For example the yellow fists by Berlin based Graffiti Writer Kripoea. The fists are a sign for rebellion, anarchy, and can be found pretty much everywhere in the city, also at places you might not expect…

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Street Art in the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

I was fortunate enough to live some abroad experiences before becoming an adult. From then on, I started to travel as much as I could, almost every month. Once again lucky, I lived the glorious days of European low-cost airlines that allowed me to travel as much as I could in between jobs and studies. Today, I am pretty much always on the move.

2.) Where is home?

Home is and always will be Galicia, a beautiful region in the north west of Spain, featuring more than 1000km of rough coast and a not so developed tourism industry yet. I would like to keep it like that.

3.) How did you get there? Have you lived there all your life, moved there because of College or just fell in love with the city/town on one of your trips?

I was born in Ribadeo, a lively coastal town and try to come back as much as I can to visit friends and family.

4.) What does your living situation look like? Give us a brief description (city or countryside, apartment or house, messy or neat-freak, roomies, pets, plants etc.)

At the moment, my life is spread among different places in the region although I would like to get rid of some stuff to be able to travel without any attachments. When I am home, I live between my boyfriend’s and my family’s.

5.) What’s your favorite spot in your apartment or house & why?

Neither I rent or owe a house but I guess the living room is where all the social action takes place. I love to have guests and friends over.

6.) Do you prefer books or movies (plus what’s your favorite one)?

Movies. I can’t live without a daily one. Anything clever, with a good photography or OST would do. Just forget about comedies, terror, cheesy, teen or B-movies. I am more into drama, history and biographies.

7.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

It’s been just three months since I started writing at A World to Travel so I am still trying to figure out how to proceed. Anyway, I write whenever I have some spare time. Balance between travelling and writing is not easy.

Many times inspiration comes while having some tapas or right before going to sleep. An always present little notebook keeps track of those ideas waiting to become articles.

8.) What does a perfect day in your hometown look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Do you hang out with friends or family?

Getting up as early as I can (not a morning person), it would involve some outdoor activities in the afternoon before heading for some social time at the local tapas bars. Beach life is big in summer and there are endless hiking opportunities as well.

At the moment, I’ve just arrived from a Balkans trip and my bags need to be unpacked before my friends come over for dinner.

9.) Name three spots in your hometown, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

Since my hometown is tiny, I will consider the whole region.

Loving the great nature by the Atlantic; I would recommend to pay a visit to Cies islands and Baroña ruins as well as Cathedral’s beach facing the Cantabric sea.

10.) What’s your favorite local dish (if you have one in your country/town, please tell us which one)? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

Unluckily without mastering the art at all; I could still try to prepare some seafood and empanada, a tasty dish consisting in a cooked pastry filled with anything you can imagine!

11.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

Milk can be priced as low as 0,50€ and petrol would be 1,40€ per liter.

12.) Where are you right now, on which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture)?

At the moment I am at my boyfriend’s, writing on my laptop and barefoot. Smart phone, though, is not far away and keeps distracting me more than it should.

13.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

Not having to pack and unpack every day; the awkward necessity of cooking sometimes and a warm welcome from friends and family whenever I come back!

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Bird
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio

Some of the spots are pretty obvious, others not so well-known. Of course you can also book yourselves into a roof-top apartment, but unless you won the lottery, one of these will do just fine:

The Eiffel Tower.

It figures that I’d start with this one. After all, we’re talking about the city of love and what would it be without the world-famous Eiffel Tower? Honestly, I think that the Eiffel Tower is overrated, yet somehow you’re drawn to it when visiting Paris…

I heard that in general you need to calculate about 20-30 minutes of waiting in line. Then you can either walk (1655-1710 steps all the way to the top, depending on which side you try, so you better be sporty!) or take the elevator. I really wanted to walk up there, but since it was a warm & sunny Saturday afternoon, about a million other people had the same thought. This meant that the 20-30 minutes turned into more than an hour. So I skipped this part, yet I’m sure that the view must be absolutely stunning … but, as the saying goes “There’s plenty more fish in the sea.”

The famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur.

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur is a must-see destination for ever tourist who visits Paris. It’s just slightly over 80 meters high, which normally doesn’t make the best viewing spot, but because it’s located at the top of Montmartre hill, it’s actually Paris’ second highest point (approx. 210 metres). On a clear day, you’ll have an amazing 360° view over the entire city.

The way up to the top is pretty tight, so if you’re claustrophobic, better stay on the ground – from there you’ll still have a wonderful view (which you’ll share with what felt like a million other people though).

