Today, Saturday, and the organic market in Ferikoy was on, so we strolled there. We took the route through Dolapdere, with its vertiginous stairs, crumbling churches and beautiful neighbourhoods, and up to Ferikoy itself. It is yet another of the parts of Istanbul with truly lovely old houses, easily the equal of Balat, but very […]
A very long blink
The city has truly unfurled in the sun and with many lockdown restrictions gone. There is a different feel to the streets, it’s like there has been a very long blink, and what was before was Istanbul in September or October, and then there is now. There are many more people in the streets, there […]
Another island
It was a bank holiday for the GF and I had arranged my work so I didn’t have anything today, so we took a ferry to another of the Princes Islands, this time to Kinaliada. It was a less sunny day than the last time we went over, and in fact it pelted with rain […]
Another scan
Had an ultrasound this morning, so went off early in the morning, with 2 litres of water in my belly and no breakfast, feeling rather hard done by. There was a rather long wait as due to a misunderstanding the receptionist thought I had not drunk any water, whereas I thought I might burst soon. […]
Setback
I was convinced yesterday that today I would be well again, and it started out promisingly, as I slept well through most of the night till around 4.30. Since then I’ve felt under the weather again, and even more so because I was so sure I was well. I haven’t had such a sustained bout […]
Taste of telemedicine
I had my first taste of telemedicine today, as I’d made an appointment for a service the GF (and family) gets through work. It was a UK service, of course, and it was notable after yesterday how distinct GP interactions are in the NHS compared to private systems. There was no surprise or shock here […]
Wet, wet day
It’s been a very wet May in the UK (with an average daily temperature of around 7, brr), I hear, and we got a little taste of it in Istanbul today as it rained and rained and rained. Our contractor’s son popped by to collect a payment, over an hour late as the Metro was […]
Out into the world
I made my first real trip out into the world today, as I had a doctor’s appointment at a hospital near Taksim Square. I took the Metro which was, happily, not too crowded (though on the escalator at Taksim someone kept crowding against me, and I felt too feeble to walk up to begin with, […]
Hard at work
The flat across the road is a source of constant entertainment. Right now a very hardworking influencer is filming herself (or being filmed by her boyfriend), walking towards the camera, the Bosphorus in the background, pause, ruffle hair, fling to side, extend 1 leg from little black dress, lean forward, turn, walk. And repeat. And […]
Restless
Lockdown comes to an end quite soon – tomorrow is the final day, and the government has said it will announce what comes next on Monday. So I daresay Monday itself will be a sort of free for all. The GF is quite restless and fed up. I’m fed up too, but also I feel […]