Istanbul - 1

Once in a while a good girly adventure is what we all need. Six years ago I went with some friends to Barcelona, then three years later we went to London. This year we decided on Istanbul, something we'd been discussing for a while and finally went ahead with it. I'm so glad we went during winter, it felt like a totally different city this time. Not so crowded, not so many tourists (we only queued for the Galata Tower). The city felt more modern, more organized, it's been six years since I went there with A. so it was wonderful to return to this beautiful city, one of my favorites in the world.

:: drinking çay and reading a book at the nice coffee shop by the Istanbul Archeological Museum

:: street painting exhibition

:: beautiful embroidery on display at one of the souvenir shops

:: the famous chocolate vendor at Istiklal Caddesi. I bought a couple of the dark chocolate bars and now deeply regret not having bought more - they were delicious.

:: taking the Tunel tram

:: breathtaking view from top of the Galata Tower at sunset

:: Galata Tower

:: Istanbul skyline from the ferry pier

:: view of Beyoglu from Eminonu

:: cute hat shop near our apartment in Sultanahmet. I got the green frog hat for S.

:: The Blue Mosque in all its glory

:: Sultanahmet by night