Istanbul

What a treat it was to finally get a chance to meet a blogger friend of mine, Heather and her husband, William in Istanbul. Here's Heather and Lil L practicing mouth acrobatics. The 3 of them got on like a house on fire. Lil L came back to the UK announcing that from now onwards, she will have to eat more peppery rocket leaves because Uncle William advised her ALL princesses eat them. We were taken to local haunts where few tourists ever ventured. It was wonderful to see another perspective of Istanbul outside of the touristy Sultanahmet area.

I was here last year with my brother and his family. It was an eye opening experience where everything looked so exotic including the people who are the result of interbreeding between cultures (European and Eastern) for hundreds and hundreds of years. Gorgeous! What fascinated me was the women if I may be frank. On one hand, you still have women in burkhas and hidden from sight and on the other, the new generation of independent women.

Fish sandwich boats aka kitchen

Spice market

We checked out the Spice Market. All the locals shop outside the market while the tourists congregated inside and paid exorbitant prices for the same thing. It's funny how the price increased exponentially just 10 steps away.

I consider Istanbul to be the European version of Shanghai. It's chaotic, disorganized, aggressive, and industrious. There's the endless sea of new high rise buildings interspersed with the old Byzantine architecture. I used to think Italian taxi drivers are the devil's spawn until I got into a taxi in Istanbul. I was car sick everyday and ended up popping vertigo pills to combat nausea. These tiny little cobblestone lanes were originally meant for a single horse and carriage to go through but these days, cars from opposite directions try to squeeze past narrowly missing the pedestrians (oh yes, more often that not, there isn't always a dedicated sidewalk).

I don't know how one can ever go hungry here. Hawkers peddle their wares (aka food) in every corner.

Old Sandal

I've always loved pottering around the Galata area where there are many unique and contemporary shops. Surprisingly, most tourists cross the Galata bridge, pop into the tower and disappear back into Sultanahmet. What a shame. We stumbled upon Old Sandal, a store selling exquisite handmade shoes for ridiculously low prices (think £65 for a pair of flats). While we were there, a stunning and beautifully dressed Turkish lady walked in and bought a few pairs of shoes. She told me that there were far better value for money and just as well made as her Repettos. I agree.

The Turkish diet is meat based, something I'm not very used to. Their fish is insanely fresh and good. Thanks to Heather, we were VERY well fed.

A HUGE thank U to Heather and William for their generosity and warm hospitality! You've made the trip extra special. Thank U to all of you for reading!