Istanbul - half a day on the edge of Europe by clik-trip customer, Peter S
Three days of work in Istanbul at the end of March allowed me to squeeze in a great half day with my camera and a great local photo guide, on my first visit to the city. Although half a day is far too short to do the city justice, you have to work with what you have. I had flown in overnight arriving at six in the morning, got to my hotel for a couple of hours sleep and met up with her in the hotel around 9 in the morning before meetings starting just after lunch.
The local photographer was a good guide, providing a feeling for this diverse and changing city, historical context and looking for interesting photos and opportunities. We agreed in advance that the aim was to capture street life and art. So rather than trying to cover a very large area, we focused on the streets between Tacsim Square and the Galata tower weaving around the area through side streets, a historic arcade and a wonderful Dervish cemetery.
She knows the city well, is good company and found interesting vignettes for us to capture. The Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque will be for another visit, but I was happy with what I got.
And did the city leave a lasting impression? Well, literally, yes as I tripped up during the walk fell back onto a walk, broke a rib - though I didn’t realise at the time - and got a deep cut on my leg. Being British I, of course, pretended it was all perfectly normal, but here too the local guide showed her care and attention to her pupils, making sure I was really ok and offering to take me to hospital… which, of course, I declined. This was a great first encounter with what Clik-Trip has to offer and certainly not the last.
'Thanks again for showing me around and helping me to find some parts of the town that I would otherwise have missed.' Peter Sandler