After leaving the boat, on which we toured along the Bosphorus (Istanbul - Views From the Bosphorus), we plunged into the quarters behind the 

New Mosque

. We were tired from the numerous and amazing experiences that we enjoyed during our boat tour, so we didn't want to take pictures of anything anymore. And the heat, couple with the large crowds of people in the narrow streets, did not make for a pleasant walk. As a result, we even got lost in lanes and alleys of some of the markets.

After an hours-long walk, we finally decided to settle down, relax, and get back to the ship. The hot weather and stuffiness made sitting in the shade favorable, with a cold drink, preferably a beer, and leisurely looking at the life of the city. There were no problems with the availability of places to sit - they were everywhere. However, finding refreshing drinks was another story . . . we couldn't find any anywhere.


Being already desperate to find somewhere to eat, we stopped at the mosque, watching people coming for prayers in response to the call of a muezzin, making their ablutions at the taps. Suddenly, we were approached by a street barker and offered to move under the canopy of a nearby cafe, to drink beer, and to look at everything from there, he said it would be more convenient. Of course, the beer was not mentioned in the menu and glasses were not transparent.

After a small snack and dessert, we went back to the ship.

Here's the street life.

As it is known, the 

Galata Bridge

is firmly occupied by fishermen, fishing both from the first and second tier of the bridge.

The catch is cooked in cafes situated right here.

However, the catch can be different: neither fish nor fowl.

Here's the waterfront of the Bosphorus.

Quality control of the catch here has higher regulations.

From what I gathered, there is no passenger ship terminal in 

Istanbul

. There are two check points at the entrance to the port, a small cafe, and a huge hangar, where you can buy housewares and shipboard equipment.

We got on the ship, settled on the 14th deck, and were sunbathing, swimming in the pool, and looking at ships passing the strait.

Exactly at 5 pm, the captain started the engine and we left the dock - on our way back to Venice.

The neighboring ship of NCL was still standing in the port - she obviously had longer stops.

Here's the Bosphorus.

Here's the Asian part of Istanbul.

And here's the European part of Istanbul.

Here are ships on the roads of Istanbul waiting to pass through the Bosphorus.

Here's a plane landing at Ataturk Airport.

And here's the Sea of Marmara.

By midnight, we were passing the second strait - the Dardanelles.

Despite the fact that we still had two days of the cruise and one stop left, we felt sad - it's a pity that all good things end so quickly.

We met Costa Serena.

The next review will be dedicated to Dubrovnik, Croatia (20 Photo Impressions From Dubrovnik).