Come at the right time:

• With a bit of luck (which we had), you might just get to see the world-famous freestyle football player Iya Traoré do his magic… More on this in a separate article :)

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris, France.

The view of Paris from the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur.

Crowds of people at the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris, France.

Freestyle footballer Iya Traoré at the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris, France.

Arc de Triomphe.

The Arc de Triomphe is nowhere near the tallest building in Paris (it’s only about 50 metres high); it’s the location that makes it a favourite viewpoint. It’s located right at the end of the Champs-Élysées captivated by a gigantic roundabout, which forms part of an axis that leads from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel to la Grande Arche de la Défense.

Until I found the tunnel opening at the near end of the Champs-Élysées, I always wondered how you can actually access it, because there’s no cross-walk and I’ve never seen any suicidal person running across is. But, luckily I found it :) In the tunnel-way you can buy the entrance ticket to go up the stairs.

The view is amazing – especially at night – with the swarming traffic below that reaches the roundabout from all points of the compass.

The famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.

The view of the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.

Centre Pompidou.

The Pompidou is the city’s leading modern art museum located in the 4th Arrondissement, Marais. It’s famous known for show-casing artists like Jackson Pollock or Andy Warhol, but it has another asset … the stunning view.

Simply take the escalator to the fifth floor and start shooting, without having to save your place for hours in advance.

The View from Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.

Tour Montparnasse.

I saved the best for last. Tour Montparnasse definitely offers the most remarkable panoramic view of Paris (it covers a radius of 40 km). The Eiffel Tower might give you the same, yet the difference is that you won’t have to stand in line for hours, because many tourists don’t know that this rather ugly looking tower can actually be visited. Some people tend to say that the view from the top is the most beautiful in Paris, because it is the only place from which the tower itself cannot be seen… no further explanation needed, right?

Tour Montparnasse is a 210 metre high structure which is located in an area, where most buildings don’t rise above 30 metres. Naturally you’ll think to yourself “Why by all means has this building been built right here?“. Well, you’re not the only one thinking that. The tower’s simple architecture and large proportions have often been criticised, because it simply looks out of place in Paris’s urban landscape. Only two years after its completion (1972), the construction of skyscrapers in the city centre was banned… Still, the tower deserves its place simply because of the stunning 360° view it provides. A super-fast lift will take you to the top in 38 seconds (the fastest elevator in Europe btw), where you’ll be able to shoot that one-million-dollar photo from the open air roof terrace.

The view of the Eiffel Tower from Tour Montparnasse in Paris, France.

The view of Gare Montparnasse from Tour Montparnasse in Paris, France.

The view of Montparnasse Cemetery from Tour Montparnasse in Paris, France.

The view from Tour Montparnasse in Paris, France.

Drum-roll please ... Tour Montparnasse in Paris, France.

After a couple of hours, Orodara came into sight and just before the village, we spotted a nice looking hotel – turned out later that it was a really good choice to go for this one; we had a huge room with a nice balcony on both sides. But since the bus continued driving, we needed to make our way back there. It was definitely too long to walk with all our luggage, therefore we stopped a passing donkey cart. The cart driver was more than surprised to have “blancs” (means white people) as load, but the money we offered convinced him to take us on…

Orodara was a small town with a big market and quite a lot of merchandising going on, where lots of trucks on their way to Mali passed through. We spent a few hours walking around, buying fresh mangoes, bananas and oranges and enquired about possibilities of continuing to Banfora. We were told that this was only possible with a “taxi brousse“. So we made a reservation at the “bush taxi“stand for the next day.

On this donkey cart we were on our way to the hotel in Orodara, Burkina Faso.

Fresh oranges and the most delicious cashew nuts at the market in Orodara, Burkina Faso.

Transporting dead pigs on a motorbike in Orodara, Burkina Faso.

Ready, Set, Go!

A gut feeling told us to be prepared for such a trip, so we stocked up on bananas, baguettes and water. The distance to Banfora is only 80 kilometres on a gravel road, so that – normally – shouldn’t be a big deal for a good car. But bush taxis tend to always need major repairs, and then 80 kilometres can turn into a great distance. Our bush taxi looked exactly like all the others: a lot of luggage on the roof rack, some goats stuffed between a motorbike and lots of baskets of chicken. It was fully loaded, to get the maximum out of the trip. 20 fellow passengers with some kids sitting on their mothers laps. Children travel for free, but don’t get extra seats, so it gets pretty tight.

