If you are desperate and dateless, get yourself to Istanbul, it is just waiting to have its wrapping ripped off this Christmas. Wine bars and cocktail lounges proliferate, and with names such as "Alcoholico, they are clear about their mission. Istanbul is a city break for Cairenes. A two hour flight and the same time zone, it could be what Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona is for Londoners. The Turks like to see themselves as a bridge between East and West, with a toe in Europe and a heel on Asia. Forget such clichés, book into a Taskim boutique hotel on the European side of the Bosphorus, pick up a copy of Time Out and get schmoozing. Cairo's party crowd has every chance of making this Christmas / New Year holiday a cost effective rage and pick-up a new friend or two while you're at it. Geographically Istanbul can be divided into three regions. Firstly, forget the Asian side of the Bosphorus; it is a residential zone, made up of low rise apartments and freeways. On the European side is Sultanahmet. Here you'll find the historical and cultural; Topokai Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Sultanahmet is for the sentimental orientalist. Those with a taste for the Grand Bazaar and Byzantine city walls should wait for the weather to warm up so you can stroll with the sun on your back not the snow. Across the Golden Horn is Taskim. This is where two or preferably three nights can be spent in romantic bliss with the love of your life or in a hedonistic swirl looking for love. You see, the mood on the streets of Istanbul must resemble the Ottoman siege of 1453. A desperate feeling of inevitability. The western, educated, English-speaking citizens of Istanbul feel they are under siege from a new government who wish to impose their codes of behavior and morals on the city. In Turkey, the Bosphorus is more than a watery boarder between east and west. It is a metaphor between religion and secularism. The Turks are taking sides. There is no grey area. This has given Istanbul, and especially Taskim, a spirit of adventure. An air of rebellion, where to prove which side of the Bosphorus you sit, your behavior must mirror your beliefs. So the girls on one side are sinking tequila shots dressed in mini-skirts, whilst in Asia it is the reverse. For far too long, the Oliver Stone film, "Midnight Express, set the west's stereotype of Turkey. I don't know why the Pope had to quote Byzantine Emperors or the European Union bang on about Anatolian peasants over running their Union to engender fear. The baby boomers and generation X have all known where the deep fear of Turkey comes from. It was that clean-cut American kid thrown into a Turkish gaol, where he had the soles of his feet pounded by a sodomist thug in "Midnight Express. Turkey has a Blues festival, so that should tell you that they have a semblance of cool. And another measure of cool I think is the wine a nation produces. It is not half bad in Turkey; obviously the vintner must taste it, unlike in Egypt. Now, no think piece about modern day Istanbul or old world Constantinople, would be complete without giving due reverence to the Hamam. I don't know what happened to Egypt's bath houses, but it is the best way to wash away your sins. The Hamam, the quality bar hopping and the new wave of cooking are the ingredients that make the northern quarter of Taskim a swinger's playground. Having missed the 1950s jet age scene, I think Istanbul/Constantinople, is a reincarnation of New York stylish era. On the down side though, you need to watch out for over charging in bars. Be sure you see a price list before ordering. And when changing money, also be aware that it is easy to add a counterfeit note to your roll of new Turkish Lira, which trades at approximately YTL 1.70 to the euro. Pack light, but for the cold and get on board the very timely EgyptAir flights that depart Cairo at 6:00 pm daily and return mid-afternoon. You can manage with carry on only and visas are available on arrival for many nationalities. As we all know, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without the Turkey.
