Even though we arrived at the start of a holiday period, which was a busy time for her, Hatice made us feel very welcome by arranging transport from the airport and talking to us in her cafe about places to shop and visit in the local area. She provided us with an Istanbulcard loaded with enough credit for several metro or tram rides. In the apartment she had organised for us a new large bottle of water for the water cooler, some welcoming Turkish Delight and useful maps. Hatice also suggested several good restaurants and gave advice about places to visit. After we had been there for a couple of days, Hatice checked to see that we were OK.
The apartment was great - very light and airy - although at times, after our return from a long day, the 54 steps up to the apartment were a bit of a challenge! It was lovely to have such a comfortable sitting room - even better was the spectacular view over the Golden Horn with its frequently changing colours, depending on time of day and cloud cover. It was good to live very close to but not right at Istiklal St, as we were also able to get a sense of life away from the tourist heartland.