4 days in Istanbul (Turkey)

Discovering a city beyond traditional touristic sight seeing depends on many things. It depends with what kind of person you discover that city and whether you know some local people there. Having met on the train a Slovene traveller with which I spent most of my time in Istanbul gave me the possibility to share strong moments.

Feeling the city and these urban vibrations. Observing straying cats and dogs always ready to pose for a good photo. Getting a heart attack in speedy Turkish taxis that are always ready to accelerate for gaining two more meters in the endless traffic jam. Taking a ferry to the Asian side of the city or to one of those little islands around, where horse driven 'cars' replace polluting taxis. Watching countless fishermen close to the harbour that hope for the catch of the day...

Other keys to culture. Local people. Knowing a German-Turkish couple that live in Istanbul helped me to get a closer insight into Turkish culture. One aspect was culture transmitted through food. I shared a good Turkish breakfast (eggs, special cheese, cucumber, tomato, olive oil etc.) with them. And tried out different sorts of delicious cakes in a fancy specialised café located in Galatasaray district, part of the modern Istanbul, with a round-the-clock busy and all-you-can-shop pedestrian street.

Another food place to discover is Doy/Doy, a traditional Turkish restaurant close to the famous Blue Mosque (Sultan-Ahmet). Delicious kebab, lentil soup, pita, tea, ayran (drink yoghurt). And a great view over the roofs of the surrounding old town with Topkapi Palace, where 23 different sultans had their home, and Ayasofya (see photo), nowadays a museum that was turned from a Christian church into a mosque ...

So many souvenirs.