Day and night. One dog to rule the whole block. Kittens and cats abound.
The hammam at the The Galata Hotel Istanbul – MGallery Collection has traditional services well worth the visit and has a great view too from breakfast and the roof bar.
Views into the maze of the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is so highly featured in all the guide books and online recommendations- but it didn’t resonate with me at all (neither did the Basilica Cistern). The little offshoot courtyards- the maze of alleys and stairs- these felt genuine and a peek into the non touristy remnants of the mercantile culture of the city.
Quick snaps at and around the airport. I was astonished by the airport- on arrival did not see this view or was just blind to it. I wouldn’t blame myself- it was a tough time. This trip was reality setting in that things would be different from now on – to sense it and feel it and to be with it is no easy task but a good exercise of who knows what is good or bad and for that I give a good smile.
On the way back from Galata Promenade back to the hotel noted above, found this amazing street Lüleci Hendek Cd. (using this coffee shop as a marker) – this is a side alley off that which caught my eye… a little bit of everything in there.
Oddly enough, I haven’t mentioned yet one aspect of Istanbul that took me by surprise was just how steep the hills were. Extremely so and that’s coming from someone who has seen a few in San Francisco. All of these hills make for pockets of neighborhoods and it is hard to discern what comes next – I think that’s part of the charm of the city of Istanbul.