Ruins in the City

The first week I was here we took the ferry all the way up the Bosphorous to where it meets the Black Sea. We visited the fortresses on the Asian side of the penisulas of Istanbul(built to protect the entrance to the city).

The ferries are my favorite part of the city. Istanbul is on two continents (Europe and Asia) and the fastest way to get to the other side is by ferry [knowing that you are hopping from one continent to another never gets old.]Many of the ferries are independently owned so each one has its own unique flavor. Some have couches, some wooden benches and some plastic chairs.

The roads in Turkey are in a constant state of construction. So... needless to say we were not surprised when we followed this most excellent sign up a dirt road to a 5 meter ditch that we crossed on a 2 by 4. Although getting to the castle was a bit of a hike, the view from the top was well worth any muddy trails we had to traverse.

It was a national holiday, so we were given Turkish flags to take to the top hence the patriotism.