Bopping along the Bosphorous

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Christmas Day seemed like a good time to go on the Bophorous Cruise.  This was one of those "not-to-be-missed" Istanbul activities, so we chose the day which promised to be warmest.  It had snowed in Istanbul the Friday before, but it was all gone by the time we arrived.  The predictions for Christmas Day weather were to be the warmest of the week.

My son bought our tickets and the ticket seller instructed us to wait in a public space between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia for a noon departure.

We then proceeded down to the dock to board the tourist boat.

Note the Blue Mosque on the left and the Hagia Sophia toward the center of the photo.

Our guide identified important sites as we motored down the Bosphorous.

The kitchen chimneys of Topkapi.

Ortaköy Mosque

Ciragon Palace

Fatih Bridge

Rumeli Hisan Fortress

Heading up the Bosphorous, it WAS warm, but then we turned back to the place where we embarked and the wind shifted with a vengeance.

Walking back to our "neighborhood" we passed a lovely "fountain".

Fountain of Ahmed III built in the Tulip Period, 1728--a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture.

This fountain is outside the Topkapi gates and behind the Hagia Sofia.  There are numerous fountains around the Sultanahmet area. 

We saw people around this fountain between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia at all times of the day and night--most poignantly, refugees from Syria seeking alms.  The fountain changes colors and seems to beckon visitors from all over the world.

We ended the day at one of the restaurants in our "neighborhood".  We were greeted enthusiastically and led to a second floor seating area.

We ordered a specialty of the area, Testi Kebab.

According to a website listing the Top Ten Turkish foods, "Testi kebab originally comes from the Cappadocia region of Turkey. ... Meat and vegetables are sealed in a clay pot which is then cooked over a high heat. The waiter will bring the clay pot to your table, crack open the top and pour out delicious, tender meat with peppers, onions and a variety of natural juices."  A number of us order the Testi Kebab, so quite a few of us got to crack open the pot (including me).

Our intrepid navigator, Vibav, led some of us out in to the city in search of a rice pudding.  Vibav rhapsodized about to us.  We walked straight up from the tram stop on the outside of the Hagia Sophia/Blue Mosque square.  I'm not sure how long we walked, but I would bet it was a couple of miles one way.  Unfortunately, the rice pudding eluded us.  We bought some baklava and nouget instead and headed back to our hostel. 

A full day well spent came to an end.