After a few days with a lot of walking, we scheduled a day of riding. A boat trip up the Bosphorus — the straight of water that divides Europe from Asia and runs into the Black Sea.
It can be done by private tour, but the least expensive way is via public ferry. 25 TL each ($13), and the youngest two were free. That got us a 90 minute cruise up, a 3 hour stopover for lunch and exploring, and 90 minutes back.
It turns out that we were in star-studded company on this trip. See that guy in the background?
So I know this guy is from a movie or TV and I thought it was Life of Pi, but he’s not in the cast pictures on IMDB. Where is he from?? How many famous Indian actors do I know? It’s driving me crazy. (No, I didn’t ask him. I’m too cool for that. Thank goodness I didn’t say, “I loved you in Life of Pi!”)
GLEE!!! He’s the principal from GLEE! All credit to Josh who kept googling after I gave up (and he’s Pakistani, not Indian).
Departing the European shore
And they’re already hungry — eating the Simits (Turkish bagel/pretzel) that we bought to feed the birds.
There were thousands of jellyfish floating in the water — they were so thick they looked like whitecaps on the waves.
The first of two bridges that spans the continents — we sailed under it and on up toward the Black Sea.
Another audio guide. This one senses where the ferry is on the water and automatically tells about the structures that are visible on both sides of the waterway.
This fortress was built in only 4 months to fend of an attack from Constantinople
Aside from the constant asking for food and spilling of food and fighting over food it was a relaxing and beautiful ride. I drank a little tea, sat next to a heater and knit a bit and watched Europe and Asia glide by.
Sweet brother sharing his tea
More food. A guy was walking around selling yogurt and it comes with a powdered sugar packet that you mix into it.
Baby birds lining up for a bite
Running away from the Turkish man who picked her up and tried to have her sit in his lap. She wasn’t having it.
Our final stop at the top of the Bosphorous — right at the entrance to the Black Sea.
I love the dogs in Turkey — this one met us at the pier and followed us all the way up on our hike to the castle. The ferry docks there daily and the dogs seemed to know the routine and led the way up the hill.
halfway up!
We had perfect weather for hiking. Cool, but sunny. Not windy. I wasn’t so sure about being stuck on a boat for a “6 hour tour,” but it was a million times more magical than I could have imagined.
I’m going to go ahead and post this while I still have a working internet connection. The castle photos will have to wait for part 2.