The best gift for March 8th!
The end of February, winter does not think to give up its positions, the body is exhausted by beriberi... In order to somehow cheer up, I "for a minute" decided to get into the Internet for "positive". Google “thrown” it onto the pages of a tourist forum and familiar landscape pictures flashed before my eyes... My husband entered the room: “What can I give you for March 8, my love? ” - “Take me to Istanbul! ” : )
And now, after 2 years, I'm here again, and again "out of season" - the beginning of March. Most of my compatriots, yearning for warmth, rushed "to Egypt", and I meet spring in Istanbul, which appeared before me in a romantic, flowering guise. In March, this city is literally buried in tulips.
During the day, the air temperature, at this time of the year, here rises to +15, but in the evening it drops to +5. For two years the city has changed a little, has become more "European". Finally, we managed to get a more or less sane map of Istanbul, in one of the central squares of Sultanahmet you can connect to free municipal Wi-Fi right on the street, and bottled and canned beer is served wrapped in craft paper bags in open street areas. Last year, Istanbul became one of the seven cultural capitals of Europe, and such "innovations" are probably connected with this.
Like most tourists, we settled in Sultanahmet, the historical part of the city. The place of deployment was the hotel "Arcadia", it was in it that we stayed last time. The manager at the reception desk, who processed the passports, after a second's hesitation, gave us a radiant smile: "Oh! Yu ver hir tu ears ego! Ay remember yu! "--"See remember yu tu! " (It's nice, damn it! But, did we really play tricks in Old New Year two years ago that we are still remembered here ?!; )) "European gadgets" were reflected in the hotel: now you can't smoke in the rooms. The wallpaper was re-pasted in the hotel, the carpet was renewed, however, the years of active smoking in the room make themselves felt: a persistent smell of tobacco hovers in the corridors and rooms of the hotel. It doesn't annoy me. To the great relief of smokers, you can indulge in a bad habit in the open area of the hotel restaurant. The restaurant is located on the roof, from here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Sultanahmet and the Princes' Islands. Breakfasts were a special pleasure, in an almost empty chamber restaurant, in the "company" of curious seagulls : )
Many people do not like to come to the same place several times, and I like the first trips even less than the repeated ones. Last time we visited almost all the main sights: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Egyptian Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palace, Suleimaniya with the grave of Roksolana and even the Archaeological Museum. Suleiman the Great : ) Now we leisurely strolled through the streets of the city, visiting the places we already loved and discovering new, hitherto unknown corners of Istanbul. Of particular interest to us was the "Galata part" of the city, with Istiklal Street and Taksim Square, ignored by our guides on the first trip. Namely, we went there first by taxi, and the next day "on our own": we walked to the Sirkeci station, crossed the Galata bridge, stared at the fishermen, found a funicular (tunel) on which for one lira and two minutes we reached Istiklal. It is interesting that the funicular in Istanbul is underground : ) In principle, it is unremarkable. Such a public mode of transport.
Personally, Istiklal Street and its environs reminded me very much of Budapest, its Pest part near the Keleti station. This is a completely different Istanbul. Here is the habitat of poets, artists, musicians and government officials. It is on Istiklal that the embassies and consulates of many foreign powers are located, young people like to "hang out" here. Many restaurants, cafes and nightclubs "European type". Full of boutiques of various brands, we got on seasonal sales. Stylish things were sold with discounts of 50-70%! And although we did not plan "shopping", it was very difficult to resist a few new things! In the evening of the same day, we were sitting in the Arcadia restaurant in an updated wardrobe, washing our purchases with wine and aromatic tea : ) I also really liked the antique second-hand bookshops, where you can buy an old photograph of Istanbul as a souvenir or some brochure in Arabic. Agree, such a souvenir is much more original than magnets and cups. . . Although, a few new magnets still decorated our refrigerator : ) Of course, while in Galatasaray, we could not help but visit the famous Galata Tower. After standing in a long queue, for 10 lira ($5) we took the elevator to the observation deck of the tower. The view is, of course, awesome. One bad thing - it's full of people, everyone is pushing, the observation deck is narrow, it's impossible to stop and see the area normally : ) In addition to the observation deck in the tower, there is a restaurant with astronomical prices, decoration and service "a la" less expensive cafe and quite a decent toilet : )
One of the most pleasant tourist "attractions" is a boat trip along the Bosphorus. Last time, it was included in our travel package, and on this trip we organized the "Bosphorus Cruise" on our own. On the advice of local residents, we boarded a capacious boat of the "TURYOL" company, which departs from the Eminonu pier. This is on the left side of the Galata Bridge, if you enter it from the side of the Spice Bazaar. Boats depart every half an hour, the duration of the tour is one and a half hours, the cost is 9 lira (about $ 4). A wonderful, relaxing trip that allows you to appreciate the impressive size of the metropolis, as well as take a closer look at the magnificent Istanbul bridges and charming fishing boats of various colors and sizes : )
Each city has its own flavor: Odessa smells like the sea, Tallinn smells like cinnamon, and the aromas of roasted chestnuts and fish hover over Istanbul.
There are a lot of fish here, all and different. And I bet that a traditional Turkish sandwich with fried fish ("balyk-ekmek") will delight even the most ardent seafood hater! : ) You can buy this delicacy without fear right on the street in special shops, near the Galata Bridge. Guys in funny, gold-embroidered vests, right in front of you, will fry the freshest fish fillet on a large metal sheet and wrap it in a soft crispy bun. Revealing their golden crowns in a wide smile, they will gesture you to sit down at low, uncomfortable tables nearby. It is not necessary to sit at tables. You can safely chew a sandwich somewhere on the sidelines, feeding the rest of the roll to the restless seagulls. This pleasure costs 4 lira ($2).