The kilometres started passing and the taxi stopped from time to time to let someone out or to take on new travellers. There was always a great movement on the roof with loading and unloading, so there was no chance of taking a little nap…

Big Bang Theory.

As if the noise level wasn’t already high enough with the engine being at the end of one’s rope, the constant, very loud & full of vim and vigour blabbering of our fellow passengers in local lingo, was definitely a challenge for our eardrums. While we where trying to figure out what in God’s name they where all talking about, it was abruptly quite after a big BANG followed by the cars standstill. But the silence didn’t last very long … maybe only a gimps of a second, because everyone seemed to know what happened: A broken tyre was the reason. When looking at it, we wondered how it actually made it this far…

The driver apologised to us for this interruption but we weren’t really bothered. The tyre was quickly off and we pointed at the 2 spare tyres on the roof … but these were flat as well. Our input if these tyres were just for decoration didn’t really help to ease the situation. But Africans are used to such incidents, so the boy in charge took the flat tyre and drove off with the next passing motorbike. Now it was time to wait; we and all other passengers settled under the nearby trees to get some shade. Some fell asleep instantly and we opened our “lunch bag” to have a nice bush pick-nick.

Bush taxi-break-down Nr. 1 in Burkina Faso.

Ready to get a new tyre for the broken down bush taxi in Burkina Faso.

This wasn’t going to be our day.

Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take too long for the guy to return out of nowhere with the repaired tyre. It took 5 more minutes to put everything back in place, and then we continued our journey… But not for long. After only 10 kilometres, another tyre went flat – or to put it the right way: it was ripped into pieces. The driver started swearing in his local dialect and the boy in charge got the broken tyre off and disappeared again with the next passing motorbike.

Bush taxi-break-down Nr. 2 in Burkina Faso. Nr. 3 was only a matter of time...

Yet again, a passing motorbike was our only way out...

Time passed and when he came back, he proudly showed everyone the brand new tyre he just bought. Now nothing seemed to stop the car once more. But we cheered too soon, because the one of the two remaining tyres decided that this was his last ride, and we got stuck again. As before, all passengers settled under a huge mango tree and some vendors came along with fresh fruits for sale. After an hour or so, we decided to stop the next passing car to get a lift to Banfora, because it was only about 20 kilometres and we were sick of being stuck in the bush. We were not along with this thought; one of the passengers – a very very old man – joined us as we stopped a Peugeot 404, which had the cargo area turned into passenger seats. Off we were, waving goodbye to our astonished bush taxi driver…

Unfortunately, we were out of luck, because this cars engine sounded weird right from the beginning with hicks and backfires all the way. 3 kilometres before the centre of Banfora, another loud BANG rattled the car and the engine took its last breath. The driver shook his head in despair and this way it for us. We got out and decided to walk the remaining kilometres to our hotel…

After 8 hours of journey time for only 80 kilometres, we reached the hotel “La Canne du Sucre” – a beautiful place with pool – completely exhausted from this bush taxi adventure…

More bush taxis in Burkina Faso:

Fully loaded bush taxi in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - A couple of tyres in tow just to be on the safe side...

"Bon Voyage" - A Bush taxi in Burkina Faso.

A bush taxi driving though an alley of trees in Banfora, Burkina Faso.

Another bush taxi in Burkina Faso.

And another (smaller) bush taxi in Burkina Faso.

Trucking ia also a very popular way of getting from A to B in Burkina Faso.

Fully loaded truck in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Chicken in tow as well.

In no other arrondissement but the Marais can you find art galleries, trendy boutiques, designer hotels, funky cafés and bars off the tourist track. Plus it’s also the hub of Paris’s gay community (radiating out from Rue Vieille du Temple, along the Rue St-Croix de la Bretonnerie to Rue du Temple); and – though fading – the Jewish life. You could easily spend your entire visit to Paris in this neighbourhood, because there is that much to do, see and feel…

Restaurant tip.

• Minh Chau (10, Rue de la Verrerie, 75006 Paris): Cute little Vietnamese restaurant with specialities for a good price – also for a take-away. Be sure to save your seat, because numbers are limited!
• Le Dindon en Laisse (18 Rue Beautreillis, 75004 Paris): Reasonable prices lovely restaurant in the centre of Marais with the best duck breast in honey sauce!

Sights.

• The famous Centre Pompidou: The city’s leading modern art museum with an awesome book store where one can get lost for hours.
• Musée Picasso: A must-stop for fans, because Picasso painted some of his best work in Paris.
• Hôtel de Ville: An impressive building, housing the city’s local administration, which is especially breathtaking at night.
  
