I arrived late in the night to Istanbul as the flight was delayed more than two hours. It was a very long and challenging day, leaving in the early morning by bus from Griante to Como, then a train to Malpensa Airport, via Saronno. Fortunately, there was always some angel on the way to help me carry my suitcase up and down the stairs from one train station to another. Among them was a family from Scotland who travelled with me to Malpensa on their way to Spain. When the plane finally landed, finding my way through this humongous airport, I was able to get a taxi which took a while to get to my hotel. I was getting worried because I had no mobile connection and the driver could hardly speak English. I could not reach my dear friend, Soraya, who has an apartment in Istanbul and the reason why I decided to come & visit.
Finally, I was able to call Soraya on the driver’s mobile and she gave him instructions to take good care of me and to drive me to the hotel safely. When I arrived at the hotel, I was informed that there were tours available and that I could book a private guide to visit the historical district of Istanbul. The next morning, Soraya strongly urged me to do just that and to take advantage of my two-day stay in the historical center of Istanbul before joining her where she lives.
