Day 22 – Cruise is over and our week in Istanbul begins

Istanbul

Monday, 7 October 2013

Disembarked at 9.00am where our keycards were swiped for the final time. Through to customs and collected our luggage before braving crowded streets to the taxi rank. After much persuasion and calls to Ahmet, a taxi driver did agree to take us for 90 Turkish lira. This was a rip off, we know, and if our bags had been lighter and the hills were smaller, we would have caught the tram and funicular for a couple of dollars.

We left our bags at the office with Ahmet’s assistant and, armed with a map of Istanbul, started exploring on our own. We are very close to Taksim Square 

and our area in Istanbul is vibrant and busy and a little less touristy than the old town. There’s a wealth of places to eat, to shop, and to wander.

We wandered down Istiklal Caddesi (this is a long pedestrian street that starts from Taksim Square), 

then to the Galata bridge where there are always men fishing

and back again down to the last tram stop at Kabatas, where we bought an Istanbul card with a little help, and caught the funicular to Taksim Square and Istaklel street where we had an authentic kebab at a Turkish cafe called Bersa Kebapcisi.

Our apartment was still being cleaned when we we got back to the office. It’s more basic than we have been used to on board ship but it will do us nicely. 

Although very close to Taksim Square, it is very quiet. There are a couple of 24 hour shops around the corner which sell fruit and vegetables as well as groceries and the basics. We have a little balcony with very distant views of the Blue Mosque between buildings. We’ve bought some provisions – some bread, feta, tomatoes, Turkish yoghurt, bananas and what turned out to be honey – so all set for a few days. Asked Ahmet for a clothes horse, tea towels and extra light bulbs – let’s see of he comes through!

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