Istanbul

Istanbul straddles two continents and the seam shows in everything-Europe on one shore, Asia on the other, ferries stitching them together all day.

This was Constantinople, capital of two empires, and Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar still crown the old peninsula. The call to prayer rolls across the rooftops five times a day over a city of fifteen million in constant motion.

Minarets, container ships, fishermen on the Galata Bridge-it's overwhelming, intoxicating and utterly alive.

Eat a grilled-fish balık ekmek by the water and drink tea from a tulip glass as the Bosphorus slides past.