istanbulliving

Visit to Ihlamur Kasiri (Palace & grounds)

An oasis  of calm in the busy Sisli/ Besiktas area!

I recently went out with my 3 year old boy to spend the morning in nature and we both had a blast! 


What’s to see?

                          Spectacular palace (Entry to the palace for a separate fee)


                                        Beautiful peacocks always a pleasure to watch.


                                    Ample space to walk around beautiful trees and flowers.

                Rabbit hatch – take along carrots and lettuce to feed the animals.

                                                            Two ponds, with ducks & turtles 

Look out on my Instagram account for the FULL video of the cute turtle trying to get up on the edge next to his turtle friend and not quite making it! 

FOOD:

Cafe /restaurant with full menu.
It’s technically a museum so picnics aren’t allowed. Small snacks are ok.

Flat, stroller friendly. Good for toddlers, but requires a watchful eye near the main pond area as it’s open with no barrier.

Across the road from the palace are two playgrounds with swings, slides etc so you could add that to your day if the kids want more activity.

A great way to spend some time in nature and be near animals – a precious find in Istanbul!

Will you go to visit ?

discovering Istanbul, one kid-friendly place at a time,

Taskeen
Productive Muslim Mom

Creating the Ramadan spirit: Iftaar Picnicking in Istanbul

Our days are busy in Ramadan, and especially with iftaar being quite late in Turkey during Summer, it’s usually difficult to meet up with people. However one weekend, my friends and I decided to arrange an iftaar together -and the idea was formed to join in the local Turkish community who partake in these “Iftaar picnics” at beautiful spots such as the Blue Mosque, or in our case we went to what seems to be everyone’s favourite musjid  – Suleymaniye Mescit in Fatih.

Suleymaniye Camii at Sunset

This fitted well into my little movement to generate a special atmosphere in Ramadan as I was missing the strong ramadan ‘vibe’,  living in a largely secular part of Istanbul (read my previous post),  So I was really excited to get out of the house, meet my friends and have a new experience in opening my fast!

We arrived at the musjid (cami/mosque) about an hour before Maghrib (dusk), as the sky was slowly turning darker on a pleasantly cool Summer’s evening. Our setup was simple, we brought along picnic mats and a dish of food each, and laid out our picnic in the beautiful open grassy area outside the cami  courtyard. The place was magical – entire families were sprawled on the open lawns with their iftaar ‘tables’ prepared, children were running around happy to be outdoors and meeting their friends. While we waited for the time to open our fast, we relaxed and chatted amongst ourselves, soaking in the atmosphere and really enjoying the spirit of everyone being at that place for the same purpose- to worship Allah in fasting in Ramadan.

I took a quick walk around to behind the cami, where another fascinating scene met my eyes- at the local restaurant located there, were rows of tables set up, with at least 400 people receiving the iftaar packs from a set menu that was offered that day. It was quite interesting to see such a large scale iftaar in progress, and everything seemed really well organised.

When the adhaan went off for Maghrib salaah (prayer), I went inside the musjid to pray. There were a handful of ladies only, and some kind women offered me dates to open my fast as well. This time, there was a jamaah for Maghrib salaah inside the musjid (read my post on what usually occurs in Turkey at maghrib during Ramadan) , however the loudspeaker was turned off and we couldn’t hear it – and therefore sadly couldn’t participate in prayers in congregation! Later I noticed some ladies who were standing closer to the males, not in the demarcated women section – and in this way they could join the jamaah- lucky them!

Each of my friends brought a super special dish to share in our iftaar -we were lucky to have xx, homemade scones, homemade South African chocolate cake and even a middle east speciality: ‘karak’ chai (milky, spiced tea) to finish. Being outside, in the fresh air and with enjoyable company was amazing – probably one of the best iftaar I have ever had in my life!

We were discussing how come the concept of these iftaar picnics donot seem to be present in other places- such as South Africa for instance. Some possible reasons we mulled over included the lack of safety meaning needing to be indoors when its dark, as well as the fact that musjid courtyards there aren’t exactly set up for socialising – they are usually just the means to enter the musjid so such kind of setup just wouldn’t work currently.

Anyway, it was an incredible experience, one that will stay with me forever I’m sure, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Injecting the ramadan spirit, one experience at a time
M4D

Review: Sariyer Kadinlar Plaji: My first visit to a beach in Istanbul – yes it exists!

