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| Run, lassie, run |
Day, ah, 3 in Istanbul. The first item on the agenda was a cruise along the Bosphorus strait- the locals seem to pronounce it as
Bos-pour-hus. We got out tickets and hopped on a pretty standard looking double-decked ferry after a short wait, enjoying the breeze and getting ourselves tanned by the oddly warm winter sun.
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| How is it nostalgic if I've never been on it before? |
This's the ticket- which also depicts the course we took, starting from Eminonu (on the European side) at the bottom. We got off at the 'last stop'- the furthest, really- Anadolu Kavagi, a little fishing village with a ruined castle.
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| Churn, churn, churn |
And there's out boat. This is as ferry-like as you can get a ferry. Ye gawds, what do you want me to say? It's a ferry. I sneaked a peek into the engine room, and the men's loo smelled, and they sold coffee and tea at inflated prices (though mineral water was priced quite fairly), but what else is there to say? It's a ferry. It didn't sink.
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| What's the opposite of illuminated? |
Me, though you wouldn't really be able to tell, looking out at the riv... sea? Strait? Bah. Body of Water seems fine. We chose to go upstairs instead of loaf around indoors downstairs, and enjoy the breeze and warm sun like any mad foreigner would do.
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| Dollhouses |
Some fancy looking houses on the European side. Which reminds me- pop struck up a conversation with an Italian chap and I went over for a bit. Spoke some Italian. Namely, '
non comprendo', which I soon realized to be Spanish. Go figure.
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| Long photo. Just for the heck of it. |
A panoramic shot of the... Asian side? I don't remember. That bridge on the left is the Bosphorus Bridge, if I'm not mistaken. It holds the record for something vaguely spectacular (though obviously not spectacular enough to remain in my memory).
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| Rustic |
Our stop,
Anadolu Kavagi, a little fishing village, famous for a nearby castle, and nothing else worth mentioning besides the seafood eateries who all share the same menu.
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| Taking turns |
Oh, and not to forget the exhibitionist felines perched on residents' rooftops. At least they have the decency to wait for their turn, unlike some hominids.
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| Anyone lost a sofa? |
Spotted this lonely sofa on the way up to the castle. Don't ask me what it was doing there. I did not feel the slightest urge to go out there and sit on it. Nosirree. Whatever are you thinking.
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| View from the top |
Here's the view from the top. The town also houses some military installations, so don't surprised if some kids blow their whistles at you or shoot the cameras out of your itchy hands (recognize exaggeration when you read it, people).
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| Playing at Atlas |
My idea. Well, pirated idea, really. It's probably been done millions of times all over the world. This here's the old Roman castle- it was closed to visitors when we were there, for archaeological work- not that there's much to see inside anyway. It's rather small.
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| Fish with a crown of onion |
Down to town for lunch after seeing the castle. Picking a place to eat at was rather hard since they all shared the same menu, and the
maitre d's were out in full force, buzzing around every time our eyes met. We finally settled for a charming spot under the sun, a little open air restaurant (my pic- and curses, I forgot to take a photo of it).
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| Fish without crown of onion |
Well. the fish was nice and fresh (tasted nice too), but that's all I can say about it. Oh, and it certainly looks good on a plate too. A big improvement from it's time alive in the water, slimy and scaly.
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| Hungry kid |
Pianist, still hungry after the heavy meal. I don't think the bakery was open, though. This is probably where all the restaurants on the island get their bread, unless they bake their own.
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| Recipe for diabetes |
Back to the mainland, and the Grand Bazaar, if I'm not mistaken. I picked up this little pastry on the way. It's a sure fire recipe for diabetes- avoid it at all costs. I should have tossed it away the first chance I got (I finished the whole thing).
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| Potato thing. |
A weird local dish- a huge baked sweet potato stuffed with all sorts of stuff: beans, corn, yogurt, chili flakes, carrot, and whatnot- all up to you. I don't remember the name of the dish, but there is a similar one called 'Imam Bayildi'- 'the imam fainted'- but it's a stuffed eggplant.
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| As honest as they come. |
A store somewhere close to the Blue Mosque. Best sign ever, I say. "Our Prices Are Fixed". Well, if they're crooks, at least they're honest crooks. If that helps.
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| Heed the warning, whatever it means |
And that's the end of day 3 in Istanbul. If you've noticed, my sentences are getting shorter- a sign that I'm forgetting even more? Well it has been 3 months since the trip. Oh crud. Have fun waiting for the next part, and meanwhile, try and make sense of this sign. Is it possible to swim in a flowerbed? If you're a cat, perhaps...
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