One last walk through Istanbul.

Scrap the sight seeing, we’ll go eating instead.

While I found it very hard to keep up with all the famous sights to see in Istanbul and eventually decided to give up on them. I couldn’t bare the thought of missing out on all the delicious food and Turkish-coffee, offered to you at every corner of this town.

In that spirit, a lot of my Istanbul-days where spend with walking through town and trying different foods all over the place, while casually passing by some famous sights.

Early mornings we leave the house, enjoying the streets that are still quite empty filled with only a fresh breeze, cats and a few shop-owners, having tea in front of their doors.

Later all those streets will fill up with a never ending stream of tourists, making it hard to pass through.

What a different impression those cobblestone streets are having on me now that they are still empty.

I almost feel like I am walking through a different place. I notice details, that in the swarm of the later day are getting swallowed by by buzzing noise and colours.

The first, mandatory stop this morning is at our favourite bakery. Where we get some chocolate-buns and the best cake of all times: “Trilece”

We keep on walking and cross the bridge into the (very) old part of the city.

Wondering around we are having our breakfast between cats and a mosque.

After that we stroll through the ancient Bazar, soaking up some inspirations, colours and various impressions.

Everyone is still eating breakfast, drinking tea.

But very soon the calmness and innocence of the morning is going away, the streets are getting hot and crowded, time for us to hide somewhere quieter.

“Oups” What a coincidence, lunchtime is approaching!

Perfect excuse to try “Manti” said “Turkish ravioli” or “Dumplings”. (without wanting to offend anyone here)

They are filled with meat and you can eat them fried or cooked and they will be served with garlic-yogurt sauce. Delicious!

After eating well you are supposed to go for a digestion walk…

...which leads us to our next destination: Dessert.

“Künefe” A Turkish Dessert with melted cheese in the middle.

Served with some slices of orange, carrots and milk.

Very interesting combination.

Of course we couldn’t miss the Turkish-Coffee.

Apparently there are places in Istanbul, where you can go for a Turkish-Coffee and afterwards get your coffee ground "read" by some clairvoyantes. Reading your future or maybe answering the questions you have about life in that instance?
In a way I would have liked to try. Surrounded by all those ancient walls and streets, maybe some travellers spirits are still haunting the cobblestone streets they once crossed by horse, on a secret mission across continents.
Maybe I should have asked the coffee-ground-reader where to go next and follow their answer no matter what.

Imagine the story: “I just set off to cross the Alpes by bike and ended up in Istanbul. There a clairvoyant told me I must find my destiny in Mongolia. Thats why I am here now, riding through endless grassland on a wild horse.”

Maybe I just have to read my own coffee grounds and make it all up myself.

...or is it just all those walls and walkways, that still remember the ancient times, who are whispering stories of adventures into my ears?

Thank you all for stopping by and sharing one more story of my travels with me. Have a wonderful day!

All photos and words are my own taken and written by me.