Being brought up in a coastal town (Durban, South Africa), I am fortunate to have beach hangouts as part of my lifestyle, especially during the Summer. Which is why, this summer in Istanbul, I was on the lookout for somewhere to escape to to swim in and relax in.  I heard before that Istanbul does have beaches, but I had yet to discover for myself.

I did some online research, and had a few names of popular beaches popped up. I was especially intrigued by the “kadinlar/bayan plaji” – ‘women only beaches’, which had a double bonus of not being very far out from where I lived. This website provided clear information on opening hours (yes beaches here come with this!) and entry costs etc for “Sariyer Altinkum Kadinlar Plaji.” However, unfortunately, there didnt seem to be alot of reviews from visitors to these beaches – on TripAdvisor, Facebook groups etc. So I was left a little unsure about the quality of the beach and whether or not it would be suitable for my needs. But, I decided to take the plunge (mind the pun!) and go for it – how else would we learn for the future, and at the very least it would be a nice day out in the sun with my toddler. 
So what was the Sariyer beach experience like? Pleasantly surprised -I found it amazing! I was thrilled to not be disappointed for once!

The beach is not as spectacular as the postcard ones you have in other parts of Turkey such as Cesme, or down south in Turunc, Marmaris etc. However, for a half hour ride away from Besiktas at least, it completely suffices for a day out to be in the water and enjoy the warm sun.
I took a taxi, which costed me 55TL for the 30-35 minute ride. The driver found the way easily and could drop us right outside the entrance. I actually spotted two other beaches right next door (Elma plaji was one of them), which appeared to be “family beaches”, ie mixed gender and I made a mental note to try to come back there with my husband on another occasion.
The entry cost for Sariyer beach was 25TL for adults. You pay separately for beach chairs & umbrellas (25TL), or to rent a table and chairs to eat on for lunch. There is actually like a canvas curtain blocking the entrance to the beach, so everything is completely private to patrons only from the time you enter the beach. This for me was a first – such a thrilling experience as a hijabi to be so well secluded so you can really enjoy being in the outdoors, but not having to be fully covered. Honestly, standing in the cool water, and feeling the fresh beachy breeze on my bare arms was the highlight of my day!
The beach sand was soft, which is lovely to walk and sit on pleasantly. Being a weekday, the beach was busy but not overcrowded and we found a spot to settle into fairly quickly. The water looked really inviting- there was some sea weed present, and its not crystal clear like on the Turkey turquoise coast, but really it was satisfactory to enjoy the beach without having to fly an hour or drive 4 hours out of the city. The waves were gentle and mostly just on the sea shore, with the deepest part of the water no higher than up to your shoulders. There was a female lifeguard present, as the website promised. The water was cool but also warm in parts, and after a few minutes felt very welcome to wade in or just stand around and enjoy. 
The atmosphere was really enjoyable – ladies letting loose in their bikinis or anything they felt comfortable to wear, teenagers giggling with their friends, children shrieking in excitement as the small waves approached them. When there was music playing, women of all ages (and sizes!) happily danced around, including my little one who seems to like upbeat Turkish music!
There is a beach cafe there selling snacks likes crisps and drinks, as well as cooked food like kofte and potatoes or sandwiches at reasonable costs (between 6 and 20 TL). I had taken my own food so I didn’t taste anything from the cafe. The cafe also sells beach equipment like swimming gear, bucket and spades for kids and other beach bric ‘n brac.
There is an outside shower to dust off the sand, and there are change rooms and bathrooms (I didn’t use so cant comment on condition). I was so impressed to spot the “mescit”, which was basically a dedicated prayer room – what an awesome convenience provided. With facilities like this, it means you can spend the entire day out comfortably, knowing all your basic needs are covered. 
To return, I wasn’t able to call a biTakis to that area, however the personnel at the entrance called a local taxi on my behalf (note the driver started the meter from where he was stationed in Sariyer, so it began at 12 TL).
Overall : If you are like me and crave a day out of the busy city to enjoy a beach day, I do recommend this spot!
Exploring Istanbul, one fun experience at a time,
MbyD

Creating the Ramadan Spirit : Attending a Mass Iftaar

As part of my quest to foster a stronger “Ramadan feel”, as especially where I live in the modern side of Istanbul I have found it somewhat absent, we attended a local mass iftaar.

The setup is that many of the local municipalities host these “mass iftaars” in the cami (musjid) courtyards, free of charge for the public. It is especially arranged for those who will not make it home in time for iftaar or are travelling, but anyone is welcome. I was really keen to attend one such event to understand a bit more of Turkish culture, and to join other Muslims in opening our fast together, a special time for everyone who is fasting.



