When DJ floated the idea of travelling to Istanbul in January 2019, I did not fancy it at all. January was going to be cold and wet and that’s not how I envisioned my time in Turkey.
Reluctantly I agreed and on a mid January evening, we were on the flight to Istanbul. When we landed at Ataturk airport, I did not get a sense of elation that I sometimes feel when landing in a new place.
We arrived at our Airbnb in Cihangir which offered a sweeping view of the Bosphorus. I had read and heard so much about it by now that I couldn’t help but smile when I caught a first glimpse of the river. Soon, we stepped out for breakfast, a short 10 min walk from where we were staying – to Kahve 6 Cihangir. The walk itself in the cold 3 degrees centigrade and at a slight elevation was refreshing – although just a tad strenuous after 18 hrs of travel. And the Kahve itself with the cozy seating at the back and the obese cat who sauntered around was inviting and the breakfast platter, simply irresistible.
The Fat Cat at Kahve 6
Later in the day, we took the tram to Eminönü Square and from there strolled on the Galata Bridge. It’s an iconic bridge where you can witness a buzz of activity – ferries and cargo ships plying in the river, men fishing on the bridge and further ahead, a small cluster of stalls selling seafood sandwiches and of course the cacophony of the gulls circling above them.
We walked further and after going through a a maze of an open street market, arrived at the Spice Bazaar. It was crowded but alive with the calls of spice peddlers who invited you to smell the spices and taste the different types of teas. On occasion you would see a tea vendor walking around selling çay to the shop keepers. We realised, the Turks love their chai just as Indians do.
DJ being the foodie that he is, bought five different types of spices, a chilli paste and a tomato paste to take back home. Once done, we stopped for some hot and delicious Turkish Pizza aka Pide. The day was cold and overcast and by now it had started to drizzle. In this weather, the piping hot Pide straight out of a traditional oven felt heavenly. Come to think of it, winter has its charms.
As it was still drizzling, we decided to sit at a traditional hookah aka nargile hangout we had shortlisted to visit, called Anadolu. Turned out it was located close to the Spice Bazaar, inside an alleyway right behind a small cemetery. When we entered, it was warm, welcoming and glowing in the light of several turkish lamps, the walls adorned with turkish rugs and the smell of apple and tobacco hanging in the air. Anadolu had only three items on their menu – nargile, chai and coffee. We ordered a double apple nargile with chai and settled in for an hour.
By evening, the weather had cleared and we found ourselves back on the Galata Bridge, gazing at a glorious sunset with Süleymaniye Mosque giving us the perfect backdrop for taking some photos. Standing there, as my fingers froze with cold on my camera shutter, I reflected that Istanbul had grown on me.
That night in Karakoy – after a delectable meal of falafel pita pockets – I felt genuinely happy as we walked down a cobbled path, lit with the yellow light emanating from street lamps with the radiant Galata Tower standing tall behind us.
This was going to be a memorable trip to Turkey.
