Getting out of the Schengen zone seemed like a problem at the time we were wrestling with the bureaucracy in Valencia, but now that we are back in Istanbul, it feels like it’s all just worked out. We decided to stay on the Anatolian side, so we’re temporarily living in Asia. It really does feel different here than when we stayed near the Galata Tower.

We are in Moda, which is supposed to be the hip area of Istanbul. So far that means that there’s a coffee shop every 20 meters or so, but there are also lots of restaurants. We can see the water and Europe from our living room window.

Our first evening, the AirBnB owner was kind enough to buy us sandwiches (A LOT of sandwiches) from a shop down the block. That was great because it meant that instead of hunting for food, we could unpack and figure out where all the light switches are. (Don’t laugh, it is one of the first things we do. In our current place the bathroom switches are outside the bathroom.)

With Steven working US hours, we haven’t had a lot of opportunity to roam at night, but we have been wandering up and down (literally, this is a very hilly city (she lies, it is always uphill no matter which we ways we go)) the streets getting the lay of the land (the lay is that it is all uphill – in ever direction) and finding the grocery store.

I was a bit worried about having to take the ferry to see the sites since it’s a little windy and I get seasick when the water looks like glass, but since the last time we were here (or maybe we just didn’t know), a train under the strait has opened up and it’s a mere 35-minute walk away. The crazy ordeal we went through to get the Istanbul Kart last time is no longer, either. Now you can just buy one from a machine that will speak English is you want it to. Of course, we still have ours, but topping them up is now a breeze.

Friday, we walked north along the water to Üsküdar because we’re still in training for our safari and need to keep moving. We tried to one restaurant that was closed and then headed to another Turkish lunch spot, but we discovered after some language difficulty (we were trying to translate into Turkish, but the young waiters spoke Arabic) we realized they were closing for prayer hour. We had passed a Mexican place and jokingly said we should eat there and, guess what?, that’s where we ended up since we knew it was open. The food was better than we expected it would be and there were Frida pics, so all was well.

Last time we were here, the Blue Mosque (officially the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) was closed, so we made that our first real tourist stop. It faces the Haggia Sophia in Sultanahmet Square and, as you can imagine, is a big tourist draw. Even in the winter, it was busy, but nowhere near as crowded as when we were here in warmer weather. Also quite nearby are Topkapi Palace and the Archeology Museum.

We met a family from Argentina and got some Spanish practice in. They were very nice and for some reason wanted pictures of us. This is becoming a theme. (Did you know that it’s a 16-hours flight from Buenos Aires to Istanbul!)  Of course, we arrived at prayer time, so we headed out to lunch at Amedros, a restaurant nearby that did the traditional tourist spectacle of clay pot. Steven obliged by ordering it. They had a separate vegetarian menu which is always a plus for me.

The line to get into the mosque moved quickly except for the bottleneck to take off our shoes. It was worth it. The interior, featuring more than 20,000 blue (hence the name) ceramic tiles with tulip designs, is as majestic as the exterior. It features a main dome surrounded by eight smaller domes. There’s no use trying to describe it. Look at the pictures and understand that they don’t do it justice.

On the way back, we stopped at the Carrefour. Yes, the Carrefour! Just like Paris. Ah, Paris. Anyway … the train conveniently dumps you off at a mall and the mall has a grocery store.(It also has a Marks and Spencer, but we didn’t go into it.) The typical grocery store in Istanbul is the size of a US convenience store with only a bit wider of a selection, so we were excited to go to a real store. Of course, everything we bought was heavy, so we took a cab back. It took almost as long as walking, but it only cost $3.25.

Sunday, we headed back to Europe for a death march. Last time, we hadn’t gone to Balat, a cute little area where all the houses are painted bright colors. Our walking route took us past the Süleymaniye Mosque. We had been there before and didn’t go in, but the exterior and the view of the city, especially without leaves on the trees, were worth another visit.

We trudged back down the hill (I don’t remember ever going down, I remember going up and more up), to the water and walked along the docks and fishers until we reached Balat. Like most areas of Istanbul, the streets are very narrow with cars, motorcycles, stray cats and dogs, and pedestrians weaving in and out, and they’re lined with food, coffee, baklava, and trinket shops. (Speaking of stray cats, two of them got in a fight under our table at Amedros. Steven was not happy.) I love exploring, so wandering the streets looking at the architecture is perfect for me. There are a couple of synagogues there and we walked by one. It was impossible to tell if anyone worships there and they are (understandably) not open to visitors, but it’s there.

Once again, we tried to find a restaurant that was closed (not even closed for the day, but forever closed). Not sure it’s great to rely on Google information here. Plus, we’ve noticed pretty much everywhere except in the US that business hours are flexible. We ended up at a falafel restaurant, Falafel Koy. And when I say falafel restaurant, I mean they only had falafel and the fixin’s. But it was really good falafel and it wasn’t a showy, touristy place, so we loved it. Plus, two falafel plates, two juices and large fries set us back $14.

Our return trip took us back along the water and past the bridge we used to cross when we were last here. I think we’ll head back to our old neighborhood next week sometime when our niece Genny and her friend come to visit. We’re looking forward to seeing them!