Istanbul is a city that has many charms and to stay in the centre is surely to be sought after and to be steps away from the famous Istiklal Street, yet in a side street that beckons with cobbled charm was for me, a quiet joy. Mehmets apartment is on the first floor of a seemingly classic stone city house with high windows to the front sitting room and central french doors that open onto a small balcony that allows you to peer left and right, reviewing life. This room, in particular, beguiles by being a home of accumulated and electric furnishings, from the vast sofa to the twin gilded mirrors that reflect a life we`d all like to follow. The bedroom is at the rear, large and rather less light-flooded than the front but peaceful, for in the evening there is some music to be heard from the small hotels nearby, but this ceases as the night goes on and then the street falls silent. The bathroom is large with a great shower. The kitchen places itself between the sitting room and the bedroom so in a sense in the hallway but this has all you need, including washing machine and dishwasher. Could I find faults? We may all be picky and wish for more, but the essence of Mehmets apartment to slip into Istanbul life with some ease, feel totally at home, safe and comfortable. I felt all of this and frankly? I didn't want to leave...