Exploring Balat

Today we ventured a little off our usual path in Istanbul and took a short bus ride over to Balat. This neighbourhood has such a unique feel compared to the rest of the city we’ve experienced so far. The streets are lined with colourful houses, narrow lanes, and a mix of quirky little corners that make it feel almost like stepping into another world.

We wandered aimlessly, weaving through the little lanes, stopping often just to look up at the bright coloured houses. Some houses had peeling paint, others looked freshly restored, but together they created such a vibrant patchwork of colours. The neighbourhood definitely felt more local and lived in and was such a refreshing change of pace compared to the busier, tourist heavy parts of Istanbul.

After exploring the neighbourhood and soaking in the atmosphere, we decided to head back into more familiar territory with another visit to the Grand Bazaar. As impressive as it always is with its endless maze of shops, the constant stream of people trying to sell you carpets, jewellery or spices wore us down a bit. We didn’t end up buying anything and eventually made our way out, happy to have seen it again but even happier to escape the hustle.

From there, we slowly made our way back to our accommodation, giving ourselves a quieter afternoon. We spent some time booking the final details for Albania, which is now only a couple of weeks away, and it felt good to have more of that leg of the trip sorted.

Dinner tonight was a comforting plate of steak with slaw, exactly what we needed after a day of walking. 15.000 steps has easily become our new normal daily count.

To round things off, we had a FaceTime catch up with Christie, which was really nice before she starts her journey home tomorrow. Boo……

Now we’re winding down in bed, ready for our final full day in Istanbul tomorrow. This city has such an incredible mix of neighbourhoods, sights, and atmospheres, and we’re excited to see how we’ll spend our last day here.Read more