After a grueling seven hours spent grading worthless English exams on a Saturday, we needed a family vacation. So what did we do with only one day of the weekend left? We spent $9 on ferry tickets and hopped over to one of the Princes’ Islands off the coast of Istanbul. We had been to the big island last summer, so we went exploring a new one this time. One of our teacher friends, Richard, joined us for the day.
We ate lunch at a little cafe where the owner greeted us like friends, gave the kids balloons, and even offered to hold our tab until we returned from our walk when the power went out just as we were about to pay with our debit card. Luckily, we didn’t have to take advantage of his graciousness and then feel anxious about it while we walked – the power came on just as we were leaving and we were able to pay our bill.
We started walking on a road through the little village that was home to stray cats, semi-wild horses, a few locals, and innumerable decaying Ottoman-era wooden houses, complete with shutters, whipped-frosting edges and pillared porches. It was very interesting to see the collapsed, chipped, rotten, and unstable houses in contrast to the few ones which were restored. Sometimes the contrast was literally side by side!
The road we were on wound up and down hills, around edges of lush greenland and Turkish naval bases, to lead us around the island on a coastal route. It was beautiful, and the sky was even overcast! Imagine what these views would be like on a clear, sunny day? You can start to understand why the Greeks and Turks and Romans fought for control of these islands, especially considering their strategic position off the coast.
After circling around and beginning to recognize certain landmarks on the surrounding islands, we found ourselves right back at our little cafe! It was a wonderful way to end such a day
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