They may not be Christmas lights, but beautiful nonetheless. We spent Christmas Day wandering around this bustling city of 14 million, which is the official number, although many think the real number is closer to 17 million.
One of the main shopping streets is İstiklâl Caddesi which runs about 1.5 KM south from Taksim Square to the top of the Tünel station, north of Galata Tower. It is estimated 3 million people visit Istiklâl in a single day on weekends.
We have rented an apartment in Şişli, about a 15 minute walk north of Taksim. We will be here until January 1 and looking forward to spending this time with our friends Lyle and Katherine who are flying here from Winnipeg as I write this. Stay tuned.
Spices for sale in the Spice Bazaar.
Rainbow steps.
Ottoman houses in Sultanahmed.
Galata Tower.
A recycler having a morning nap.
Galata in Istanbul.
Ayasofya, or Hagia Sophia.
Sweets for sale in the Spice Bazaar.
Pretzel salesman.
Having Tea.
Yeni Camii, the New Mosque.
2 l o v e c y c l i n g 
Loving it, enjoy, merry, merry
Thank you for your continued sharing of beauty and culture from another part of the world! Helps give perspective here at home as well! Happy New Year to you both!
Enjoy all the wonders that Istanbul offers. Isn’t it amazing?
Merry Christmas Jan & Paul! We have been avidly following you all the way to Istanbul and await the news from beyond! It’s wonderful hearing about your adventures from my armchair; my regret is not losing the weight you have Paul. However, as a consolation, I’m not going bald at the knees nor do my legs feel like Ikea test drawers. The blog and photos read very well; a travel book for sure. Cheers, Jim & Chun Wan.
Merry Christmas to you. Love the blog. Photos are fabulous. Istanbul brings back memories. love Lee and Hannah
Merry Christmas again Paul and Jan, enjoy your sojourn in Istanbul. I would be interested in how you’ve been using GPS on this trip, both the type of device and how you have made use of it. Perhaps this would make an interesting post while you are in the city.
cheers,
Dave
Awesome way to finish that trip. Thanks for keeping up with the blog. Katja and I enjoyed fully Istanbul. This was a great way to end our cycling journey. Keep us posted on your next adventures… Love