Istanbul was the most habitable and the most European town we visited some years back. I was the most surprised to get to this conclusion, though I was told that before our trip. I concluded to my opinion reaching Istanbul direct from an Italian round tour. “Stanbul” is absolutely vibrant, clean, delicious, and delightful, relaxed, refreshing and exotic, luxurious and instant. It surpassed all my prior expectations. In spite of a twenty million or so population it is difficult to be lost: people are polite, kind, helpful, they like fun and are very outgoing. Couples who are interested perhaps in museums and history, or who are outgoing and partying types, or those who loves jazz or disco and live concerts, the shopping types, the art connoisseurs, those who loves fishing, adventures, or take ship cruises, or the one who just want to lay back and enjoy romantic backdrops for their intimacy can find ideal place here. More restaurants are around in Istanbul than in Italy, and what restaurants! The Anatolian food is superb discovery for freshly married with its variety and sophistication. Restaurants are following very different styles but specialized for one type of taste or style and around that style develop a variety of meal. Besides the Anatolian restaurants (they boast that they invented the pizza, the Italians just perfected the original recipe) the fish restaurants worth to visit.  The Turkish wines are surprisingly good, but price also can go up from the affordable to the marvelous.

We started to explore Istanbul in Sultanamet and eat ourselves through Istanbul, proceeding day by day to the other side of the Golden Horn, Beyoglu. Let me explain how: Sultanamet is the heart of Istanbul; a peninsula surrounded by the sea, on one side by the Bosphorus, the other side by the Golden Horn. The Golden Horn and the Bosphorus divides Asia from Europe, so one side of the city is in Europe, the other in Asia. This peninsula is the ‘old town’ built on a small hill, as Istanbul built on hills. Here the center is the Blue Mosk, which is one of the ancient and superb buildings of Istanbul, just opposite few meters away the magnificent Aya Sophia, this church was built by the byzantine king Great Constantine, and was pride of Christianity.  At the end of the peninsula is the Topkapi Palace with the “Sarayi” which was the place where the sultans used to live with their wives, which is now a museum together with the Istanbul Archeology Museum. On both side of this historic center, restaurants are crammed near to each other: they are good and many of them are built on the top of houses with burgeoning terraces offering spectacular view of the town and the Bosphorus. Walk alongside the tram line to the direction of the sea, and can try any of the little and not so little restaurants. You reach soon Eminomu at the mouth of the Golden Horn, where plentitude of fish restaurants offer the fresh catch. Pass through the Galata Bridge to the other side to Beyoglu (the bridge looks as if built on the top of a line of fish restaurants which are below the bridge). Then take any of the funiculars (an ascending underground cable train) and go to Taksim Squere and turn to Istiklal Caddesi (Istiklal Street), which is the shopping street of Istanbul with international brands, excellent quality, and bearable prices. After shopping try Marko Pasha Restaurant for authentic Anatolian food and treatment (Beyoglu, Istaklal Caddesi , Sadri Alisik Sokak No 8; Tel: 0212-2528080) or chose yours from different restaurant, cafes.

You can select a cinema or theatre of your choice from the plenty. Look for many of Istanbul’s international music festivals (see calendar and ticket booking at www.iksv.org). Look for refreshing and good modern art collections. Walking is safe and many places are in walking distance. The public transport is simple and   efficient. A very good dinner will cost for two about 50 Euro, and 90 Euro with vine. Shopping recommended at Taksim square and along Istiklal Road with well priced and fashionable international brands. Be careful while shopping in the Bazaar and Spice Market, here the world best sales people are offering their goods. Bargain is a “must” and it is a long ceremony. On the next day you may realize that you absolutely don’t need anything what you have bought. Consider do you need a tour guide at all, because it is not difficult to find by yourself the attractions of Istanbul. Hotels are plenty and excellent. Follow your preferences and find out before booking is the hotel in the historical or in the modern and more vibrant Beyoglu side of the town. We loved Mevlana Boutique Hotel  (Akbiyk Caddesi 75, Old City Sultanamet). 

2011 January