Our local cami in Etiler has the tables set up daily and so one evening we bundled up the baby and hopped on a bus, just two stops away about half hour before Maghrib prayers. There was plenty of space available when we got there, so we seated ourselves, and then joined the long queues of people who were getting ready to collect their iftaar platters, and to settle down before the adhan (call to prayer) goes off, signalling the end of the fast – and giving us all permission to tuck in!

Part of the reason for wanting to attend one of these mass iftaars was that I knew due to language especially,  I would stand out as being different – and perhaps feel a bit uncomfortable and isolated. It made me realise that this is how it could be back home for others at public events where I am in my comfort zone – with familiar people that look like me, and speak the same language as me. I started questioning myself : 

How inviting am I to people that look or sound different? Or do I stick with my own friends and ignore others around me? Do I welcome new people to join me, and ask them questions to learn more about them? 

I was ashamed to realise that indeed I was not always aware or open to talking to new people or inviting them to join me. I possibly tended to keep with my own company, disregarding people who might be new to the event – and indeed new to Islam. How incredibly selfish of me! So for this reason, I wanted to be the “outsider” for once, to experience what it may feel like to be perhaps a bit isolated and not spoken to, in the hopes that this would inspire me to be more conscious of others at the next open event.

Attending the iftaar  that day were lots of families, children happily meeting their friends and queuing up to collect their iftaar platters by themselves – I can see this being an exciting outing for all, and only in Ramadan which probably made it extra special to wait for once a year.

 The iftaar platter we received was a neatly served up plate with mercimek (lentil soup), chicken, rice , fresh salad and also a sweet to finish. A really cute little presentation. On the table were dates and also bread and water to complete the meal. We took some homemade traditional South African Indian “sweetcorn bhajias” (deep fried fritter type savoury snacks) and left two servings on nearby ables to share with people seated there. I hope they liked it – I deliberately made it less spicy to cater for the unaccustomed Turkish tongue! 


It was a lovely evening, cool after a hot day and our little toddler enjoyed walking around the courtyard while we listened to some Quraanic recitation being played from the musjid, and then when it was time, we heard the adhan and began eating.  The food was decent- not the most incredible but that wasn’t what I was there for. Prior to iftaar my husband (who had attended these before), warned me that the portions weren’t huge, and he may need to supplement his iftaar with more afterwards at home, so I was prepared. However after having my portion of soup in addition to his platter, he was well satiated Alhamdulillah and so was I. There is always barakah in sharing iftaar, I just love this about Ramadan.

Our only social interactions that evening consisted of  a)  friendly gentlemen who was talking to my little girl and offered her some bread to occupy her when she was getting restless after being seated in her stroller for too long and b) a lady nearby who offered us hot pide to go with our soup (I was delighted to be noticed let alone anything else!) I was amazed how after living for one and half years in Etiler, I didn’t– recognise a single face- where were all these people coming from?!



The jamaah (congregation) for Maghrib prayers is weird – thats the only way I can describe it! because there isn’t really one large jamaah as you have at other salaahs. Instead, people complete their entire iftaar/supper and then go to pray Maghrib salaah inside the musjid. This means that you could join a small jamaah for Maghrib if you are lucky – or like us, just pray by yourself. This has consistently been the case in several musjids either my husband or I have been to. See, weird right?!

I really enjoyed my first mass iftaar in Istanbul. It reminded me of simple days growing up when we went to mass “meelads”- gatherings to remember the Messenger Muhammad (may peace be upon him). At age 6 or 7, I remember though being bored listening to  the speakers give talks or recite songs, as we eagerly awaited lunch – delicious dhall (lentils) and rice which was served to us in huge plastic bowls that we had to dish out by ourselves. These plated iftaars in Istanbul, some twenty years later were really neat and sophisticated-  it made me smile to think about the comparison! 🙂

I was really grateful for the opportunity to partake in the local community get together, and although not explicitly welcomed- welcomed none the less 🙂

Injecting the Ramadan spirit, one instance at a time.
MuslimahbyDesign

First impressions of Ramadan in Istanbul

I am living in Istanbul for the past 1.5 years, yet this is my first experience of Ramadan as I was away for the last two instances. Leading up to the month, I was quite excited to finally have a taste (no pun intended!) of what this special month would be like in the third country that I have lived in over the past few years.

