Istanbul -- Part 3

So sorry for the delay in getting to Part 3 of my Istanbul series, but we have been without phone and internet service for the past 5 days. It turns out that the guys who have been tearing up our neighbor's yard for the past 7 months dug a trench and cut our phone line, and it took the phone company several days to fix the problem. We're back up and running on the internet, though, much to everyone's delight around here.


So, getting back to Istanbul, Day 3 was spent mostly on a boat cruising the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is a 19 mile long strait that divides the European part of Turkey from the Asian part. It also connects the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. You can take an all-day cruise on the public ferry (which is very nice, except for the bathrooms!) from Istanbul to the northern edge of the Bosphorus and back for about $13 per person. And so, on our fourth and final day in Istanbul, we took to the sea.















View of the Bosphorus from the International Space Station in 2004

After about an hour and a half of cruising, the ferry stopped at a small fishing village on the Asian side for a few hours, and so we, along with the hundreds of other folks on the cruise that day, disembarked, and explored a little piece of Asia. I must say that the kids (especially Wes) were THRILLED to be in Asia! During our three-hour stop in the little village, we hiked up a very steep hill to a spot from which you could take in the views south back towards Istanbul, and north up to the Black Sea. Pretty cool, really. After the hike, and before reboarding the boat, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of calamari, fish and salad.













Wes, Mikayla and Virginia in Asia!











One of the many beautiful homes on the Bosphorus

We had grand plans to hit a hamam (a turkish bath) after the cruise, but given the late hour (it was nearly 5:30), and the packing that still had to be done (we had a 1:00 p.m. flight the next day, and were leaving for the airport at 10:30), we opted, instead, to get take-out from McDonalds (gasp!) and to enjoy our last evening hanging out on the rooftop of our hotel, drinking wine, eating McDonald's, and soaking in the sights and sounds of this marvelous city.

All in all, I would say that this was one of the most wonderful trips our family has ever taken. Honestly, I cannot recommend Istanbul as a destination enough. What astounded me about the place was how friendly the people were, and how, in contrast to places like Italy and Croatia, we never felt like we were being overcharged for things. The Turks seem to genuinely appreciate people who visit their city, and again, unlike some of the Italians we encountered this past summer, were polite and very accommodating. They adored our kids, and although I had thought I might feel nervous there with a little blond-headed girl, the reality was quite to the contrary -- the Turks couldn't get enough of Virginia -- several people in the Grand Bazaar even stopped us to have their picture taken with her.

My favorite aspects of Turkey: the Turks' passion for tea (and the precious little glasses from which they drink their tea -- I bought a set that we look forward to using this winter), the beautiful rugs and pottery, the amazing history of the city, and the friendliness of the people. Go there, if you ever get the chance!!






Our two rugs purchased in Turkey. Several friends asked for photos of the rugs, so here you go.

Next post: Halloween in Belgrade!

Thanks for reading.

Erin