Mauerpark (Wall Park) is a public space created along a section where the Berlin Wall once stood in Prenzlauer Berg, just a block from our apartment. The Mauerpark Sunday Flea Market (flohmarkt) follows the line of the former wall. Despite the freezing temperatures and the melting snow that was turning to ice and slush, the whole … Read more
‘Firewater’ was what my family called my Russian grandfather’s homemade vodka. It burnt as it slid down the throat, which is why the best way to drink the stuff was to throw back the whole shot glass rather than sip it. Vodka on it’s own is one thing, but vodka and pickles on the side … Read more
There are few activities more local than lingering over coffee while leisurely reading a book in a neighbourhood café. Yet too few travellers allow themselves the luxury of spending time doing nothing at all in a local café. There are always too many must-do sights on travellers’ lists to check out, so time hanging out … Read more
We’ve spent a lot of time during our two weeks in Istanbul simply ambling around the backstreets of Beyoğlu, exploring our neighbourhood. We get a kick out of taking in the atmosphere and seeing how people live their lives, and if we stumble across a venue playing music we like, that’s a bonus. And there … Read more
The streets of Beyoğlu, Istanbul, teem with people at any time, and all times, of the day and night… shopping, eating, drinking, and meeting friends to sip coffee, smoke narghile, listen to music, and dance. Here’s what you’ll see on a walk from Taksim to Tünel and Galata. Locals stream from the transport hub that is … Read more