About two-thirds in, and so far I cant help but feel sadly disappointed. I had high expectations given the prevalent ‘Muslim’ culture and rich Islamic history that surrounds you here and I felt that I would instantly feel the ‘Ramadan vibe’ so to speak. But it turns out, its not that simple. Yes, there are more camis (mosques) here than tube stops in London, and the adhan is heard loudly and openly almost anywhere that you are. But there is also a very strong secular side to this country, especially where we happen to be living – European side in Besiktas. Here not everyone is a practicing Muslim, participating in fasting and observing the month in a ‘religious’ kind of way. And so restaurants and cafes are not only open, but at times brimming with people enjoying a Summer lunch or family dinner. It has admittedly been a bit of a strange sight for me – and disappointing. But it is the way things are here, and it takes adjusting to and a level of understanding.

In addition, the language barrier has meant that we cannot actively participate in the community events or strike up a conversation easily in the store with anyone about how their Ramadan was going. It can be a bit isolating and also whilst I’m sure many Turks are going about with the fasts and ramadan in their own homes and lives, we haven’t been able to tap into that as much.

So I have been in search of activities that would help me to feel the ‘Ramadan spirit’. As my husband has made two Ramadans here, he suggested we visit  the more ‘traditional’ , even touristy areas such as Sultanahmet, Fatih etc to capture the fasting buzz and atmosphere.

So last weekend we visited Ortokoy – a suburb in Istanbul near the Bosphorus where we hung out near the water for a bit and saw the mass iftaar being set up. So a really nice initiative by the local council here is to set up these mass iftaars at certain mosques all over Istanbul to provide food for people, especially those who are commuting and may not make it home in time to open their fast. Some events have entertainment afterwards such as traditional Turkish music for the whole family to enjoy.

This time however, we opted to have our iftaar at Destan – a restaurant in Ortokoy overlooking the Bosphorus. It was one of the many places that offer an “Iftaar menu”- a set meal compromising of dates and nuts to start, soup and a main dish of maybe grilled kofte or chicken. Although we ordered off the menu instead, we were still presented with the date plate to open our fast with, which I was thrilled with!

We opened our fast with the sounding of the booming adhan from the Ortokoy camii right next door and my husband went off to pray Maghrib, while I sat with our baby at the restaurant, and I prayed right there when he returned (just practically made sense). He found the Maghrib prayers to be a bit strange in that there was no jamaah (prayer in congregation), as most people were eating iftaar outside so unless he missed it – or it was coming later, he wasn’t sure what to make of it!

Anyway, we then ate our meal and afterwards took a leisurely walk through the streets browsing at the shops and little market stalls. Our discovery of the week happened to be a  new ‘Karak chai’ cafe that sold our favourite Middle Eastern warm drink – milky hot tea with spices!

It was lovely to be surrounded by others observing the fasting month, and opening our fast in an alternative setting. Stay tuned for my next initiative to create an awesome Ramadan vibe in these parts!

Injecting the Ramadan spirit, one instance at a time.
MuslimahbyDesign

Similarities, Smiles and Simplicity

Merhaba!

I took great delight in attending my first Turkish wedding, now a few months ago.

My husband shared with me an invite from his Turkish colleague and friend from work, someone I hadn’t met before, but heard about. I was mostly just intrigued in experiencing  a wedding from a different culture so it was a quick decision to agree to attend. (I  did however later realise that I needed to correct my intention of attending -as an act of accepting an invite from a Muslim brother!)

The journey to Uskudar, on the Asian side, the location for the wedding at a restaurant near the waters edge,was shaping up to becoming an adventure in and of itself too, when we were planning to hop on a ferry across the Bospherous to enjoy some fresh air and views. But the heat that day defied us that option, as it also meant a 20 minute bus ride in wedding attire, carrying a sleeping baby, stroller and bags. We took a peaceful 30 min air-con car ride with our friends instead!

Not sure what I expected when we arrived at the venue, but I was (pleasantly) surprised to see that the men and women were seated seperately; men outside under umbrellas and the ladies in the hall ( later we learnt we may have had the better deal as we had airconditioners on keeping us cool and relaxed!). Another of my husband’s workmate who was in charge of seating everyone, was considerate in placing us with a female co-worker from the company too who spoke both Turkish and English. I didn’t realise the importance of this actually, as though I had company of my friends, it would have been rather isolating and a loss really, if we just sat with familiar faces only. Instead, in the sea of Turkish-speaking people where we knew no one- and where all the chatter around us was of course foreign and unfathomable, we had an oasis of company with the bilingual co-worker we just met and befriended (literally and later Facebook wise too!)

