Day I- neyle meyle

Nevizade Socak is a tiny- and by tiny I mean very narrow- street off Istiklal that is chockfull of meyhanes or taverns. One literally falls into the other, chairs and tables are all but on the walking area, and the party-feel is wonderfully communal. Lonely Planet zindabad- we end up at a tiny place (aren't they all?) called Neyle Meyle. What follows is a boisterous and loud meal (by the people around us- we were quite quiet, in a smiley way). Of the gentleman and two ladies next to us, only one knew a smattering of English- it wouldn’t have mattered, the way they were going through their raki. Behind was a much louder and bigger group, headed by a large, ruddy cheeked and loud man- Bora Ozbuk is Turkish, settled in New York, has no kids and absolutely loves cats. Between them, they managed to give us some tips, a few toasts and lots of jolly laughs.

The meze tray (we’d read about these) is truly delightful. Mezes are Turkish appetisers (mostly cold, also hot) that are eaten with bread and invariably fill you up. We finally choose two- feta cheese and a spicy meze that is only vaguely reminiscent of salsa, but much finer in texture. It is outstanding- sharp, zingy and oh-so tasty. This is all washed down with one each of what seems like the national beer- Efes.
Mental note: resign yourself to a watering mouth while writing about meals.



The night has been quite cold. We make our way to Taksim square and return in the tourist-famous T4 bus, that connects Taksim (and so, Istiklal) to Sultanahmet. Between the substantial cold and satisfied exhaustion, there is no time for any journal writing or pondering. We fall into a deep and blissful sleep. We have seen some of spectacular Istanbul, and are quite taken by it- tomorrow the rest of it beckons.

all Day One photos