Istanbul RevisitedTwo Monkeys2026-11-01T09:39:59+02:00
From Pamukkale, we went to Izmir from where we flew back to Istanbul. Hugo’s parents went back to South Africa leaving the Two Monkeys behind in Istanbul. We booked an Airbnb room for 5 nights ‘close’ to Taksim Square for a relaxing ‘local’ experience. The neighbourhood looks a bit run down, but the apartment was quite modern inside.
Highlights
We explored the parts of Istanbul we didn’t visit before (Taksim and Beyoglu)
We went to Miniaturk, a large open air exhibition with models of all the noteworthy sites in Turkey.
We ate all the delicious things we didn’t find before, like Kumpir (enormous stuffed potatoes) and Islak Burgers (wet burgers).
We went to a sandy beach on the Black Sea, where a dead bee stung Hugo in the foot.
We shared a meal with our hosts.
We used all the variantions of Istanbul’s public transport. Underground Metro, Tram, Nostalgic Tram, Underground Furniculer, Buses and underground (and undersea) trains.
We also worked and even had time to catch up on Game of Thrones.
inside St. Anthony of Padua ChurchSt. Anthony of Padua Church, or locally known as Sent Antuan, is a basilica and the largest church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located at İstiklal Avenue.Istanbul's Tünel is the second-oldest underground train in the world. Inaugurated on January 17, 1875 after having been designed and built by French engineers.Fishermen on the Galata BridgeFloating Bali Ekmek (fish bread) Vendors.Vendor cart filled with SimitOn our last day in Istanbul we finally experienced the crowded streets everyone told us about.Lots and lots of dovesVendor selling toasted chestnuts in the sreetA Turkish coffee stand with coals and the cezve (a special wide bottom pot, usually made of copper) in which they brew the coffeeDelicious Turkish coffeeHagia SophiaNow that is what I call service with a smile. The Döner kebab was delicious.Beautiful Istanbul sunsetBir bira lutfenSardines, a delicacy in Turkish cuisine. We ate it at the fish bazaar in Taksim.fried mussels with a garlic sauce.Midye dolma, mussels stuffed with herbed riceI'm definitely going to try and make stuffed mussels when I get back home.Beef DönerSolar Beach, Kilyos.Solar Beach, Kilyos. We did a day trip to this beautiful beach at the black sea. Only a 20 minute metro and 40 minute city bus ride away.Solar Beach, KilyosFresh leaves galore at an enormous Sunday street market.Domates for TurkeyDelicious and cheap olivesStairs leading to the steep street in front of our apartmentOn our way back to our apartment.Hugo holding up the Istanbulkart inside the nostalgic tram. This card reduces the cost of public transport and can be used on all the different types of transport: Ferry, tram, metro, train, bus, underground funicular and even a cable car.The nostalgic tram which is still operating in Istiklal streetGalata TowerCompulsory 'tower-pose' photo in front of Galata Tower.BFG looking down into a reconstructed amphitheater.Hugo pointing to the stairs where we ate our 'stolen' bread and Nutella from the guesthouse.
