Istanbul
Pistachios. Coffees. Cats. Istanbul, a city that is as colourful as it is lovely. Not just in appearance, but by the character of its people. Its history rich with trade, war, and changes in power. A city that not many, in my personal experience, have recommended, or ventured. A city that will challenge your preconceived notions. A city that will stay with you long after you have left.
Istanbul starts with the unknown. Viewing streets lined with cat boxes. Food and water dishes, so lovingly placed outside by the locals, wanting to care for the true rulers of the city. A friendly purr and embrace by these local rulers. Fearless of passers by, as they have become accustomed to a truly friendly society. Anywhere is their stomping ground. No place is disallowed to be their bed. Always watching pedestrians with ever engaged eyes.
Instagrammers posing in front of Galata Kulesi to prove they have been there. Friends and couples engaging in comfortable conversations over Turkish coffee on the Galataport Promenade. Day trippers viewing the European side, and the Asian side of the city, while sipping champagne on a private sunset cruise, gazing at the spectacular Dolmabahçe Palace.
Movement is constant. Each street has its own charm, hustling and bustling long into the night. Food can be interactive. Having your coffee brewed by scorching sand. Succulent slices of chicken or beef delicately wrapped into fresh pita. Taste after taste of endless variations of Turkish delight. Finding yourself lost is not a panic inducing scenario, rather a chance to glimpse beauty down back alleys and stores that would often be so easily overlooked.
To travel to Istanbul is to choose a memory. To choose an adventure. To choose a new way in which you may look at your untraveled path. You are choosing to take off your rose coloured glasses and view the city for the raw beauty that it holds. A choice that will move you in more directions than simply north, south, east, and west.
Regards,
M
15th, July, 2025
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