We've been staying in Kadikoy, and it has kept us royally entertained (we just had a brief breakout yesterday to go to Beyoglu).

Today we had a number of hours to fill in, as we're not due to leave for Sofia until 2045. So we checked out of the Mezzo Hotel (whose breakfasts have continued to be excellent), parked our bags with them, and headed for the Museum Gazhane, the former Hasanpasa gasworks. This utility opened in 1891, but gas production terminated in 1993, and the site has now been turned into a very pleasant museum-park-cafe complex:









Having roamed here for a while, and consumed salep that didn't require a mortgage (while catching a few rays, and watching a completely manic little cat work the tables), we decided to implement the next bit of the programme, as follows:

1. Stock up on the prescription medicine that you pay a fortune for back home (always do this when visiting Turkey...).

2. Check out a bit more of the suburb's street art (this is a handy map):







3. Explore the Yeldegirmen neighbourhood:




4. Enjoy your last moments with Istanbul's felines, who are truly different from any other cats in the world:





5. Grab some pide for lunch, find you've ordered far too much, and get them to bag up the leftovers for you to take on the train later:


6. Make the most of what is your last bit of sea until you get to Weston-super-Mare, many weeks hence:


7. Check out the 180 Degree Cafe. Like many establishments in Kadikoy, it has an extensive outdoor space:




8. Shop for provisions for the train.

9. And pick up your luggage ready for the long night journey ahead.