Balat, in the old city on the European side, was absolutely my favorite area of Istanbul. Once the city’s Jewish quarter, this is where you’ll roam its winding streets and find the artists, the color, the life of Istanbul. Cozy tea shops nestle between colorful doorways as cats curl around your legs begging for attention. Antique stores beckon you in, and it’s a place you lose all sense of time because there is so much vibrant activity stimulating all of your senses. This is the kind of place I long for when I travel. A place I can wander with no destination in mind. I’m truly present in the moment…