I see our booking: ‘Olivia and Nathan from super-trendy InStyle fashion magazine’. Thankfully, once inside the basket, a sense of calm washes over me. The landscape is stunning, but what’s also amazing is the silence. As we float across the valley, the wind carrying us where it chooses, we’re like two big kids, with huge grins stretched across our faces.

MONDAY TO SUNDAY, Kaş on The Lycian Coast

We’ve fown to the Lycian coast and are ready for some serious relaxation. Kaş is an unspoilt and very pretty harbour town with winding cobbled streets.

We’re staying in a private villa fve minutes outside town called Villa Ela. It’s chic and sleek and the infnity pool overlooks the sea. Pure luxury.

The days here are lazy with a capital L. We peel ourselves from our terrace to spend a day on a gulet [traditional wooden sailing boat], exploring the local hidden bays.

Another day, we’re collected by a private motor cruiser and taken down the coast for a picnic in a cove. And, feeling adventurous one afternoon, we drive to Büyük Cakil, a public pebble beach, with our music and sun hats.

Our favourite shops in Kas are lined up the main cobbled street. We spent a small fortune in A La Turka on sets of huge tasselled bath towels; they also have a sweet pair of velvet and wooden Turkish slippers, which I buy as inspiration for my next collection. There is a tempting selection of kilimler [traditional tapestry rugs] in ASG Carpet and, at Khaftan, we buy a small Forties painting as a souvenir.

In the evenings, we buy fsh in the market and Nathan barbecues it on the terrace, or we eat at our favourite mezze joint Bahçe, watch sunsets at the whitewashed Zeytin and sit on the terrace of the Blue House, a private restaurant where the owner cooks from her own kitchen.

MONDAY Kaş and London

A marriage lasts forever, but, unfortunately, a honeymoon has to come to an end. On the plane home, we start planning our return to this country of culture and contrasts.

Olivia and Nathan travelled as guests of Turkey specialist Exclusive Escapes.

Two-week city and coast combinations include return fights, transfers and private guiding. A week at Villa Ela on the Lycian coast includes fights, transfers and car hire.

For Olivia Morris’s latest collection, visit oliviamorrisshoes.com

Olivia’s Istanbul shopping guide

Olivia’s favourites

Kelebek Korse Magazasi (istiklal Caddesi No 433, beyoglu merkez; 00 90 212 293 6121). the oldest underwear shop in istanbul.

Olivia buys: lace-panelled nude-coloured Fifties underwear and white, pure cotton vests for Nathan.

Ece Sükan Vintage (ahmet Fetgari sokak No 152, tesvikiye; 00 90 212 233 5439). the best vintage boutique in the city.

Olivia says: “seriously chic, with carefully selected stock, it’s run by a fashion editor-cum-model with a very good eye”.

The Iznik Foundation (oksüz Cocuk sokak No 7, Kuruçesme besiktas; 00 90 212 287 3243) a co-op producing traditional hand-painted tiles.

Olivia says: “they commission artists and designers such as Zaha hadid. The results are sleek and modern versions of a very turkish tradition”.

Kütahya Porselen (halaskargazi Caddesi 126, osmanbey; 00 90 274 225 0150). supplies most of the porcelain to fancy restaurants in istanbul.

Olivia buys: bargain-priced decorative porcelain cofee cups.

In the Cukurcuma region

Kuti (Firuzaga mh Faikpasa sokak No 51/a meymenet apt, beyoglu merkez; 00 90 535 332 2820) for 20th-century antiques; Mozk (Kuloglu mahallesi altipatlar sokak No 10, beyoglu merkez; 00 90 212 252 3499) for vintage clothes; A la Turca (Faikpasa sokak 4 beyoglu merkez; 00 90 212 245 2933) and Asli Günsiray (Cukurcuma Caddesi 72, a Firuzaga; 00 90 212 252 5986) for interiors; and Haci Bekir (istiklal Caddesi No 83, a beyoglu merkez; 00 90 212 244 2804), across the bosphorus, for turkish delight.

In the spice bazaar

Ozer (misir Carsisi No 82; 00 90 212 526 8079), with its boudoir style, for kaftans, textiles, lace and cushions; thirties shop Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi (tahmis sokak 66, Eminönü; 00 90 212 511 4262-63) for packets of what is described as the best cofee in turkey.

In the grand bazaar

Old Art (Kalpakçilar Caddesi No 213; 00 90 212 520 6360) and Karmen (Kalpakçilar Caddesi No 156; 00 90 212 520 6360) for antiques and estate jewellery; Dervis (Keseciler Caddesi 33-35; 00 90 212 514 4525) has lovely hamam [turkish bath] towels, scarves and soaps; Muhlis Günbatti (perdahçilar Caddesi No 48; 00 90 212 511 6562) is great for antique clothing and textiles; and Dalida (4 Cukur han, yaglikçilar Caddesi; 00 90 212 513 4804) is jam-packed with tiles and ceramics.