Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
When visiting Istanbul, Turkey there is no way around to visit one of the main squares, the Taksim. It was once a main water hub which the name refers to. And if you go there you can use the main shopping street – İstiklal Caddesi. Numerous shops add up from Galata to Taksim. If you start at Galata bridge (Galata Köprüsü) you can simply walk up the hill towards the Galata tower and you can’t miss the main street.
The Galata kulesi (Galata tower) is a beautiful watchtower in Istanbul, Turkey located in the city quarter of Beyoğlu, directly on the hill close to the Galata bridge (Galata Köprüsü). It is named after the place it is built on, a part of Istanbul known for its bars and music venues. From there you’ll have wonderful views on the Golden horn (Haliç), the Bosphorus and the touristic Sultanahmet.
The Kapalı Çarşı in Istanbul, Turkey is better known as the Grand Bazaar – a vast roofed market with many legends surrounding it. You can easily get lost in the long narrow streets with mostly cheap goods. It consists of 61 covered streets with around 3000 shops and it has been built from the year 1455 on in the district of Fatih.
Continue reading “Turkish bazaar”I found it on Lonely Planet. And yes: if it is on Lonely Planet it isn’t probably a secret hint and quiet place. But it was! Maybe I was only there in the right time of the year. The Hotel Empress Zoe is a wonderful hotel in Sultanahmet, the touristic corner of Istanbul, Turkey – only a five minutes walk from Hagia Sophia.
I visited the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey several times – mostly to catch a connecting flight. It isn’t a pretty airport, but an important hub and the biggest airport in Turkey. It is the home base of one of my favorite airlines – Turkish – and moves 20 million passengers a year. But in fact its days are already counted: a new airport is being build right now and will be opened in 2017.
Some airports in Germany have not been built because many people want to fly from these places, but mostly because of political reasons – every region wants to have a terminal. This airport was built in 1927 for another reason: air cargo. Located near the cities Halle (Saale) and Leipzig on the ground of the small town Schkeuditz it is the #2 air cargo hub of Germany.
In need for some relaxation, sun and a good drink? To get away from the big city and to gain the feeling of being far away on vacation you can get on top of the multi-storey car park of Schönhauser Allee Arcaden. There you can put your feet into sand, find the perfect sunlounger and enjoy some cocktails and light snacks.
Continue reading “Deck 5”
The Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf, Germany (sponsored name: “ESPRIT arena”) is a multifunctional arena which is pretty young: It has been built between 2002 und 2004. It is home to the soccer club Fortuna Düsseldorf – currently once again in the first German league – and offers space for 54.600 supporters.
The Japanese restaurant Benkay is located within the Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is in an area with lots of Japanese restaurants and shops, the Japan Center; and it is close to the main railway station of Düsseldorf. Beware: you can spend a lot of money there but you receive high quality sushi and other Japanese food in return. And best of all: you immediately have the feeling of being in Asia.
I had not been to London, United Kingdom for some time as I heard that two friends wanted to get there for a weekend to celebrate the birthday of one of them. Secretly I took over the planning and booked three tickets for the trip and a nice small hotel near Paddington station.
Continue reading “Pleasant surprise”