Before leaving for our flight to Istanbul, I read the weather forecast, predicting moderate to heavy rains from Monday afternoon until Thursday afternoon. This coincided exactly with our time spent there. But we had a great time there anyway, thanks to our wonderful hostess.
On the way from the airport to our place in the historic district of Fatih, we passed parts of the old city wall. Taking a taxi in Istanbul requires a bit of stamina though. So does crossing the street.
This was the first view from our hostess’ balcony after our arrival. As hazy as it was, it was beautiful.
Daily life and laundry day.
Fatih Camii Faith Mosque was only a five-minute walk from our residence.
The park in front of the mosque looked very inviting on this hazy day, but we were ready to explore some more. That first afternoon and evening, we did everything on foot.
We also bought an Istanbulkart, which I can highly recommend. This Istanbulkart RFID transit pass is for the Metro, bus, tram, ferry & funicular travel in Istanbul. We spent 50 TL (about euro 17) on this card and used it for two days. Very easy to buy from the machine, and each time you scan your transportation charge, it also shows you the remainder of your balance. We mostly used the Metro and the tram. We even took the ferry over to Kadiköy on the Asian side, and by the time we left the city, we still had more than half of the TL left on the card.