We accidentally slept in and were denied the chance for a run as we wanted to get to our new stopover on time. We hitched a ride with Asli's father and from there took the ferry back to the Old City, where we once again walked through Taksim. We were hunting around for our new abode that we had rented for a couple of nights. When we finally found it, just a few Turkish blocks from the main drag, we were stunned by our good fortune. The place was convenient and resplendent. The view the rooftop terrace was unparalleled. The city extended beyond my line of vision, a dizzying array of beiges and tans, lining the hillsides and valleys. The flat was meticulously well kept and I had to keep pinching myself when thinking about how we had such good luck procuring it.
After our visit, we made our way back to the Golden Horn and got on the Bosphorous boat tour. The Bosphorous River is the natural boundary between Europe and Asia, and we had the unique opportunity to sail right down the center of it, able to take in the majesty of two continents coming together. We saw the remains of the wall and the palaces and the mosques and everything else. Most of the historical artifacts were contained on the European side, but the Asian side was definitely nothing to sneeze at. What struck me most was learning that the first bridge linking the two sides wasn't built until 1973. Crazy...
We were pretty wore out by the time the tour was over and decided to stay in our new flat for the evening. We bought some fish and fresh veggies from the fish market and the rest of the dinnertime necessities on the walk "home" and created a pretty excellent feast. And from a non-fish lover, I'd have to say that the salmon was terrific. We then spent the rest of the night on the terrace, smoking cigars and catching up with the boys. It had been a long time.
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