Monday 10 November 2025
A
long travel day starting at 7.00 am with an on time train to Paris Est. The
taxi to Orly was also without delay and the 4 hour flight on Transavia to
Istanbul was seamless. Unfortunately, the 45 minute delay in waiting for the
free taxi and the hour drive into Kadikoy to our little boutique hotel put us
in the room at 9.30 pm.
Tuesday
11 November 2025
A
very comfortable bed and a good sleep was nice. Well, at least until 5.00 am,
when five cats started singing loudly and discordantly just outside our window.
Then at 6.00 am an even worse sound woke us. It sounded like someone was being
tortured just outside our window. It was the call to prayer. Ah yes, we’re in a mussy country.
Interestingly,
the sign on our bathroom door says not to put the toilet paper down the toilet.
You’re supposed to use the little bin beside the pan. Really? That’s going to
be a bit smelly and unhygienic, surely? Not too good after a gozleme and a few
raki.
After
waking, showering and shaving (not the third ‘s’) we walk out in the light rain
for a Turkish breakfast. After two delicious Turkish coffees, Flashy enjoys the
comfort of the restaurant’s clean, modern and flushing toilet (paper). And as
to cats. They’re everywhere here. I’m pretty sure the Turks don’t eat them. But
they do feed them, even the street strays. One of these snuck into the
restaurant while we were having breakfast and typical of cat psychology, leapt
right onto Flashy’s lap as though he just loved the bastards! Strange
creatures.
A
relaxing walk after breakfast to the markets was interesting in that, once
again we have chosen a non touristy neighbourhood, across the Bosporus from the
Blue Mosque and such like. Very pleasant and not busy at all. Lady P finds her
morning coffee spot and Flashy has a raki at the adjoining bar. Mandatory
really, as it is Türkiye’s national alcoholic drink. We also sampled and bought
some baklava and a couple of tiny Turkish donuts.
Just
before 3 pm, we make our way back to our hotel but were captured by the aroma
of what in Italy would be a pizza joint. As we can’t figure out the Turkish names
but know what gozleme and pide are and smell and taste like, well there’s no
stopping us. We did enjoy these warm and tasty treats in our hotel’s private
garden, with a cup of Turkish tea. Oh, and in case you are wondering, they do say
”Turkish” tea and coffee, even though, obviously you are in Türkiye. Customer
service I guess, as you can get cappuccino and Americano in some places and all
sorts of strange tea. God, forbid, we even have little packets of Nescafe in
our room.
Pissing down at 6 pm but we decide to walk down to the market area to Deniz Yildizi restaurant. This apparently has great seafood and a 4.9 on Google. It was all that it was written up to be. Cats everywhere. Under the tables. Asleep on Flashy’s coat. Cats have this ability to smell a cat hater and just say F**k it and cuddle up to them. And they did.
Anyway, the food and service were
excellent. Started with eggplant and tomatoes, hummous and sweet red peppers;
then lightly fried stuffed anchovies and a gigantic rocket and tomato salad and
lastly stuffed mussels. After Turkish wine, raki, tea and coffee plus a plate
of fruit, we too were stuffed. A great night. The staff were happy and cheeky
as we were the only tourists in the place.
Comments
Post a Comment