Catching Up: Tuesday - January 20

Same breakfast as the past two days

The morning started off at the Archeological Museum between Gülhane and Topkapi Palace. After a few hours of exploring the myriad of relic there, we took the tram to Kabataş and then walked along the coast a few minutes to get to Dolmabahçe Palace in Beşiktaş. The palace served as the residence of the last six sultans of the Ottoman Empire, and is a clear demonstration of their desire to Europeanize the Empire.

The palace resembles Versailles in many ways, and was gorgeous, to say the least. With massive chandeliers (including the largest in the world, 4.5 tons), an unbelievable central staircase and the grandest main reception hall I’ve ever seen, the tour was well worth the cost.

We stopped for a late lunch of döner in Beşiktaş, which was delicious. The restaurant we chose was full of locals, and while no one spoke English, we managed to order delicious chicken wraps. Following lunch, we stopped to get fresh juice (a big thing on the street). I went with apple, made right there on the spot from apples; so good, and so unlike what we call apple juice. We then crossed the street to the edge of the Bosporus and went to the Naval Museum, spending two hours admiring the collection of royal caiques (the boats used to shuttle Sultans and the court across the Bosporus and Golden Horn) and the rest of the collections.

At 4:15 we met up with Linda and headed to catch a ferry over to Kadıköy. We rushed to catch the boat, and were the last ones on as it pulled away from the dock. We stood on the crowded top deck and enjoyed the views and each had a cup of çay (tea, pronounced “chai”) brought around the deck in fancy glasses by a server (all for 75 kuros – about $1 USD for the three servings). We spent a few hours exploring Kadıköy, popping into the Haydarpaşa Gari, the grand old train station that served as the westernmost Asian point of the Orient Express.

We headed up into the narrow streets of the neighborhood, passing colorful fish and fruit venders and popping into lots of antique shops. We even saw a big bull statue in one of the main roundabouts of the area, before going to meet Paul for a drink and dinner. We sat at a bar for a bit and enjoyed a round of Raki. An anise-flavored liquor, it is basically ouzo, drunk with two parts water.

After our Turkish drinking experience, we had dinner on one of the small laneways, crowded with restaurants. We ordered a bunch of mezes, trying a bit of everything. We all then split a dish made with liver, which was quite delicious (and my first experience with liver – though everyone said it’s a specially prepared type of liver, and therefore very different from what we have in the states). For dessert we had künefe, cheese wrapped in noddles and fried, covered in honey. It was a great way to end the night.

Full and tired, and needing to pack for an early morning flight, we headed back to Karaköy on the ferry, said our goodbyes, and Tim and I made the twenty-minute walk back to our hotel.

In three days we covered an unbelievable amount of ground in Turkey. The trip felt like at least a week, and I am so glad to have had the good fortune to have Linda and Paul to show us around! Istanbul is truly a spectacular city.