In a city the size of Istanbul, public transportation isn't just a nice option, but an absolute necessity. So it's lucky that using Istanbul's transportation system can be so entertaining. Whether riding a funicular, subway, ferry, tram or gondola (anything, really, except the bus) we almost always had a great time getting around the city.
We had been suffering through some rough weather for weeks, but spring finally arrived toward the end of April. The bad weather had us a bit of an emotional rollercoaster -- overcast days are not normally our thing, but somehow the clouds struck a melancholic note appropriate to Istanbul.
The pedestrianized shopping street of İstiklal Caddesi boasts one of modern Istanbul's most nostalgic sights: antique tram cars rattling along the mile-long street from the Tünel funicular station to Taksim Square.