Similarities
We got to chat about Turkish wedding traditions and that’s where I learnt about what was alike in our cultures – such as ladies only henna nights, wearing the colour red for certain functions, exchanging gifts at engagement, celebrating with family.

Smiles
I greeted the grooms mother with salaam, some very broken Turkish and big smiles and handshakes – it was enough for us to communicate and feel welcome – smiles here go a long way when you don’t have a common language and that’s all you can offer!

Simplicity
I found the simplicity of the wedding remarkable. No centre pieces or fancy decor, yet everything still looked elegant. We were given little cups of water and there were juices on the table. We were given each a little bowl of fresh salad, and at lunch time served an individual plated meal of chicken with rice. To finish, we had a piece of chocolate cake with nuts and cream. I do like fancy food so I would have enjoyed maybe a few more sides- yet with this I felt satiated, and not stuffed. It was just enough, and I was wondering how at weddings back home we over indulge with several courses and heaped plates of dessert – yet somehow still manage to complain about the taste of the food or menu choice- just never satisfied!

Plated chicken and rice with bowls of fresh salad



Chatting with my friends, we marvelled at how the whole affair though steeped in tradition, was still relaxed and easy going . We found that back home in South Africa we tend to make things too formal – which can sometimes risk being stuffy and pressurising.

A few interesting Turkish traditions at the wedding was first how the bride went around to greet each table, so it was lovely to meet her and see her beautiful white dress up close. She wore a beaded off white dress with a thin coat over. Her head was covered in hijab and a gorgeous veil-scarf draped over giving an elegant look. She wore very little make up but Masha Allah didn’t need it nor did we miss it as her natural beauty sufficed.

Beautiful Turkish wedding setting


Before the wedding I quickly checked in with a Turkish friend what the dressing code was for day time weddings so I could sense check my outfit – and she was right. Most women were dressed in smart outfits, like semi formal dresses or light jacket and trouser style. Only the immediate family were wearing more posh dresses with beadwork and you could see easily spot them from the crowd.

After lunch, the bride wore a red sash and everyone comes up to present gifts- cash or gold only, which they pinned onto the sash. This guarantees no unwanted house gifts like three kettles or photo frames- lucky them!

Outside by the men, there was qiraat being read, and later some traditional Turkish music for entertainment. There were beautiful views of the bospherous and European shoreline which made for a stunning backdrop for photos, of which there were plenty. An official photographer is on stand by taking pictures and you are welcome to pay for your own copy right there and then which is rather handy.

I am advised that whilst there are common traditions across the board, individual Turkish weddings do differ, so I would love to attend another wedding or celebration again!

Experiencing Turkey, one special occasion at a time,
MbyD


Turkish tales: Exploring Cengelkoy in Istanbul

Salaams

We like to structure our weekends with one day of rest/chores/catch up, and the other day for adventure! This usually involves exploring an undiscovered area, trying out new food or just doing something different. This weekend, we woke up to a sunny sky, albeit with a slight chill in the air and decided to head out to Cengelkoy, a neighbourhood in Uskudar, across the bridge on the Asian side.

This place is best known for “Cikolata Kahve” – a chocolate boutique store specialising in exceptional chocolate. So this made our first stop for a “snack” , since we had already had a big breakfast at home. Inside, it was quaint and cosy, friendly staff and quite busy, which I kind of expected for such a popular place.

There are no menus, because really there are only 3 items on their menu to drink – Cay (Turkish tea), hot chocolate and Turkish coffee/hot chocolate. Besides this, you can order chocolates from their attractive display made up of dark, milk, white, nutty, fruit flavoured,  caramel filled, praline filled…..beautiful and decadent looking!

We ordered the hot chocolate and Turkish coffee/hot chocolate combo. It arrived rather quickly, which I suppose is because they are churning out heaps of this for the steady stream of customers! I usually ditch the cream, but I thought on this occasion it made sense to complete the full experience of this special menu item, and that was a good idea! I could taste the rich milk chocolate that the hot drink was made from – and I know thats what sets really good hot chocolate apart from anything else. Scrumptious.

