Staying with Fatma and Hassan throughout the pandemic I feel like I have expanded my family. They own a beautiful old building that they look after with great care. From their colourful terrace one stargazes amidst Beyoğlu’s mesmerising sounds. The winding stairway fills with smells of Fatma's exquisite cooking and the echos of Hassan's joie de vivre. I thank them for being this courageous and incredibly caring, and if they allow me, will surely make this my home base when in Istanbul.