90 minutes on the Bosphorus

Or, "No Dad, I really didn't get sea sick!"

Ferry rides across the Bosphorus start at many different points; in fact, its hard to not run into one of them as you move across Istanbul.

We choose to get a Ferry at Eminonu; the Metro Blue line which runs from a Taxim Hill connection and into the historic peninsula stops right here.

Pick up any Bosphorus tour map or visit an agency and they'll mark out a standard route to follow on a daytime tour. Stop 1, o sorry that should be 'Historic site 1', the Dolmabahçe Palace.

The Four seasons hotel, definitely not on any tour map but it really should be as it is quite impressive!

The Bosphorus Bridge crosses the Bosphorus Strait, connecting Asia to Europe. The European end of the bridge is located in Ortaköy and the Asian end is in Beylerbeyi.

The Anatolian Fortress... named "Güzelce Hisar" in historical documents. And,  following the conquest of Constantinople, it served as a military prison.

The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge.

Houses along the river! So, important and yet they never seem to get mentioned. A lot of the houses have large glass windows, infinity pools, elegant sit outs and balconies. I guess it goes without saying that the owners all seem to have their own boat.

The Beylerbeyi palace which is at one end of the Bosphorus Bridge. The Ferry does a circle down the river turning at the second bridge which is why we start off looking at the Asian side and are now looking at the Europeran side.

Heading towards the Historical Peninsula

(If the sun were up in all it's mighty glory, there's have been wonderfully colorful photos, but we were out on a cloudy afternoon which was rather breezy)

The Maiden's towers.... According to Turkish legend, a sultan had a daughter and was told by an oracle that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The sultan decided to keep her away from land to avoid snakes and hence built the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus. Sadly, she died on her 18th birthday as predicted when she was given a basket of fruits as a Birthday present where a snake had accidentally fallen in! Hmmm.

The extraordinary and imposing Blue Mosque.... And while the view from here is pretty amazing; it doesn't do justice to the impressive interiors.





And so we reach the end of our 10 Turkish Lira tour, no guides or maps, no high tea on board, just the Bosphorus, its scenic beauty and rich history as we pass Big boats and Little boats and Sail boats and Ferry boats!