• Notre Dame: This cathedral is among the largest and most well-known churches in the world. It’s a highlight for each tourist and should be visited both during the day and at night.
  

Hotel Tip.

• Unless you’re staying in an apartment (which we did this time), Hôtel Duo (1 Rue du Temple, 75004 Paris) is a great little designer hotel right in the centre of Marais, where we stayed during our first visit to Paris.

So now go ahead and lose yourself in this neighbourhood. Explore the tiny streets, grab a falafel sandwich or simply just people-watch in a café…

Vintage bar in Le Marais, Paris.

Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris, France.

Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris at night.

Side street in Le Marais, Paris.

Centre Pompidou in Paris France.

Hôtel de Ville at night in Paris, France.

What an experience!

The wholesale market for fruits and vegetables in Kolkata is an experience that is really difficult to describe. You make your way through dozens of trucks, which are parked only centimetres apart from each other, hundreds of porters, vendors, auctioneers, buyers and people who load & unload the trucks from their precious cargo – fresh fruits and vegetables that arrive here every morning from all over India, to be auctioned off right on the spot.

Words & photos are good for imagining such ongoing activities, but we also put together a little video (with out iPhone, so please excuse the quality) of the market’s happenings. This way, you’ll not only get an impression on the number of fruits auctioned off, the people who roam these streets, the heavy goods that need to be loaded onto trucks, but also the constant noise level…

Oranges, pineapples and bananas.

On the day of our visit, the main fruits that had just arrived were oranges, pineapples and bananas. Bananas (still on the stem) are a very attractive fruit and are sold piece by piece. How that works is that one porter stands in front of the truck, with the banana stalk on his head for display, while the auctioneer is shouting out the price. It’s a fast business, and all over sudden the bananas disappear in someone’s box or basket, and the next stalk is brought out for the auction.
With oranges it’s a bit different; they’re stacked up in a pyramid shape and sold tower-wise.

Obviously this place is hardly ever visited by foreigners. Many people asked how and why we came there and they were quite astonished when we said that we just wanted to have a look around.

We had the best time and the vendors seemed to ‘enjoy’ our company. A trader gave us apples from Kashmir as a present and everybody was keen to have his picture taken. It was a really great experience, yet it was a bit difficult to move along, because we didn’t want to be in anyone’s way … especially not if they’re carrying a 50 pound basket!

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Working men at the the fruit wholesale market in Kolkata, India.

Yes, the world is a crazy place with bombings happening at the Boston Marathon; an event where sport, fun, action and happiness are in the foreground. There’s no doubt that this is a real tragedy. BUT (and this is a big but), bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and many other countries are the daily business and no one seems to really care any more.

If you go through the terrorist incidents of 2013 alone, you’ll see, that almost all of them didn’t occur in western countries, and you’ll also realize that you haven’t even heard of 95% of them. You might have heard of the other 5%, but their headlines – “32 killed through bomb blast in Iraq” or “42 people killed through suicide bombings in Damascus” or “40 killed through US bombs at a wedding in Afghanistan” – don’t seem to bother us any more. It’s the daily business and therefore “nothing” special. These bombings also hit innocent people in places you’d never expect a bomb to go off – markets, buses, public buildings and even churches … As soon as the Western world is hit by something like this (even if the number of casualties is little to none), times seems to stand still.

I do care about this! In my opinion, there’s definitely something wrong with this picture!

Destruction left behind after an attack on Sigili village, North Darfur. Photo: UNAMID/Albert González Farran

Associated Press - A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic Church during Mass in Nigeria, killing at least 10 people.

Associated Press/Arshad Butt - Pakistani Shiite Muslims sit in protest next to the dead bodies of their family members killed in a bombing.

Iraq Suicide Bombings. Photo credit unknown.

Afghan policemen and NATO troops inspect the site of a suicide attack in Faryab province, Afghanistan. Photo: REUTERS

What do you need to get up there?

First you have to look for a tour company, since its forbidden to visit individually (we were not fond of this of course). We found a travel agent at the right end of the main square in Gangtok, where we had to apply for a ‘visitor permission’ – this must be done the day before you travel. What that meant was that we needed 3 (!!!) passport photos, our passports, one passport copy, a copy of our Indian visa, as well as a copy of the arrival stamp … typically bureaucratic Indian style. Anyway, in case you don’t have all these things together, the travel company will guide you to a photo shop to get the passport photos and the copies for very little money.

