A walk in Taksim

I went to Taksim a couple weeks ago to check out some bookstores that sell English books. I would recommend Pandora, which is near the beginning of Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim on a little side street, and Homer, which is near the Galatasaray High School. Both have a great assortment of books, and I can't wait to get reading! Anyway, Taksim is a really modern and bustling part of Istanbul - there are ALWAYS people, and it is so crowded and quite a pain trying to walk around. I snapped a few pictures, though they are definitely not artistic or pleasing to the eye.



A shot down Istiklal Street, the pedestrian street in Taksim that is lined with modern shops and some good restaurants.



For example, a Gloria Jeans Coffee next to a Lacoste next to a Swatch next to a Diesel store.







Some of the vendors along the street - selling simit (sort of like a bagel), ice cream in silly costumes, or even corn.



They like pickled things too.



And of course, Turkish Delight. I really wish this photograph turned out decent, but if you look past the glare you can see two counters filled with the sweet dessert.



People drinking tea and playing backgammon.

There is also really nice architecture along Istiklal Caddesi, but it was too sunny for me to really get any good pictures. Sinan took some a few months ago, so I'll upload those another time. Time for work!

Have a good week!