Today we went on a full day tour which included a Bosphorus and Golden Horn Cruise, Pierlote Hill, a carpet “demonstration”, Dolmabahce Palace and a stop for coffee on some other hill on the Asian side of Istanbul.
The waterways played an important part in Istanbul’s centuries old history and there is no better way to gain an appreciation of the city than from the water. Our guides provided good commentary along the way so we were able to learn a bit more about the history of this place. We sailed past palaces, fortresses, discos and restaurants. My favourite part of the cruise was seeing the old city from the water.
Pierlote Hill provided great view of the city and was where John was introduced to his second favourite Turkish snack – simit. They are a ring shaped bread covered in sesame seeds which go for 1 lira or 50cents. We descended via cable car over a graveyard to the bottom.
Next stop….the rort of the trip – the carpet “demonstration”. Every country has their own tour scam and carpets are the Turkish version. They tried the hard sell but none of our group was up for it. These rugs, which are stunningly beautiful go for thousands. No thank you! I don’t want to pay a premium for something Leroy is likely to vomit on. There was silverlining – we did buy some amazing premium quality Turkish delight. One thing I love about the turks is that they are not stingy on giving samples out!
Lunch was included and it had your traditional Turkish fare of lentil soup, grilled meats, salad and of course baklava. The restaurant was a bit tired and the service typically disinterested and borderline rude but we made the most of it by having a chat to some South Africans who are currently living in Saudi Arabia learning a bit about Saudi culture.
Dolmabahce Palace was next. This palace is a great example of rococo style architecture and it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to opulence and flamboyance. A highlight for me was the grand staircase where the balustrades were made of crystal which (if cleaned) would absolutely dazzle in the sunlight. Another highlight was the ballroom which just so happened to be the biggest ballroom in the world. The British crystal chandelier weighs over 40 ton! The dome was richly decorated and it was just jaw dropping in its opulence.
We finished the tour up some hill on the Asian side where they took you to a café (owned by the tour company) and you were expected to have coffee/icecream/whatever. We had icecream which was refreshing and enjoyed the view.
A big first day in Byzantium!
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