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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Turkey

23rd February 2016

#AdiosIstanbul 2: my favourite walk (and pictures)

I wrote recently that as my departure from the fabulous city of Istanbul loomed, I would be writing blogs about my favourite places and activities under the heading #AdiosIstanbul.

One of my favourite activities in Istanbul is walking.  I have wandered all over the European side, taking in places from Zeytinburnu and Kumkapı to Okmeydanı and Eskişehir.

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I have also done two sections of Serkan Taycan’s intriguing “Between Two Seas” walk, thanks to the indomitable team at Hiking Istanbul – some unforgettable days.

On the Asian side, I have strolled around Üsküdar, Moda, Kartal, Poyrazköy, Polonezköy and the radio mast-festooned heights of Çamlıca, as well as the splendid countryside around Şile and Anadolufeneri.

All deserve exploring: finding your way on your own two feet allows you to see the city better than any other means of transport.

It also makes you aware how Istanbul is changing as it grows and new development takes place.  This poses important challenges to balance between improving living standards and preserving the environment.

It is impossible to chose a favourite walk.  But I thought I’d share pictures from one I do often.  This goes from the British Consulate General in Beyoğlu down the hill to the new metro bridge which crosses the Golden Horn; left to Eminönü to return over the Galata bridge; then up from Karaköy through Galata to İstiklal to return home.

I did this walk in January in the course of a splendid sunset and shared pictures on my @leighturnerFCO account on Twitter.  The results are in the gallery.  Enjoy, and wonder at the richness that is Istanbul.

Follow Leigh Turner on Twitter @leighturnerFCO 

About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.