Dear Seda and Ogun, thank you very much for sharing your apartment with us! We had a wonderful stay at your nice flat. After spending such a great time with you in the evenings, it feels like we found new friends in Istanbul :)
Our family of 4 spent almost 3 full days in Istanbul during June before boarding our connecting flight to Tallinn, Estonia. While booking a place to stay at, we were looking for a nice apartment in the house with an elevator, away from all the crowds. We rented a car at the Ataturk Airport, so did not need to be picked up. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the flat.
The hosts' family met us at their rental place in Faith - a spacious, bright flat, very comfortable for 4 people. The flat is on the second floor, and is exactly as described. The hosts live a few levels above it, so it was very convenient for us.
Upon arrival, Ogun and Seda presented to us a bowl of Turkish Delight and a bottle of Turkish wine. They also offered to order food for us from the restaurant nearby, which was very nice of them. The Kebap and Lahmacun
were delicious!
The next day, we walked with Ogun to buy Kebap and desserts from different places.
On the evening of the third day, we drove altogether to the Pierre Loti Cafe, positioned on top of a hill, overlooking Eyup and Golden Horn. Such a wonderful view point! The cafe itself is outside, but with the golden lights strung through the trees, it was homely and almost magical. To get there, you need to take a cable car from the parking lot (~2.30 TL one way). The place is very popular, so it's usually crowded. We enjoyed our snack (Guzleme and black tea) and talking to our friends. After that, we headed to the old city to taste famous Turkish dessert at Karakoy Gulluoglu (a restaurant that sells the best baklava in Istanbul). Ogun and Seda helped us select our treats. It really did taste amazing!
Of course, being in Turkey for the first time, we hardly knew what to do, but Ogun and Seda were very helpful and advisable. We are very thankful to them for making our short vacation such an easy and unforgettable experience.