On the last day in Istanbul I decided to make it over to Kadiköy on the Asian shore. It’s supposed to have a great market on Tuesdays, although I did not make it there in the end.

They have moved the market further from the ferry, so I just strolled through the Balik Pazari, the Fish Market, at the start of Güneslibahçe Sokak, the Sunny Garden Street.

There are of course a number of fish merchants selling the freshest catch, but the best discovery were the numerous little deli places.

I

ate some amazing meze, especially a number of these vegetables filled with rice…. dolma, the ones in the wine leaf, but also wrapped in cabbage, stuffed into an onion, green pepper, cucumber, or aubergine. Amazing.

The area also has a number of little antique shots, book stores, and other merchants, besides the countless number of restaurants. It’s definitely worth a stroll.

I also managed to meet wit Cihan one last time for a coffee, before I had to head back with the ferry, to pack my stuff and get ready for the flight to Tel Aviv tomorrow.

I’ll really miss the food, the cafés, bars and restaurants, the relaxed slow atmosphere. Even though it is such a huge city, I felt like I was in a small(er) town mostly, roaming through my quiet neighborhood.