Balat is not a neighborhood you would visit in the standard tour to Istanbul. If you want a real taste of Istanbul and the people who live there, wander around a smaller craftsman, artisan, coffee shops and second hand clothing shops on cobblestone streets in the neighborhood of Balat.
Berlin still feels like the last real city where you can just walk out the door and live without a schedule. Staying at Michelberger gave us a base in the middle of Friedrichshain’s raw energy – near RAW-Gelände, Skatehalle, Boxi and all the vegan food and alt shops you could want. From there, Berlin unfolds on foot, by tram, and without ever needing a tourist plan.
Second (and third!) – hand marketplaces offer some of the greenest shopping options available – especially in the run-up to frenzied winter holiday consumerism – but in developing countries, they are also an economic necessity for both buyers and vendors. In early October, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) closed down a popular souk in the Abdali […]