The Bridge
She had no shoes, that was what shocked me the most. My few hours of being a tourist in Istanbul ended with a visit to the Galata tower to look out over the city at night, but that isn't the view I'll remember. It's this one, from a footbridge back over the river on the dark, rainy walk back to the hotel, about 10pm. It was cold and wet, but I stayed a long while taking pictures all the same. This was the very last night of my journey, and it wasn't just a starkly beautiful view of bright lights and dark waters: it was a moment to say goodbye to this part of my life, travelling across Europe by bike. This was the last time I would stop. When I finished, I would head straight back to the hotel, pack my things and sleep a few hours before the 5am taxi and the journey home. I looked up from my phone, and quite suddenly a young girl was there with me. I was taken quite by surprise. In the dark, with a hat and hood over my ears, I hadn't seen her coming at all. She w