Gipatik: 15.09.2023
Actually, KKK for cats, coffee/tea and culture says everything about Istanbul. It is a beautiful, almost quiet old town full of cats sleeping, playing and looking for cuddles, who simply belong here and are loved. In every corner there are cafés with the most delicious baklava, cakes and pastries or restaurants with fresh salads and good Turkish cuisine and then there is the very old, old and new culture - but which every travel guide can describe better than I can.
We were impressed by the peace and quiet in the old towns (there are several of them), which makes it possible for pedestrians to get from A to B very safely. Apart from public transport, taxis, delivery traffic and a few residents, nobody drives around here. The layer of dust on the cars in the side streets shows that people in Istanbul don't drive their cars much in the city center. You can travel from Europe to Asia in just a few minutes using the various metros or find a bus from the beach to the city quite easily, even if the topic of timetables is more of a theoretical construct.
Very different worlds live close together here and yet a common picture emerges. The family with a veiled daughter and one in tight clothes, heels and loose hair, who apparently have a liberal lifestyle, is just as normal as the daily journey across the Bosporus and thus life on two continents. Of course it's metropolitan Istanbul, but it's also Turkey and we could immediately dock our socialization here.
There are three of us currently traveling and KKK then became BBB for Baden, Bus and Burger. Seen through young eyes, this city offers enormous potential for innovation, lifestyle and Zapta burgers that really impress.
We hit the jackpot with our cheap but central little apartment, which has a roof terrace and we could watch the cats doing gymnastics on the roof while the illuminated Haga Sophie lit up the night over Istanbul. Absolute favorite place!
Best trip: admire Haga Sophia in peace from the green carpet and swim on the beautiful city beach
Stupid: the hill up to the metro (who built so many hills here?)
Really a highlight: Modern Museum on the Bosphorus (the seagulls on the roof are definitely a work of art), sunset on the boat
Kathleen