So, after the showerhead debacle, we had a wonderful homemade Turkish breakfast with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, olives, bread, eggs, coffee, & peynir (of course!). It was delicious and so wonderful to enjoy it out on her porch which overlooked the Bosphorus and the European side of Istanbul (there is a picture further down of her view at sunset).
After breakfast we decide we want to relax by the water so we ask Figen which of the Princes' Islands are the best for this. She seemed a bit befuddled by the idea of laying on the beach, they don't really have beaches in Istanbul...but she suggested Heybiliada and Buyukada for that sort of thing. So we bathing-suited up and left for the ferries down by the water.
We decide to go first to Heybiliada which is the second largest island. We each buy a tost (essentially a grilled cheese sandwich) and some fruit and walk in the direction of the beach according to the English-speaking islanders that we were able to find. We walk for quite some time and when we were probably getting close, some wild dogs came and bothered us. We were both getting nervous. I am getting particular nervous since we are walking with food and they are far more aggressive than other dogs have been when it comes to getting our attention. Finally we realize we are not relaxed and are not having fun and we have walked probably 20 minutes in search of beach and decided we shouldn't force ourselves to do something if we are uncomfortable. So thanks to the dogs, we turn around and walk back toward the port area. We eat our tost and get some gelato and decide to catch a ferry to the largest of the Princes' Islands, Buyukada.
Heybiliada port
We arrive at Buyukada and are greeted by masses of people, strands of shops and restaurants with pushy waiters standing outside trying to draw us in. This island screams touristy. Not what we wanted. We wander a while, our hearts dropping by the minute as we slowly realize this is not the day we wanted to have. What happened to relaxing on the beach. There are some cute, low key streets where the hotels and inns are located, but overall, Buyukada is a bust. Of course we did not search the entire island for a beach, but we did not want to pay for transportation as it would have been a horse and buggy ride (cars are not permitted on the islands) and we were just too grumpy to try that hard. So we check the time for the next ferry back to Kadikoy (the port on Asian Istanbul from which we left) and had about an hour to wait. We get cappuccinos to cheer ourselves up and talk about how we are going to relax in a city that makes it seem impossible to do so.
**In the past when I have traveled I tend to sight-see in a leisurely manner. I decide on one or two big sites that I want to visit that day and spend as much or as little time there as I see fit. (In Paris I set aside a whole day for the Louvre so I wouldn't feel rushed, granted I only stayed for 5 hours. But it's freeing to think that you have nowhere else to be and can devote as much of your time as you desire to wandering a giant art museum or walking palace grounds). The rest of the day, I put my map in my pocket and just wander, wherever my feet take me is right where I want to be. When fatigue sets in, it's time for a cafe stop for some coffee and perhaps reading until I'm ready to march on. If you are spending enough time in a city, it's definitely the best way to sight-see and visit. Eat the cheap street food (nine times out of ten it's delicious), get lost, go to the local markets. It's the best way to get the feel for the culture and way of life in a foreign place. It's important to do the touristy stuff too, but never limit yourself to just that. I found some of my favorite spots when traveling Europe by simply wandering.**
So, after sharing this with Christine, we decide to visit one tourist site each day, and then wander and explore until we are ready to return home. Our goals are simply to see the things we came to see, experience the culture of Istanbul, and stay relaxed while doing so. Feeling a lot better, we catch our ferry back to Kadikoy.
**In the past when I have traveled I tend to sight-see in a leisurely manner. I decide on one or two big sites that I want to visit that day and spend as much or as little time there as I see fit. (In Paris I set aside a whole day for the Louvre so I wouldn't feel rushed, granted I only stayed for 5 hours. But it's freeing to think that you have nowhere else to be and can devote as much of your time as you desire to wandering a giant art museum or walking palace grounds). The rest of the day, I put my map in my pocket and just wander, wherever my feet take me is right where I want to be. When fatigue sets in, it's time for a cafe stop for some coffee and perhaps reading until I'm ready to march on. If you are spending enough time in a city, it's definitely the best way to sight-see and visit. Eat the cheap street food (nine times out of ten it's delicious), get lost, go to the local markets. It's the best way to get the feel for the culture and way of life in a foreign place. It's important to do the touristy stuff too, but never limit yourself to just that. I found some of my favorite spots when traveling Europe by simply wandering.**
So, after sharing this with Christine, we decide to visit one tourist site each day, and then wander and explore until we are ready to return home. Our goals are simply to see the things we came to see, experience the culture of Istanbul, and stay relaxed while doing so. Feeling a lot better, we catch our ferry back to Kadikoy.
Buyukada street
By the water at Buyukada
Catching a dolmus back to Uskudar (Figen's neighborhood) is quite a task. To a newcomer, the way that the dolmus system (if you can even call it a system, it seems so unorganized) works is not easily decipherable. In fact, it is terribly confusing. Eventually we find the right dolmus and hop on. We attempt to tell the driver where we want to go (so he can tell us when to get off, since we have no earthly idea) and we somehow make it to Figen's. We chat with her for a bit and ask where is a good place to get dinner. She makes a recommendation to go down to Kuzguncuk (near the water, where we met her the night before) where there are numerous restaurants to choose from and recommends a bakery with delicious cakes and treats for dessert. We shower and walk down to Kuzguncuk. After wandering a bit, we find a restaurant within our price-range down near the water called "MM". What a funny night.
The waiter does not speak a lick of English, but bless his heart, he tries so hard to please us. Constantly checking on us, always smiling, playing pranks, and making sure we get the food that we want. He even brings over a frequent customer that spoke English to help us order (even though the menu was in English). We laugh a lot and all of our frustration from the day melts away. After some delicious peynir, vegetables, and bread, we walked by the bakery and get a piece of cake to take with us. We walk home and talk to Figen about our next day's plans. Some of my favorite moments of the trip are those spent with Figen, whether it is talking about something menial, having a deep discussion about living life fully, or sitting quietly at the breakfast table on her balcony, just enjoying the view. She has such a wonderful view on life and I learned so much from her. It truly felt like we gained a friend...but we aren't saying our goodbyes yet! Christine and I do our laundry and settle down for bed. Tomorrow, we are visiting a hamam (a Turkish bath) and will then conquer Topkapi Palace!
View from Figen's home
*[[The body of water is the Bosphorus Strait and it divides European Istanbul from Asian Istanbul. We are on the Asian side. The European side is where all of the sites are so each day we take a ferry across the water. Figen lives at the top of a large hill and we walked down toward the water from here (only about a 15 minute walk) to Kuzguncuk.]]*
