Turkiye 2023: On Our Own for The Afternoon

The first day of guided tour found us with a free afternoon to do as we please. Since we knew way beforehand that this afternoon would be free, we thought it best to cruise the Bosphorus in the day time, since we had kinda saw it in the cloak of darkness via a Bosphorus cruise on our first full day here.

However, I don't remember seeing a daytime cruise online (I may have been looking in the wrong directions here), so we just decided to take the commuter ferry from the Eminonu where our hotel is to the end of the line for this ferry. I don't remember what station it was where we alit. And to our surprise in the same ferry was a tour mate doing the same thing we were doing for the day.

Later on, we explored this side of the city on foot, eventually getting a taste of the grilled corn sold on the streets.

It has been planned to watch the sunset along the Bosphorus in one of the restaurants under the bridge. The line of restaurants under the bridge carry a menu with "tourist pricing", but sometimes you have to take it.

The first of the many fried sardines or smelt (aka fries with eyes) I have eaten during this tour. When I see it on the menu, I could not help myself.

On the walk back to the hotel, the Eminonu Square was throbbing with activity. Food carts and food stalls were open and the smell of food penetrated our being, but we just ate.

The friends walked back to the hotel, while we stayed behind to shop at the Spice Market, although we left empty-handed.

Nearby, we saw a souvenir shop - exactly what we were looking for. So we shopped.

This mosque is such a joy to photograph.

The Ottoman Legacy was on our hotel. Photo taken on the same spot where I took the mosque images with the mosque on my back.

Going back to the hotel we passed a sweet shop/coffee shop. We bought a few pieces for dessert.

We rounded out the day with a nightcap and some baklavas and Turkish Delight. The next day we were driving to Gallipoli.