Istanbul

Istanbul: Where Continents Meet

Istanbul is an aesthetic explosion on the senses, and easily the most beautiful city I have been in. I arrived bracing for scams and tough bargaining, only to be met by locals whose hospitality was as boundless as their patience as I fumbled through my broken Turkish. Spending a month there in the winter, when Istanbul doesn't have as many tourists, allowed me to truly connect with the city's western and distinct eastern heart, watching it gently thaw from winter's chill into spring.

My days unfolded on its hilly, history-laden streets, each corner with a memory of its glory as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Afternoons found me by the Bosphorus, watching seagulls fly across sunset skies as fishermen returned to shore, and a warm balik ekmek or simit in hand.