Weather – sunny – beautiful day!
Photo: A view of the spectacular Dolmabahce Palace from the ferry on the Bosphorus.
Photo: Going under the Bosphoros Bridge.
Photo: The beautiful little village of Anadolu Davagi near the Black Sea.
Temperature – late 20s
Today we ventured out of Istanbul and took a cruise up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. We had already strolled along the waterside several times over a couple of days and there were many touters selling trips. Eventually, we settled on a return trip at the terminal at Eminonu for the princely sum of 25 Turkish Lira and 5 Turkish Lira for the audio-guide.
The trip was to leave at 10.35am and although we queued from just before ten it was already busy. The ferry is very big so despite the crush at the dock there was plenty of room. We secured a four berth booth and with headphones set on automatic we proceeded up the Bosphorus taking in the sights. Particularly impressive was the Dolmabahce Palace as well as lavish homes and hotels along the way. The waterway looks continuously choppy and always busy with very large shipping containers to small craft. I think the captains went to the same school as the taxi drivers as everything seems to be at high speed.
We motored under the Bosphorous Bridge (or the First Bridge) where the bridge is closed once a year for the Eurasian Marathon - the only marathon linking two continents.
After an hour and a half we pulled into the topmost port of Anadolu Kavagi for some sightseeing and lunch. The temperature had really warmed up and we felt the heat walking up to the topmost point of Yoros Castle an old Genoese fortress built in Byzantine times. We had good views of the Black Sea from here and it was very busy with tourists….we thought there only going to be a few there on such a hot walking day.
We made our way down to the port and found a little restaurant overlooking the centre and the terminal. After ordering our fish…a necessary order as it is renowned for its fish….the waiters brought a large tray from which to choose them! David and Cameron chose sea bass, Desley chose a sole kebab and I chose sardines (I think). We couldn’t resist ordering fried mussels for an entree as the area is known for them. They arrived battered with a sauce and were delicious. Desley’s kebab was very tasty but she soon discovered that the green capsicum was actually chilli and she nearly imploded!! Glasses of water and bread eased the agony….she coped very admirably and then steered away from the green devils on the skewer!
On our trip back we chose the same side of the boat to take in the other side of the Bosphorus. After our lunch we snoozed our way home being awoken by the commentary and snapping the occasional photo.
A couple of hours back in our hotel room and feeling fresher we headed off for dinner. Desley wanted to head over to the other side of the river and after quite a walk over the Galata Bridge passed all the fishermen and up a very steep hill we found the happening area of Istanbul! We wandered around looking at the shops – many music shops – and eventually settled on the first restaurant we came across further back down the hill. The waiter couldn’t fit us in downstairs so we dined on the first level which was so much better being quieter and having a table situated near open windows with a breeze and a perfect view of the lit Galata Tower. We enjoyed our first pides (trying three different varieties) with a bottle of red. The waiter was a young fellow about our boys’ age so we couldn’t resist leaving him a nice tip as he was trying so hard.
A stroll back home over the other side of the bridge, crossing roads and trying not to get killed we had supper at coffee and dessert café (Havij Mustafa) not far from our hotel. Apple tea, coffee and a plate of assorted sweets including baklava and other unknown treats ended a perfect day!
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