I was up early and so took our laundry to a 24 hour place about five minutes away. He’ll have it this afternoon.
After a lazy morning and slow breakfast we headed back to the Kabataš port to head on a cruise up the Bosphorus Strait.
Twenty-five of us on a boat holding 500. Another private cruise.
The tickets for the 5.5 hour round trip cost 20₺ each.
We cruised in and out along the European shoreline until we reached the fishing village of Anadolu, under the Yoros Castle.
I think the coolest thing we saw was the Rumeli Castle next to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. But all along the coast are very nice castles, mansions, and those kind of condos that you drool over.
As we rocked along near shore, a guy came around with orange juice, tea and coffee. I had a great Turkish coffee, the crema thick on top, a quarter inch of fine grounds at the bottom of the cup.
We crossed over to the Asia side, came around a hook into a small cove, and there was a tiny village. Anadolu. The Sultan Selim Bridge is just over there, an impressive two tower span, cables looking like white wings. The Land parts open to the Black Sea right there.
We have sailed all the way through the Bosphorus. Cool.
We have three hours in the little fishing village. Will it be enough time?
We walk the two short streets. It takes more time to say “ no thank you” to the 25 restaurant owners than it does to find and go in the five gift stores. There is a small grocery, and a tobacco and spirits store. So Gail gets to “go shopping” in every store. She keeps insisting there are more, but there aren’t.
Up through town we go, past a “Forbidden Zone” with barbed wire and teenagers with AK-47s.
Huh.
Later at the restaurant, I find out from the manager (Who is German, his family is in Berlin, he comes to run this place for his uncle and father) I find out it is an...
Wait for it...
American military installation.
Of course. I literally smacked my head.
It is abandoned to the Turks now. But we had a bunch of posts around here.
Guess why?
Counting and photographing ships coming out of the Soviet Union.
Sheesh.
But now the Cold War is over and Trump is Putin’s Lap dog.
So we waste all this money and yet somehow we can’t afford to provide universal health care for our citizens.
Past the mosque with the collapsed roof. It looks like the minaret broke off and fell through.
Up past one, two, three high cafés with good views until we are at the base of the castle walls.
The two round brick turrets are impressive, but the entrance is gated and closed.
We walk around taking in the view and taking photographs when suddenly the heavy metal gate mysteriously swings open and an old man beckons us inside the castle walls.
OK. That was cool.
“Inside the walls” really means inside the crumbled ruins of what was there. You get the outline. But still.
We walked back down the hill into the village and SURPRISE!
We still have an hour and a half to kill.
Let’s drink!
Let’s eat!
Finally we stopped at the edge of the harbor in the furthest restaurant. It is quiet and windy, no thumping music or yelling voices.
We ordered a bottle of rosé, shrimp casserole (better, more cheese and spicy than yesterday, and swordfish skewers. The bread was excellent, almost French like.
It was great the manager was German because suddenly the language barrier was gone.
I asked about the mosque, he actually took me the block over and showed me the gigantic tree that crashed down two years ago.
Right through the roof, knocking off the minaret.
It was built in the 1400s. Next month they start the restoration.
Well, after speaking with the manager and complimenting the food, he comped us a honey soaked, flakey cake. It was really good which I found surprising.
Soon 15:30 rolled around and we had to head home.
This time we hugged the Asia side. More beautiful mansions, it is interesting to look and imagine. There is a big fire at one point, huge clouds of black smoke puff up as a helicopter with water bucket arrives.
This was an interesting trip, but I liked the Prince Islands better. If you can pick just one trip, do that.
But if you are bored in Istanbul, and have seen the sights, consider this tour.
We got back, took the metro to our stop, and walked over a few blocks to get our laundry before heading back then out to walk..
The rest of the evening I folded into the Istanbul blog post.