Jorge Luis Borges saw the Paradise as a huge library. Mine would rather be a beautiful garden, full of flowers or an orchard.

Gulhane is one of the most beautiful parks in Istanbul. In its name, there is gul, the rose, which sounds so sweet in Turkish. The same word, in Persian means flower. There are all these rose based products to be sold on the streets of the city: rose water and cream, rose sorbet. Moreover, Gul is also used as a form of endearment for beautiful girls.

In a torrid day, the park provides a wonderful green oasis for the travelers, tourists in Istanbul, especially after a visit to Topkapi Place, which is a must. The palace is rich, overwhelming even, with wonderful tiles, large alleys and huge rooms full of historical objects. You can even see hair from the beard of Prophet Mohamed, an amazing collection of vases, clocks, guns, jewelry and the sword of Stephan the great, a Romanian ruler. At noon the sun transforms it into a gold furnace full of colorful threads of tourists taking selfies everywhere.

Another must is a cruise on the Bosphorus. The boat sways between two continents and if you are lucky, as we were you can spot dolphins.