Istanbul introduction

I arrived in Istanbul one morning in September 1973, bleary-eyed after spending several days and nights on the long journey from London via Calais and the Direct Orient Express - an adventure in itself !
I emerged from Sirkeci Railway Station and soon became aware that a spell had been cast.

I bought Strolling Through Istanbul and followed in the footsteps of Hilary Sumner-Boyd and John Freely on their travels around the city.
As I wandered, I was unaware that over the next twenty years or so, Istanbul would undergo something of a transformation ...

Istanbul !

"1907 We stopped at the Pera Palace Hotel paying each frcs 18.75 per day with Cook's tickets and a small supplement of frcs 1.50 each for a room on the 5th floor overlooking the Golden Horn.
Cook introduced us to Eustache Livathinos as dragoman* at frcs 10 per day and he did well for us."