Divine hot chocolate

A walk upstairs led me to an even more marvelous find (yes, more marvelous than the chocolate downstairs!), which was one floor dedicated to convenient facilities for women – bathroom, prayer room together with a beautifully decorated area for wudhu (ablution). Turns out, men were expected to use the nearby masjid for prayer, but luckily for us ladies, we had it all laid out here- another reason to stop by this lovely store again! I never find comfortable prayer facilities underrated. It makes praying on the go so much more pleasurable especially if you are busy and far from home. Coming from living in more Western countries, I have had some horrendous experiences so I really appreciated this nice touch. In fact, I might write another post on all the awesome prayer facilities in Istanbul.

praying in style
ablution in style

Also at the store, there is also a splendid terrace right on the top to relax outdoors with spectacular views of the bosphorus and bridge when the weather is good. After selecting some chocolates to take away and as gifts (boxes range from 30-60 TL, pay per weight), we walked around the main street in Cengelkoy. There are lots of restaurants with unique settings- either located on the shore of the bosphorus or others that have amazing views from higher up. There are cafes selling waffles, turkish snacks, cake shops and coffee shops all dotted along the main road. I made a mental note for next time- Some places to eat did not come up in my previous research yet they looked really good and I would like to try, Some names include Bosphorus View, Sutis, Deniz Yildizi, Villa Bosphorus. Yes, although Cengelkoy is small, there are lots of interesting restaurants to visit more than once, if not just the chocolate shop!

Beautiful bosphorus views of Europe and Asia

We had lunch at Kahve Rengi, a delightful cafe/restaurant with an exciting menu. The food was tasty, with generous portions and with great service- all novel for me in most of my Istanbul experience so far! They had  a baby chair which was convenient. The strawberry milkshake that my husband ordered tasted like it had real strawberries in it which was very welcome too.

Tikka masala

After another short walk around, and we spotted a cafe called “Kunefe Caddesi”. A shop whose name is Kunefe is very promising, and more so when I saw they also made “katmer” – a flaky pastry based turkish dessert that I recently discovered fell in love with. We ordered one of each, served with kaymak (cream) and ice cream. It was delicious, quite sweet though but enjoyable.

Katmer- my new favourite Turkish dessert

As the sky turned to light rain, we headed back after a pleasurable day out in Cengelkoy, Alhamdulillah, a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Istanbul.

Adventuring in Istanbul, one pretty place at a time
M4Life

Turkish Tales : The Move

Seven years ago I found myself blogging about my experience moving abroad to the UK from South Africa. I shared some of the challenges with our new place, work and the weather. This month I moved to Istanbul, Turkey, just on the other end of Europe!

When my hubby and I emigrated to England, UK, we did so after never visiting the place. We just went with our entire flat of belongings, some saved cash , new jobs and a firm determination that this was what we wanted for our future. We did have many chats with family and friends before that of course, weighing pros and cons of other countries, and for us UK came out tops.

I laugh when I look back at that move, because it the naiviety we had was totally overshadowed
by all the enthusiasm and excitement of new prospects. We did find the move challenging at first and now I realise it was because we were not totally prepared to face the new lifestyle, setup and culture of the new country. It wasnt because we didn’t try to prepare…nor that people living there didn’t help us with tips and pointers – but it was because we really didn’t know what were the best questions to ask that would equip us best to settle in our new abode!

Some of the drastic new lifestyle changes that took us time to adjust to in the UK (because we didnt know to ask about!) included:
– the small, compact size of houses, especially compared to our spacious living in South Africa
– the distance between places, how to best prepare for long commutes
– how best to tog up for bittery cold winters and the snow that comes with it

We moved to Istanbul after visiting it for one day and one night, en route to another destination but doubt that helped much! This time though we feel a little more wiser and more grown up Alhamdulillah, in that we knew to ask pertinent questions that would inform our choices about what to take and what to look out for to better manage our expectations.

We started our relocation project by taking my hubbys Turkish colleague out for lunch and a walk in Richmond park to quiz her on topics ranging from “What are the houses like in Istanbul?”, “What essential items should we remember to pack?” , “What do people do at the weekend?”. This enabled us to have a much more informed idea when preparing to move and researching accommodation options Alhamdulillah.

    Lunch in the beautiful Richmond Park, a Royal Park

Though even after all that preparation, you only really know a place till you live there! Everything else is theory and hearsay – useful to have in mind but just know that the reality only kicks in when you get there – so my lesson is not to expect to know much – anything really – till you take that one way flight over and start living!

Stay tuned for more on my tales from Turkey Insha Allah.