Crazy Kadıköy
A warm welcome to spend a colorful day with me in Kadıköy! But watch out, after the lively atmosphere, smells, tastes and mood of Kadıköy, your life may never taste the same again. Because your heart will miss this Asian sweet spice called Kadıköy, that’s guaranteed. So you may have to come back soon…
Different areas of Istanbul
Now that in my previous posts you have landed on your flight to Istanbul and are also familiar with the city’s traffic culture, in this post I will tell you a little bit about the different areas of Istanbul. And also about the structure of how different areas are formed. This will help you both navigate and find areas and places that interest you.
Ways to commute – part 1: ´Istanbul Airport´ (İstanbul Havalimanı)
As I write this, Turkish society has reopened since the pandemic eased. Let´s hope that the situation will remain good and we will begin to enjoy traveling again. In this first part of my ´Ways to Commute´ -posts, I will tell you about Istanbul´s new airport (in part 2, I will tell you about the public transport in Istanbul). Despite its large size, the airport is a pleasant, easy, and friendly airport – and even visually charming. So let’s land in Istanbul – a warm welcome!
’The Istanbul Butcher’ – friendly, luxurious and good quality
Istanbul always manages to surprise you; for example, have you ever, on the basis of a shop window, thought of entering a luxury cosmetics store only for it to turn out to be a luxury butcher shop? That’s exactly what happened to me, and now I’m going to tell you about this uniquely visual, friendly and tasteful place.
Polonezköy – nature holiday in Istanbul Province
Did you know that less than an hour’s drive from the center of Istanbul you can find a scenic oasis? In addition to the peaceful nature of this countryside, there is also a surprising historical dimension. So welcome to a nature holiday in Istanbul, the village of Polonezköy!
Do you miss the captivating lively street life of Istanbul?
In these different and difficult pandemic times, we have not been able to normally enjoy the bustling and wild street life of the cities. Everything has fallen silent. Do you miss the lively urban vibe as much as I do? Luckily, technology can help us and enable us to once again experience together the unique atmosphere of the streets in Istanbul. Please join me for this joy, let´s feel the music and dance together!
Istanbul Cable Car, Pierre Loti Hill & Turku Funicular, Kakolanmäki
In both cities of the seven hills, Istanbul and Turku, you will find one hill, the top of which you can reach using other methods than walking or driving by car. You can travel to Istanbul’s Pierre Loti Hill (Pierre Loti Tepesi) by cable car and Turku’s Kakolanmäki by funicular. Have you experienced either these means of transportation? And do you know the history of these hills? Do you know what you will find at the tops of these hills today?
Rumi (Mevlâna) and Sufism in Istanbul: Galata Mevlevi Museum (Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi)
Rumi is my important “teacher” in every day of my life. Therefore I had to think carefully about how could I bring this topic up with sufficient respect. I was grateful to have the opportunity to share this great wisdom of Rumi with the letters of the book of my another important teacher Erkki Lehtiranta: “Tien päällä ja taivaan alla”. In this post, we’ll also visit the Galata Mevlevi Museum in Beyoğlu, where Istanbul offers you an experience of this mystical and deep wisdom of Rumi as well as Sufism.
Istanbul in the eyes of Erasmus intern
My sons use sometimes questionable but still sweet nicknames of me: a fossil and a dinosaur. For a grandmother like me, it fits sweetly – especially in this post. In my youth, it was extremely rare to go abroad to study – not to mention an international internship. It’s great that things have changed and […]