Tag: https://visit.istanbul/en/

Asia, Caribbean, Countries, Europe

The day the world’s cats are feline good

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Moggieday, Moggieday, so good to me, and with apologies to the Moggies and Papas, today is the day the world’s cats are feline good.

And we have animal activist Coleen Paige to thank for pushing to have a national day for cats in 2005.

To go along with  National Dog Day in  2004 (see, you can love both), and National Puppy Day in March 2006.

Now, we’ve all been there on our travels when we’ve had kitties cuddle up to our legs and made us feel welcome.

So on this, National Cat Day, indulge us while we share some puss pics from our travels.

How Bazaar

Turk that: Sleepy cat in Istanbul

Istanbul: And our feline friends in Istanbul are the type of learned bunch TS Eliot would take to.

As we found out when we went shopping in the most historic and enchanting row of stores and stalls in this magical city on the Bosphorus.

Where you’ll find moggies sprawled out over books on the counter… cat lit if you like.

The Catmino

Cat on the prowl: In Tenerife

Tenerife:  And when you need someone to show you the way then you could do worse than follow the cats.

Because they know their way around, of course.

Mind you this furball in Tenerife knew better than to take to the open paths in the baking hot sun of our CaminoWays trek back in the day.

Furza Italia

Hello kitty: On the Via Francigena

Rome: Moggie mia… you’ll spot your gatti Italiani because of their swagger.

As they amble past you on your 100km walk from Lazio into Rome on your Via Francigena.

I guess that’s why they call Rome the Eternal Kitty.

Desert cats

Just desert: Kitty fun in Jordan

Jordan: Now we all know about the camel, the ‘ship of the desert’.

But our furry low-maintenance feline friends we found on our G Adventures adventure are adaptable to any terrain.

And they make a better sleeping companion under the stars in the Wadi Rum.

The Cattybbean

Fur he’s a jolly good fella: Kitty fun in Barbados

Barbados: And we all know that the cat rules the roost, or at least that’s how it is here where the mother-in-law’s moggie Mishka is on holiday.

And it is certainly the case in St Nicholas Abbey, ancestral home of the Cumberbatches (yes those Cumberbatches).

Where I had to give way on my Bajan Scottish odyssey because the top cat on the island is this furry fella.

 

Asia, Countries, Deals, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Wish you were hair in Istanbul

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Stitched up and ready to go they looked like Frankenstein’s monster to me but hey, no pain, no gain… and I imagined they were sending back postcards with Wish you were hair in Istanbul.

Yes, Istanbul as well as being ahead of the curve in much else is also the epicentre for hair restoration.

And so armed with that information you won’t be staring, like someone I could mention.

Hair isn’t the only thing that they’re restoring in Istanbul though with the Stay Hotel chain leading the way in recycling.

Gone today, hair tomorrow: A full head again

Stay’s new hotel, Nisantasi, is now open for bookings in the heart of the city’s refined fashion and cultural district.

The 82-room property is housed in the heart of Nisantasi, a fashion hub in the old town.

So while the men are looking after the threads on their heads your womenfolk can hit the designer boutiques.

From Louis Vuitton to Chanel and Hermes, as well as local designers such as Begum Khan.

And true to The Stay Hotels’ sustainability pledge, they recently launched an eco-friendly fashion label, The Stay Line.

And guests can buy at the hotel’s dedicated retail space, the Stay Line Corner.

A stitch in time

Head start: For your new scalp

The Stay have clearly factored in the hirsuitically challenged tourists as they map out their specs.

The hotel boasts a vegan leather headboards graced with European Down and Feather Association-certified pillows, which will soothe the back of the head.

The recycling extends to room key cards and menus.

And they are brimming with local produce including vegan and vegetarian dishes accompanied by Turkish wines.

They’re really on this… evidenced by being awarded carbon-neutral status by sustainability specialist Bureau Veritas.

And they plan to be zero waste by the end of the year.

When in Istanbul

Art for arts sake: At The Stay Hotel

And when in Istanbul you’ll walk your curvy slipper shoes off (you know the ones you buy at the Grand Bazaar).

If only the Turks specialised in massage… wham, bam thank you hamam.

Stay have a spa and wellness floor opening in the autumn.

There’s a dip in the indoor pool, a Pilates session or an authentic Turkish hamam.

While If the gym is your thang, you can work out in the sleek fitness suite or book a personal trainer.

Wellness experiences include indulgent couples’ massages in a dedicated treatment room.

While here’s something which will be well up the Scary One’s street and take the edge off… a zen garden.

Mezze around by the Bosphorus

With Onur in Istanbul

And Istanbul, the crossroads of East and West clearly has more Turkish delights than the sticky square sweets with icing sugar.

And so the ground-floor Saint Pâtissier patisserie will offer guests French fancies, freshly baked bread, and Turkish treats.

From the autumn, foodies will flock to the entertaining Italian rooftop restaurant, Marcello E Matteo.

You’ll dine on the signature focaccia di recco al formaggio or sip well-crafted cocktails as the chefs break into an operetta.

The Stay Hotels will also reveal a curated art collection hung in rooms and public spaces.

And that includes an AI video-mapping installation by the world-renowned duo OUCHHH. Mmmmm!

The icing on the cake for lovers of culture, will be a bookshop while fresh flowers will be on sale at Misk flower shop.

And lots there then for all tourists to put on their postcards… Wish you were hair in Istanbul with double rooms coming in from £200 per night B&B, with flexible booking terms.