Besides all the permits you obviously also need a car … We met an Indian/American couple who wanted to take the same route, which was great because we could share the car. For 4 people we paid 4.000 Rupees (for 2 people, we would have paid 3.500 Rupees, so it’s better to find some others).

You’re not alone.

The travel agent the also has to apply for a permit on the day of travelling. This means that you’ll start around 8.00 am at the earliest. Even though the weather wasn’t really good on our travelling day, there was quite a lot of traffic up to Lake Tsongmo and our guide only got the permit at 9.30 am. We were car number 343 and realized immediately that it wouldn’t be a trip to a remote location as we thought beforehand…

The distance up to Lake Tsongmo is about 40 km and takes approx. two hours from Gangtok. Sometimes it’s a stop and go situation because of the heavy traffic.

Check-Points:

• All cars need to pass a check-point up the pass before 11.00 am.
• Cars can only drive back to Gangtok after 2.00 pm.

The reason behind the check-point is the narrow and steep road. Cars can only drive in one direction, otherwise dangerous situations could occur. But of course, there are exceptions; military trucks can drive as they please…

The weather.

The weather condition is very changeable up North. Most of the times it’s very foggy – as it was when we where up there. As soon as we approached higher grounds, the fog got thicker and ticker and there were moments when we couldn’t even see the car in front of us anymore.

After we finally reached the parking lot, we realized that the area was packed with people – mainly Indians on vacation. Up at 3.753 meters it was freezing cold, so be sure to dress accordingly. In case you do forget to bring warm cloths, you can buy down jackets, scarfs and gloves in one of the shops.

The fog only lifted for a couple of minutes while we were up there and we could see the lake for a short time. But the view was definitely worth all the hassle.

Lake Tsongmo up at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, India.

Up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Yaks up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Workers up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Up at Nathu La Pass near Lake Tsongmo in Sikkim, India.

Sure, the Blue Mosque is the most famous one and therefore better known among tourists, but that’s also its great drawback. The Blue Mosque – still one of the most impressive in Istanbul – suffers from that huge and constant flow of visitors, which the Süleymaniye Mosque doesn’t. Of course, it was clear to me that I needed to visit Istanbul’s largest Mosque, yet I had no idea it would leave me this speechless compared to other sights of the city.

Fewer visitors are not the only quality it possesses; It’s an architectural masterpiece. The aesthetic supremacy of its interior and exterior and its perfect proportions have been captivating visitors for centuries.

The Süleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Süleyman I, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent, who was the greatest and richest of all Ottoman sultans, and it crowns Istanbul’s highest of the seven hills.

View of Süleymaniye Mosque from the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Inside Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Galata, or better Beyoğlu as it’s called today, has been our home for the last four days. Our apartment was about 25 meters next to the famous Galata Tower, one of the most important historical monuments of Istanbul. Up from the tower you have an amazing view of the city, but be prepared … you’ll need to wait at least 30-45 minutes to get up there, since there’s always a line. We were lucky, because our apartment also had a terrace from which we got a 360° view of the entire city. It wasn’t quite as high as the tower, but I was more than happy with what we got…

The view of our 360° terrace - In front: Galata Bridge & New Mosque, Istanbul.

The Galata Tower & its Quarter, Istanbul.

Galata is a great place to relax, wander the streets, discover, take pictures and enjoy the city. This part of town is hip, stylish, trendy & young. You’ll come across many local shops – from gift shops to cool shoe shops, vintage boutiques to Turkish designer’s showrooms – great cafes and cozy restaurants. The architecture is also worth seeing; it’s a mixture between run down buildings, old-fashioned wooded houses and modern facades.

A super cute little retro shop in Galata, Istanbul.

A run down building in Galata, Istanbul.

A man sitting in the doorway of a house in Galata, Istanbul.

Street Art.

I only took about 500 photos of all the different street art in the Galata quarter, therefore I’d only like to share a couple in this post, and keep the rest for a separate article. When wandering the side streets, you’ll come across some pretty funny graffiti…

Panda Bear Graffiti in Galata, Istanbul.

Graffiti in the Galata Quarter of Istanbul.

Graffiti in the Galata Quarter of Istanbul.

Graffiti in the Galata Quarter of Istanbul.

What I liked most about Galata is the neighborhood’s energy, crowded by young people and many foreigners, who roam the streets at any given hour of the day. It’s definitely worth exploring, so take your time when coming to this part of Istanbul.