G&B: 2014: Istanbul

Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble

If it's Tuesday,
this must be Istanbul


	Tuesday 7th October 2014

We awoke to this view of Istanbul. It was a welcome sight and a familiar one too. We visited the city two years ago, during which time we spent a very busy couple of days seeing the major sights. This time, we only had one full day and we were keen to make this time our own, to explore the city at our own pace.

Overnight, we had sailed from the port of Çanakkale, through the Dardanelles and across the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul.

We were two of only twelve passengers NOT disembarking finally today. We were sad to say goodbye to Susan, Linda & Brian, Janita & Andy, Barbra & Peter, Evelyn & Ken (also Yorkie, the stowaway bear) and not forgetting all of the other people whose company we had enjoyed. It was nice to know that we would still have the company of Angela & John and Diana & Doug on the second part of our cruise.

What a good feeling it was to know that we would be continuing the cruise, when so many people were leaving it... or does that sound a little smug!

During the first half of the cruise, we mentioned to the hotel manager and to the head of housekeeping that our cabin was a little noisy at times, possibly because we were at the back of the ship. We didn't specifically ask for a new cabin, but we were offered the chance to move up two decks at the halfway point, so we took it. The new cabin was the same size as the old one, but it made an immediate difference. It was so much quieter... mental note for next time!

We were docked in the same location we had two years ago, so we felt confident enough to make our own way into the centre of the city. We knew that the walk would take about 45 minutes but that was fine and the weather, once again, was perfect for walking.

We walked across the Galata Bridge (which crosses the Golden Horn). Underneath it, there are many seafood restaurants.

Looking back, we could (just about) see our ship, which was in front of the large one in the distance!

Today was the fourth (and final) day of the national holiday, so the Grand Bazaar was closed, along with almost all of the other shops in the vicinity, but we did find a few food stalls open near the Spice Bazaar (which was also closed).

The rest of the city looked much quieter than usual, although it was significantly busier than it was in Izmir a couple of days ago.

Hagia Sophia

The Blue Mosque

A very relaxed cat!

Sweet treats (I think)... unusual and colourful.

Chestnuts... mmm!

Having visited both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia previously, we decided to do something different this time. The underground Cistern fitted perfectly into the "something different" category. Geoff was a little reluctant at first, because there was quite a long queue, but it moved quite quickly. It was well worth the wait.

There was a gentle sound of water dripping and the eerie sight of carp swimming in the water at the base of the columns.

		The Hen's Eye column

The head of Medusa

The entrance to the Basilica Cistern

After our underground experience, we continued exploring, without any real destination or purpose in mind. It felt good to be able to wander freely without a guide telling us what we should be looking at all the time. We had a basic tourist map with us so we knew we woudn't get lost!

We walked along the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople. It was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydani (Sultan Ahmet Square) with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving.

This is how the ruins of the Hippodrome might have looked. It is from an engraving by Onofrio Panvinio dated 1580. The spina that stood at the centre of the chariot racing circuit was still visible then; in modern Istanbul, three of the ancient monuments remain.

Serpent Column

Obelisk of Thutmose III

Walled Obelisk

A rather elegant building in the Hippodrome. I think it may be a government building.

The German Fountain, also in the Hippodrome

After a busy morning of sightseeing, we decided that it was time to make our way back to the ship. We knew that it would take a good hour, but we weren't in any particular hurry. We also knew that lunch was being provided for an extended time today to welcome all the new passengers to the ship.

The city was still very quiet compared with the last time we were here. There were a number tourists wandering about, most of them probably a bit disappointed because the shops and bazaars were shut for the holiday.

We still had some way to walk!

In the distance, we could see our ship, a bit more clearly this time.

Hopeful street vendors.

Fishermen are everywhere in this area. It made us wonder about the quality of the fishing, given that this must be one of the world's busiest sea lanes and there is a constant stream of very large ships and tankers passing though the Bosphorus.

The new Golden Horn Metro Bridge

Looking back as we crossed the Galata Bridge

Rainbow steps, opposite the entrance to the port where our ship was docked.

Back on board, thirsty and tired after our long walk, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the deck. The weather was sunny and warm and it was lovely to just sit and watch the ever-changing harbour scene.

While we were watching the ships in the harbour, a ferry passed by and from it, we saw people waving and calling Geoff's name. They were too far away for us to identify them, but in this video you can clearly hear the calls. We only heard weeks later, after we had returned home, that the shouts came from Peter and Barbra, who had disembarked this morning and who were spending a few days in Istanbul before returning to Canada.

This short video has the noise of the harbour and the call to prayer in the background. It also shows a supply ship docked alongside our ship. Fuel for our voyage around the Black Sea perhaps?

A very short video of a passing ferry

Another quite short video of passing ferries

Departure of the ship which had been docked behind us. It made us feel very small indeed!

A poor start to this video, but it improves after ten seconds. It shows a pilot ship leaving the dockside and approaching our ship. Towards the end of the video, you can hear the master of our ship announcing our departure from Istanbul.