The Galata Bridge, or rather the fishermen on it, have long been one of the hallmarks of Istanbul. Locals call this bridge "Galata Bridge" (Galata Koprusu). I remember the last time we "thought" to go out for a walk around the city without a map and without a business card of the hotel. As a result, getting lost, we had a lot of problems, since no one understood exactly where we wanted to get (we wanted to go to the Galata Bridge). At one of the intersections, on our occasion, a whole "concil" of taxi drivers gathered, who for a long time could not understand that the "GalatIAN bridge" (as we said) is the same as their "Galata bridge" : )
Once again, walking along the Galata bridge, we found a small fish market near the bridge on the Galata side. A colorful fish is neatly laid out on marble (! ) counters. Amazing cleanliness. Vendors are constantly watering stalls and fish with water from a hose. Customers are anxiously scurrying around the shops, meticulously examining the goods. The vast majority of fish buyers are men : )
After passing through the fish market, we came to a small open area. Among the low trees, on the grass, right on the shore of the Golden Horn Bay, plastic tables are placed. Turkish families, children, parents are sitting at the tables. The townspeople enjoy the good weather, eat, chat, laugh. . . There are a lot of cats around : ) We also chose a table covered with a colorful woven napkin. Stopping at the table, they began to look around in puzzlement in search of a waiter. There is no one, no one, as usual, pulls by the sleeve, inviting to taste delicious dishes... From somewhere, from behind the bushes, a young man cautiously approached us, who seemed to be puzzled no less than ours. "Menu? " I asked hopefully looking at him. The young man broke into a smile and hit his chest with his fist and answered: "Ay, um, and the menu! " Then he motioned for them to follow him. “He liked you! ” the husband scoffed. Ah well! Offendedly, I pout my lips and send my husband to study the "menu", and I myself remain to guard things and my "maiden honor"! : R A few minutes later, the husband returned, followed by a young man - "menu" with a tray of canned beer "Efes", wrapped in a piece of paper. Then I listened to an entertaining story about the choice of fish, the name of which my husband did not remember. It turns out that the fish is picked right there, at the bazaar, bought, fried by the young men - the "menu" and served to the table : ) After 15 minutes, each of us became the owner of a large plate of fragrant fried fish. The sea, the sun, fish, cats - FOR-ME-CHA-TEL-BUT! : ))) In general, we were fascinated by the place. There is such a pleasant local flavor that you can’t buy for any money in the most expensive restaurant. As far as I remember, a plate of fish cost about 10-15 lira.
The scariest place in Istanbul for me is the Grand Bazaar. I am frightened by a large crowd of people, noise, screaming, crowds... Women in black veils, trying on no less black new veils, goods from the category "everything for 5 lire", heartbreaking cries of touts... Endless streets and alleys overflowing with various goods and merchants, scattering from the main covered building of the bazaar to nearby quarters. Get lost here - just spit. Orienting, counting the balconies, on the numerous minarets towering outside the bazaar is a thankless and absolutely useless business. But my "second half" thinks otherwise. He likes this authentic "cloaca" and one day, to my great horror, we go to "Kapali Charshi" (Big Bazaar). We got to the bazaar after passing through the Laleli district. It was Sunday in the yard, most of the shops were closed here, thanks to which, we quietly and peacefully reached Beyazit Square. Istanbul University is located on Beyazit Meydani, near the openwork gates of the university sellers of textbooks are jostling and students are crowding. Also, there is a museum of calligraphy (unfortunately it was closed) and the oldest mosque in Istanbul, Beyazit, built on the model of Hagia Sophia. To the left behind the mosque, we dived into an inconspicuous archway and found ourselves in the Grand Bazaar. All I had to do was hold the bag tighter and, cheering myself up with thoughts of loose Turkish delight, run after my fellow traveler, squeaking from time to time: "Wait! " : )
The most informative, from the point of view of history, this time was a visit to the Basilica Cistern. This is a large underground reservoir built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 532 to supply the palace with water. The cistern is located in the very center of Sultanahmet. We came here right after breakfast, when there were practically no people inside. Very impressive, mysterious place. Soothing dripping water flowing from eight-meter underground columns. Large, outlandish fish swim in clear, transparent water, which have never seen sunlight. You can wander around the Basilica for hours, thinking about the frailty of being and the mercilessness of time. . . We were brought back to reality by groups of Japanese tourists and the damp underground cold that got under our jackets. After drinking a cup of coffee in an underground cafe, we finished visiting this sight : )
A walk through the flowering garden of Gulhane was a special pleasure. This garden once belonged to the Sultan and was part of the territory of the Sultan's Topkapi Palace. Entrance to the park is free. On one of the trees we noticed parrots. Curiosity!: ) From Gulhane Park we went to Kennedy Boulevard, named after the American President. They say that John F. Kennedy visited Istanbul on the eve of his death. The Turks are very proud of this. On the boulevard stands a monument to Kennedy, looking at the Bosphorus. Near it, according to the guide, there is an excellent observation deck with amazing views. But we were not lucky again - the observation deck was being renovated, so we just walked along Kennedy Boulevard towards the Sirkeci station, having examined some kind of press center and rolling stock of the Turkish railway along the way : )
Well, our journey has come to an end. My "gift" expired, but the memory of it remained in my heart and in my photos : ) Having dinner the day before, in one of the restaurants, we raised our glasses to visit this wonderful city at least once more! : ) Photo for memory, on the terrace of "Arcadia", transfer to the airport. .
Goodbye Istanbul! Hello Kyiv! : )
