Saving a radiator

22nd June 2017

I was lucky enough to spend the tiny amount of time I did have in Istanbul exploring some of the quieter less touristy spots. After hopping off the bus we meandered the cobbled streets in search of some coffee. We wanted an authentic spot and soon stumbled across an area that was both traditional with a hint of contemporary coolness.

As we pondered over the idea of searching further we passed this man fixing a radiator. His eyes glistened from the dark garage entrance and the mask covering his mouth made him look like an anteater. As I shot we talked with the guys working there and to our surprise one spoke impeccable English and Italian having lived in both countries. He described at length his life’s work and how Istanbul had stolen his heart. He pointed to a cafe at the bottom of the hill explaining he owned it.

Out of nowhere appeared two tourists sporting shiny SLR’s stuck to their faces. They walked past us, stopped and starting shooting next to me. Without engaging with anyone they moved on. It was odd.

A while later the radiator was finished and we were still in need of caffeine. We thanked them and headed down to his cafe to sit in the sun and drink strong Turkish coffee. Oao x