We moved to a new flat today, and I’m afraid it feels like a definite step down in the world. We are no longer perched over Galata with the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn spread out in front of us; instead we are down on the hillside below Cihangir, still with a view of the Bosphorus, but lacking the feeling of being in the sky above all around us. Moreover this flat seems to have been rather missold on Airbnb: it is dinghy and in places mouldy or rotting, there are leaks under the sink, and a distinct odour in the cabinets. Oddest of all is the bathroom: the toilet is set about a foot away from the wall and at an angle along the sink cabinet, such that one has to sit almost sideways on it, and while the shower is good, it is set in the centre of the bathtub instead of at one side, so there is not a lot of space. Also, there are no fans; something I should have looked for in the photos, and the projector (one of the chief attractions of the flat) was sitting on a cardboard box with an extension cord snaking over the sofa instead of being attached to the ceiling mount. There is one tiny bedroom with a foldout bed, and one larger bedroom which looks fairly comfortable but instead of being walled off from the living room there is only a sort of grill. The decor is all very instagram friendly, and I must remember in future to take that as a warning sign.
Oh well, we are only here for a month. With guests arriving tomorrow, though, I am not sure how to make it comfortable.