Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

hidden europe 12

by hidden europe

The finest arrivals are moments to savour. hidden europe recalls a few memorable arrivals: by train in Istanbul, by boat in Venice, by plane in L'viv (Ukraine) and by car in Newmarket (England).

article summary —

A good arrival is a fine thing. Few modern travellers will ever manage to arrive at Manaus with quite as much panache as Edward Elgar, who travelled on a single ship all the way from Liverpool to the Brazilian city on the Amazon. But even today there are moments to savour - arrivals that appeal to the soul.

The approach to Istanbul's Sirkeci Railway Station is a classic among evocative arrivals. Approaching the city from the Greek or Bulgarian border, Istanbul's western suburbs seem to go on for ever, and then suddenly the train pierces the wall of the old city. The train slides past mosques and hamams, with glimpses of little courtyards where women sit in the shade and suddenly, on the right, the waters of the Bosphorus. The train makes a great loop around the Topkapi Palace, the one-time political hub of the whole Ottoman world, and then comes sedately to a halt in Sirkeci station.


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About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 12.