Here, thanks to my recent tour-guiding, is a fresh view of this timeless city. The city I’m leaving in less than sixty days.

With guests one day, I peered through 15th century castle crenellations and photographed a 14th century fortification directly across the Bosphorus.

This chocolate banana pistachio strawberry waffle, and many scrumptious others, are available so close to my apartment that I take them for granted.

I usually travel the sea road by car. Walking with visitors, I learned about a cool upcoming event.

Newcomers always comment on the city’s well-fed street dogs, so secure they lie down and nap anywhere.

The Blue Mosque’s colors are more vivid when you schedule a visit late in the day.

A guest pointed out these creative restaurant awnings.

Taking a shortcut from the Galata Tower to Karakoy one weary day provided a random encounter with Christian Istanbul

No surprises here: I always take visitors into the stunning New Mosque . . .

. . . but the Hagia Sofia looked different during a late afternoon visit,

reminding me how similar churches and mosques really are.

I stood with a guest on top of an old han, the prayer call echoing around us, and this beautifully-named ship glided into view.

A friend’s new scarf, packaged and ready to travel.

A recent visitor had a Turkish friend in Minnesota. We looked up his family in Istanbul and were treated to lunch –and this scrumptious cheesecake.

While she readjusted her load of packages, a guest asked me to photograph these fishing poles above the Galata Tower.

Final lunch with my final Istanbul guest at Namli Restaurant in Karakoy. Pictured: spinach kofte just minutes before the lunch rush.

Thanks to a quick-shooting guest, I now have a photo of The Elusive Grand Bazaar Tea Runner    (photo: Patti Isaacs)

I’ve had tea with rug merchant and building restorer Gengis several times, and now I have a photo    (photo: Patti Isaacs)

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