16. Türkiye - The Following Day

 We woke in the morning and I went for a walk to check the area out while Max was planning her escape from here. 

To my pleasant surprise, literally, 50 metres away were local stalls selling produce along a cobblestone alleyway.


One hundred metres further down was a wider street with large retail shops housed in beautiful old buildings. There were branded department stores and food stores a plenty. 

Even though Türkiye is over 90% Islamic, the people we saw on the street were more 'western' in their appearance rather than the traditional look I was expecting.

We found the locals to be friendly especially if an effort is made to speak a little Turkish. 'Hello' and 'thank you' in Turkish helps break the ice when discussing product buying.

I must say, even though I'm not a fan of 'Google' per se, the Translator app is a lifesaver. You can type or speak into it in English and it translates it and displays and speaks it out in the chosen language. You can even take photos of text and it translates as well. Perfect when wanting to check ingredients.

The food is AMAZING and cheap!

It is a blend of European and Middle Eastern cuisine that is so tasty and the range.... Well! A vegetarian and meat eater's paradise!

We had a traditional Turkish breakfast for two. It looked huge on the menu but hey, when in Türkiye...

We could have done without the chips but the rest was incredible. Mehmet was our friendly host. He always makes us feel like family every time we went in. This restaurant was in Istiklal road being the major retail strip in Taksim, Istanbul. 



The details - 450 Turkish Lira is about $34 AUD



Baklava comes in many shapes and sizes too!



Next will be the train to the Grand Bazaar...

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