It’s been a long, long few months of weekend coronavirus curfews in Istanbul. Turkey is actually a pretty good place to be in general and especially so now, because, although the Stay at home message was prevalent, citizens and residents above the age of 20 and below 65 were allowed quite a lot of freedom (at least in my perception) compared to some Western European countries.
Also, the healthcare in Turkey is very good and above all – easily accessible; pre-virus, I was amazed at the ease with which one can access specialist care, which is not at all the case elsewhere in Europe.
Istanbul is a city which would be impossible to imagine quiet and deserted just three months ago; the bustling metropolis of 16 million people. It was eerie walking through streets without crowds and tourists and absolutely heartbreaking to see To rent signs in places which only until recently had been lively coffee shops or beauty parlours.
For the first time ever, I saw no queues of tourists patiently waiting to get into the Galata tower. There were no fishermen on the Galata bridge, and the simit sellers were replaced by the workers of the Municipality of Greater Istanbul, giving face masks away. Service with a smile and with a squirt of disinfectant.
I would like to share this pre-virus photo of a fisherman fishing by the Golden Horn and to extend my thoughts of support to anyone and everyone reading this post who might need a little morale boost in these strange times.
Humanity has survived all sorts of calamities. Let’s keep counting our blessings and hope that we can get past this one, too.
Purple Travel Path 