Photos of Istanbul -- Galata Bridge and Galata

In the last year or two, I've noticed that my memory has been going, especially for words and names of places -- I suspect that it may be from trying to learn Turkish and always being surrounded by a second language, though a doctor told me it might stem from the stress/depression of living in another country. Whatever the reason, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised that I forgot that I'd taken photos on our various outings across the city in March. :)

One Saturday, we ventured over to Eminonu and my favorite shopping spot, the Kürkcu Han (furrier's building), where they sell hundreds of colors and styles of yarn for cheap. (Seriously cheap -- one American-sized skein of acrylic yarn is about 80 cents.) As usual, Eminonu was incredibly crowded, so we ended up walking across the Galata Bridge and over to the Tunel tram in order to get home.

People always say that walking across the Galata Bridge is an Istanbul must-do, but I don't get it. The bridge is usually crowded with pedestrians, and you have to dodge the fishermen swinging their lines around -- one of my biggest fears when we walk along the water, be it on the bridge or on the Bosporus, is getting speared with a fishing hook. This isn't like being afraid of zombies -- it could totally happen.

From the Galata Bridge, you can clearly see the controversial new metro bridge that's going up across the Golden Horn. I'm impressed by how quickly it's gone up, and reports say that it will be finished in May.

Istanbul was originally built on seven hills, and as you walk around the city, you feel it. There are a lot of steep inclines and 100-step staircases. To help out the population, there are also two funiculars on the European side. The one at Tunel is the world's second-oldest underground train, opened in 1875.

Another Saturday, we ventured over to Galata, home to the famous Galata Tower and one of Istanbul's loveliest neighborhoods. The area is usually pretty crowded with tourists visiting the tower, but I really love wandering down the side streets and ducking into the cute little shops. We also had lunch at one of my favorite spots, the delightfully charming Santral Dukkan.

The graffiti is on the same street as Santral Dukkan, Serdar-i Ekrem Sokak.