Culture pür (also a bit)

7.15 am and I awake with a start... way too late for an early bird... so hurry up, get dressed and grab everything for breakfast. Today I have my self-purchased almond milk for 5 euros (😫) and müsli.

First, we visit the cistern near us before I am taken to a store where I buy such beautiful bowls and cups... and according to Turkish hospitality, we are offered apple tea. I must say, the drink tastes very good. I quickly bring my newly purchased goods back to the hotel before we take the tram to Taksim Square with the Republic Monument (you know what else happens politically on the square). By the way, you can also see Istanbul's old trams running here.

We stroll down the Istiklal Avenue towards the Galata Tower and really think that we could easily climb the tower and enjoy the view of the city in this great weather. Quickly, we realize that others had the same idea. I guess we have to wait for at least 1 hour, so we decide against it immediately. Instead, we head towards the Egyptian Bazaar over the Galata Bridge... just to take a look. And then it occurs to me that I should actually get THE cocoa from THAT company here! To the story: a woman I didn't know until then found out that I was traveling to Istanbul while exercising. So she asked me to bring her THE BEST cocoa from Mehmet Efendi. She loves it. And now I can fulfill her wish because we find - I ask myself multiple times - the store (and also stock up on it for ourselves).

Heavily loaded, we go on a boat tour on the Bosphorus... ignoring the screaming kids and the wind... and you can enjoy the view of the European and Asian sides of the city. We pass by both Bosphorus bridges and some historically significant buildings😊.

I'm hungry, again and again: the reason is obvious for me - I hardly eat anything warm. It's often bread or, when it's warm, it's a meat dish. Vegetables?! Haha, no, we don't have them - you often hear that 😢. So I keep snacking on cold and sweet things around me. But we accumulate quite a lot during the day because we continue through several bazaars (Hello Lady, we need your money), heading towards home and then again towards the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque at sunset - the view of the illuminated buildings is breathtaking. And Istanbul is the San Francisco of Europe - up and down hills. A dream for flatlanders 😃