Well and truly through jetlag and feeling a burst of Monday productivity I thought I should finish this.

We ate lunch at this place a couple of times. Obligatory cat photos. I haven’t really spoken about the weather, how un-anglophilic of me. It was quite cold in Istanbul at the start of March. Layering up was key. This place gives you afternoon sun. When in doubt sit where the cats are.

On the plus side, I don’t think Istanbul was as lethally busy as it would be in peak Tourist season.

Nola Galata had the most diverse menu I encountered, it also had a large outdoor courtyard. Music ebbed and flowed between lounge, jazz and parts of Latin America. This looked like a good place to smoke a cigar outside under a night sky.

Rooftop vantage points are also very popular. Unfortunately, the last night we went up had been a rainy day.

This did not deter the freelance semi-professional photographer.

Speaking of which enjoy a mozaic of strangely cropped by WordPress supplementary photos from previous posts.

I would not call myself a fine diner but as someone who works in hospitality, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the service I received in Istanbul. All the hopsitality I experienced was done to a very high level. On my last day, I found an interesting cafe called Federal Galata.

Mural outside.

Federal Galata was interesting in that they had really good shazazmable music. The Australian flag outside denoted an Antipodean filter. I did enjoy the crazy Coffee and the cafe was set up for teleworking. Tapping away in a faraway country with good coffee and a superb degree of anonymity is a real happy place and one I have missed over the years,

My luggage arrived last Thursday. A couple of carefully selected and cheerfully purchased fridge magnets now adorn my fridge. A hammand spa shower loofah resides in my shower. I have a book to read about the hotel’s historical significance. Like all good explorers, I brought treasure home with me.

I wonder what the next destination will be?