Nostalgic Joy, full-scale

Riding the ferry from Europe into Asia costs roughly the same as a pint of Efes beer from the mini-mart, when you’re in Istanbul.  That’s about $2.00.  We learned this yesterday, when the boys and I took a detour from our original destination of Miniaturk, a miniature park with over 100 small-scale models of Turkish architectural masterpieces.  After disembarking from the street-car at the Eminonu station, I held tight to the boys (and my bag) and looked around for the 47 bus, our next leg to the miniature park.  No bus stop in sight, but the ferry dock was just steps away.  Quick consult with the boys, and we paid our 8 Turkish Lira into the machine (Seamus rode free) for our tokens, and up the ramp we went.  No passport, no special visa, no ID needed at all. 

The boys are especially attuned to all the animals we see here.  Their hearts (but not hands) go out to the many street cats.  As we made our 15-minute trip across the Bosphorus, a smattering of sea gulls followed in the ferry’s wake.  Booker dug out a baggie of very squashed simit from the depths of my backpack and tore off hunks to toss to the flying gulls.  Simit is everywhere here – it’s a round twist of bread that’s crispy on the outside and soft in the inside and covered with sesame seeds.  Seamus has found his bagel substitute. 

My eyes are mostly trained on the mosques that dot the skyline on both the Europe and the Asia side.  Ottoman mosques are perfect forms of architecture.  Clusters of gentle blue domes that look like visual echos, buttressed by elaborately carved minarets rising on various sides.  There’s a harmony that lifts the spirit.   

Some of the most beautiful mosques were crafted by the chief Ottoman Architect Mimar Sinan.  I’m not sure who is the mastermind behind this view as we approached our ferry stop in Asia, but it’s quite something.

We walked for an hour along the hot sidewalk along the coast and finally found a restful little café along side the Bosphorus.  The clientele was clearly settled in, drinking tea and playing backgammon under the open-air canopy.  So we also took our time and cooled off with the ice cream I had promised the kids before setting out  – caramel, lemon, pistachio and black mulberry.        

Took the words right out of my mouth.