Yıldız Park

Yıldız Park isn't too far from where we live, maybe a 20-30 minute walk (less if you're not dragging two small children behind).  I took the boys there over lunch and we walked around a little, but mainly just hit up the playground at the top of the hill.

A brief tangent on playgrounds - the swings at playgrounds in Turkey are different.  They are these big thick plastic things with plastic bars that slide over it so kids don't fall out.  They're like those big yellow and blue plastic Little Tykes swings, but they're bigger and older kids swing in them too.

While sitting and letting the kids play, I couldn't help but notice a familiar sound - parrots.  The same ring-necked parakeets that we had in Wiesbaden could be spotted all over the park.  A friendly Turkish family also came over and chatted with me, in English.  The woman had been to the US (East coast) many times and enjoyed it, and wanted to know where we were from and how long we were staying.  She had a son about Aiden's age, and it was amusing to see her equally frustrated by the terrible twos (hooray, it's not just a US thing!).

Otherwise, the park was a nice little break from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.  It was full of trees, with pines and palms growing right next to each other.  From its location on the hill, it also offered a nice view of the water.

If we're able to stay until spring, I am definitely going back for some photos then.  I've seen pictures of the park and it's just full of tulips.  I'll post more when I go back.