while not null: Europe Trip 2026

I will remember Istanbul (urban pop. 15 million) as a city of cats and steep streets. I lost a day of sightseeing, because of a broken down plane in China, but still I was able to see a lot.

Istanbul from the air:

First impressions:

Overall: people speak English and there's always a vegetarian food option - such a pleasant change after South Korea and China.

The airport:

The first WC - flushing doesn't work. The airport has a pleasing futuristic aesthetic, but the walk to the border control is very long for foreigners. It's almost comical. About 2 km? The airport is huge, but it is similar in passenger numbers to Seoul, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which I do not remember to have this issue. On the way, I passed several checkpoints for Turkish passport holders.

The border guard in a hijab who was smiling a moment earlier to another passenger when handing him his passport, frowns upon seeing my Polish passport and when finished puts it on the side counter without saying anything or looking at me. Strange. Thinking about this now, and knowing how Israel is perceived in Türkiye (1% favourable, according to 2026 Pew research), and how Netanyahu is sometimes portrayed as Polish on social media, it reminded me about a Bangladeshi co-worker in Australia, who upon learning that I'm Polish, asked me immediately if I was Jewish. This happened to me elsewhere too... can't remember where.

Vendors at the airport are calling out to me as I walk by. The hall is loud. I much prefer the quiet, comfy vibe of the Helsinki airport.

There is price gouging: a burger at the Burger King is $20, a Snickers bar $4 (could be Australian dollars, I didn't write it down).

There is a guy with a machine gun guarding the door when I exit the terminal on foot. Interesting. The other places where I saw people with machine guns: the Cairo airport and my hotel, back in 1999 I think, and Paris, near the Eiffel tower, also a long way back.

Public transport:

The metro station is a long walk from the terminal. Public transport access was not a priority. The best in my experience is Amsterdam Schiphol where the train station is right under the terminal when you pass the last checkpoint after collecting your bags.

The metro card doesn't work on the bus or did it ran out of money? I had a problem with understanding how to pay for public transport in Istanbul throughout my stay. I paid for a ferry I didn't take - you tap the card when you enter a waiting area and there are separate waiting areas for different ferries and I made a mistake - that ferry would take me on a long trip to some islands, not just to the other side of Bosporus.

On the metro, I had cold air blowing on my neck, same as in Seoul - I made a note to myself: did Istanbul buy metro trains from Korea? Sure they did: built in Türkiye, but a Hyundai Rotem design.

Cars go fast. They park on footpaths, sometimes double-park. The only way to stop them parking on footpaths is a strong physical barrier. It may not be enough for motorcycles though:

One more thing about public transport in Istanbul. The car traffic is horrible, and the bus driver was probably the worst I ever had: he was accelerating and breaking so hard, that I fell.

I think cab drivers honked at me when I was walking with two suitcases, perhaps in case I needed a ride?

Staying with public transport: I was paying for all rides, while the public transport was free for locals on the National Sovereignty and Children's Day - 19 May. On one hand I was lucky to be in Istanbul on that day, on the other hand, there were crowds on the trams and the metro was so crowded, that a guard at the entrance to the station was letting people in only when someone was exiting: one person in, one person out. There was a queue of people waiting to be let in. I was concerned that I would miss my train to Sofia. I got on it in time, but I didn't have time to buy any food or drink, and there was no food service on that night train. Luckily, I shared a couchette compartment with two guys who were better prepared.

I smelled exhaust fumes, and sometimes something else?

I wasn't able to see a lot on the first day, just got to the hotel, went out for supper, and walked a bit the waterfront. This was actually when I saw a second person with a machine gun - at the entrance to the car parking under Galataport. To enter on foot I had to pass through a metal detector.

Galataport

On the second day I understood the reason for the security precautions. I was walking near Fındıklı Park around noon when I heard a gunshot and saw a group of men pushing one another. A police officer immediately ran out of a little booth on the footpath and ran towards them. A minute later two more police officers arrived on motorcycles, and then another two.

Cats of Istanbul:

I had breakfast in this little restaurant. The owner was very friendly.

Hunting

No idea what that means, but the cat is cute. Is that Garfield?

There are two cats here, perfectly blending in.

Enjoying the sun.

Not a care in the world.

Waiting for a ferry, or living in the ferry terminal?

Cat houses.

A corner cat house.

The text: The rights of our dear animal friends are entrusted to us.

Why do people tolerate, feed and care for street cats in Istanbul? A Turkish man told me two reasons:

one: a cat fell asleep on Prophet Muhammad robe, when he was supposed to rise for prayers, he did not want to disturb the cat, so he cut off part of his robe; two: cats hunt rats, therefore help keep the city clean.

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Australian work health and safety officers would have a field day in Istanbul:

Finesse. These heavy trucks get loaded by the excavator below.

I'm working here.

Watch your step.

Don't get impaled on rebar.

Brave.

Very brave. Istanbul is in one of the world's most seismically active regions.

Careful: falling debris. Also, did you notice the excavator?

Never mind the parked cars or the tripping hazard, there's a hole in the footpath under that flimsy metal sheet.

Lots of sharp objects here.

Someone still lives there?

It may not be safe, but it's beautiful when the nature is healing.

This is actually beautiful, like the lost cities of Amazon.

Hope it holds when the next quake hits.

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Homelessness is a worldwide problem. I've seen it in Tokyo, London, Gold Coast, and also in Istanbul:

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İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) starts at Taksim Square:

The Taksim Mosque was built 2017-2021. I haven't noticed it earlier, but there is a policewoman here with a machine gun.

A historic tram and a man/boy collecting rubbish. On the Asian side I saw a kid pulling it.

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How? How do you ride a push bike in Istanbul?

It's hilly.

Add trees, remove cars (install posts/bollards), and lots more places will be postcard perfect.

Glorious quiet morning.

Church of Saint Anthony of Padua.

There is a mass in Polish and Italian on Sundays at 11:30am.

A group of Polish pilgrims.

Cars will park everywhere.

Beautiful vine.

Dutch consulate, protected like a fortress.

Beautiful enclosed balconies - cumba / oriel windows.

Tire replacement at the curb. Yellow taxis.

Quiet morning.

There's some plant growing under the glass step. Looks like moss. Gives a feeling of being in a wet shaded woodland. I would like to see more of this.

Why have stairs if they cannot be used? Note two glasses of ubiquitous tea.

Belgian consulate flying the LGBTQ flag. Protected with barbed wire.

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Street art:

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Taking a ferry to the Asian side:

The Statue of Atatürk and Children in Kadıköy Square - teaching students the Turkish Latin alphabet,which replaced Arabic in 1928.

The New Mosque:

A view from a ferry.

This was the first time I was inside a mosque. There were booklets about Islam in multiple languages, even Czech, no Polish though.

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Near the northern entrance to the Gülhane Park:

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Walking towards the Topkapi Palace:

The Imperial Gate.

This reminds me of some fantasy world, like in Star Wars or Tolkien.

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I left Istanbul in the evening by a night train to Sofia. At that time of the year it was the only international connection to the rest of Europe. In summer there's also a train to Bucharest.

The bed was comfortable, but the sleep was broken twice, hours apart, by border checks. In both cases we had to leave the train. Between the checks, the train was stationary in a siding somewhere.

I had two companions for most of the evening: one from Japan, who after a long English language course in Malta was travelling back to Tokyo via a Istanbul, Sofia, Warsaw, and one from Türkiye. The train did not have a restaurant, and I had no food, since I arrived late, so I was lucky that they shared their food with me.