Istanbul, Turkey
Arriving in Istanbul felt so great. I realized I missed a big city. Getting off the bus and being in the middle of a bunch of people hustling around, cold fall weather - it felt so great. I was greeted by Kaan, another person I met while in Kaş. Him and his brother have been so generous to me, letting me stay with them for a couple weeks while exploring Istanbul. They live in a really great neighborhood on the Asian side. All the streets are filled with cafes, botique shops, restaurants and everything in between. After settling in slowly I managed to make it to some tourist destinations. Kaan and I laughed because somehow we managed to put together the perfect four hour tour of Sultanahmet. We took the boat over and started in Gülhane Parkı, then to Basilica Cistern, Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Market. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. Sometimes it's nice to just leave the camera in the bag.
I've found myself spending the majority of my time in Kadıköy, Karakoy and Beşiktaş. There is so much to see here. It's been three weeks and I am still here!
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Galata Tower by day
Galata Tower by night
Kadıköy / Moda, Istanbul
Kadıköy, Old train station - where we caught the International Coffee Festival
Kadıköy, morning run to the lighthouse
Moda/Kadıköy, sitting on the rocks looking out at the sea. Perfect place to watch all the ships in the horizon.
Moda/Kadıköy
SALT Galata
