Istanbul Day 2

Dolmbahce Palace

I did not sleep well. I don’t know why. Might have been the pizza, half box of Turkish delights, glass of wine or glass of raki (like Greek ouzo)…but who knows?

After breakfast at the apartment we grab a taxi and head across the Galata Bridge to the Asian side of Istanbul. Part of Istanbul is in Europe and the other part is in Asia. The divider is the Bosphorus Strait. We head directly to the Dolmbahce Palace.

This is a much more modern palace than Topkapi Palace and has a lot of European influence; especially the large, gorgeous British made chandeliers.

Of course there is also a Harem building…. art museum and aviary. I love the guinea fowl that roam the grounds even if a couple got into a bird fight. Click here to see a video of the rucus.

Taksim Square and Istiklal Pedestrian Street

Grabbing another taxi we head to Taksim Square which is attached to a pedestrian street called Istiklal Caddesi. The street is packed with shops, restaurants and street food. Some of the shops have colourful and appetizing displays. Running down the middle of the street are tram tracks for the little red tram that trundles through the throngs of people clanging it’s bell 

I spot a Memphisto sign and thinking it is my favourite brand of shoes, Em and I make a beeline towards it…alas it is a book store.

After lunch we stop for some Turkish ice cream (Don Durma). Every ice cream purchase gets a show…check out this link for the video.

We check out an large Catholic church along the route. We are rather amazed at the posers taking selfies of themselves while they light candles with the altar and cross as background.

Galata Tower and Rooftop Bar

We end up at the Galata Tower. This round stone tower built in 1348ad is a landmark on the Asian side. The line to go up is too long so we just look from below.

We walk a ways before I demand a bathroom stop at a roof top cafe. The cafe is a little pricey but the view of the Bosphorus Strait is stunning. A professional fashion photo shoot is taking place on the adjacent rooftop.

Waterfront and Galata Bridge

We walk down a steep street to the waterfront. Lots going on here. There is an active fish market, great street stands and tons of seafood restaurants. Yum.

We walk back across the Galata Bridge to the European side. The bridge has two levels, the lower level has a pedestrian walkway lined with fish restaurants. Many, many locals are fishing off the bridge. They even have contraptions to hold their very long poles in place.

The base of the bridge on the European side is also filled with seafood restaurants and street food vendors. John finds a stand making donuts…he can’t resist.

Bosphorus Boat Tour

We pay our money and take a 1.5 hour boat tour of the Bosphorus Strait. Gulls escort our boat; swooping and diving in the waning light.  It is really neat to see the city from the water.

Near the end of the cruise, the boat blasts out local music. People start dancing. Click here for the video of a strange man (who will remain nameless) and his dance moves.

Fried Fresh From the Boat

Night has settled in by the time our boat returns to the dock. We go to one of the waterfront street restaurants for their famous fish sandwiches (Balik ek Mek). The fish are cooked from a boat that is tied to the pier behind the makeshift restaurant. The place is packed and the sandwich does not disappoint…totally delicious.

Questionable Route Home

We buy some chestnuts and John consults his map in order to lead us back to our apartment. At one point, we question John’s directions when we walk down some dark streets and don’t see any people but we keep the faith and John gets us home.

We walked over 20,000 steps today.