Çukurcuma

Let it go
I think I landed in one of the most beautiful, buzzing, yet calm and relaxed neighborhoods in Istanbul. Çukurcuma is a little neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, formerly known under its greek name of Pera, and has everything you could wish for… The little street down from my apartment alone has a hotel, several […] Read More

Bar night

Let it go
After Sabine left, I spent the morning cleaning my files, writing some mails, continuing some planning for the trip in a café, and then met up in the early evening with Cihan, a reader of my blog! He wanted to show me a couple of his favorite bars, and as I haven’t gone out in […] Read More

On my own again

Let it go
Last day for Sabine today. We slept and had a nice breakfast at a close-by hotel, then we headed for the airport, skipping the taxi this time but using the tram and metro. She’s heading back to Paris and on to Spain tomorrow, for the second half of her holidays, with her husband and her […] Read More

Under ground

Let it go
Back into the old town for the third day in a row, we went to the Archeological Museum today, maxing out our Museum card, then had a stroll downhill to the little Hagia Sophia mosque, and through a small bazaar. However, the highlight of the day surely was underground: we visited the ancient Basilika cistern […] Read More

Old town

Let it go
I feel like we did it all in one day. We walked through Beyoglu and down to a little local fish market, where they sold fresh catch, sometime still alive and wriggling… Sabine had a spicy fish sandwich, and the birds enjoyed a snack, too. Over the bridge, and after the last drops of rain, […] Read More

Re-settled

Let it go
I moved to my new place this morning, in the middle of Beyoğlu again. It’s only a short walk to the main shopping street, and all the side streets with bars and restaurants, but my street is totally quiet, no through traffic, and a police station at the end. Feels good. I unpacked again and my […] Read More

Harassed

Let it go
So far, the trip has gone remarkably well, without any incidents or accidents. Well, until Istanbul. Walking home from the hamam and the restaurant on Tuesday, I passed into my neighborhood, an area of Beyoglu that is clearly poorer, more run-down than the blocks around Istiklal street. The houses are old, some abandoned, the streets […] Read More

Hamam

Let it go
After the first quick visit to the supermarket around the corner for some basics, I met up with Sven for a stroll through the area, notably around İstiklâl Caddesi, the main shopping and pedestrian street in Istanbul. It is a really nice street, with an old tram line passing through, and has countless shops, bars, restaurants, […] Read More

Just a dream

Let it go
One week ago I was strolling through Tokyo on my last day. Then I flew home and spent a couple of days there, seeing friends and family… and I had a feeling of familiarity, that kind of made the memory of the first trip vaguely bizarre… as if I had only dreamt it all up. Being […] Read More

İstanbul’a hoşgeldiniz!

Let it go
It took some time to figure it out, because I have no idea about Istanbul and because there were so many offers on Airbnb. Prices varied a lot, too. Some places looked fantastic and had corresponding prices, some looked great, and the price was ok… I think I found middle ground. I’ll be there from […] Read More