anadolu kavağı

Sometimes you find yourself in need of a little peace and quiet. You want to be near the sea, go on a hike and eat some good fish at a restaurant with netting on the ceiling. You want to stick your feet in the Bosphorus and watch little crabs scuttle under rocks for shade. Anadolu Kavağı is on the Asian side right across the Bosphorus from Sarıyer. It's a one and a half lira, fifteen minute ferry ride from Sarıyer's iskele, and well worth a visit.


Yoros kalesi, or Yoros Castle sits atop one of Anadolu Kavağı's high hills and overlooks the mouth of the Black Sea. This is one of the narrowest points along the Bosphorus, a strategic location fiercely fought over by the Genoese, Byzantines and Ottomans. Directly across the Bosphorus on the European side, stood another fortress, Rumeli Kavağı. If necessary, an enormous chain could be stretched across from one side to the other, stopping any unwelcome ships from entering the Bosphorus. There isn't a whole lot left to see of the fortress' structure, but one of the most stunning views in Istanbul is from the top of that hill. You're at the tip of Asia, with Europe in right front of you. There's the Bosphorous below, marked by the wakes of tankers, fishing vessels and speedboats. Seeing that foggy blue opening to the Black Sea is so... mysterious.

the princes' islands

When I was a little girl, my family and I would take a ferry ride to Büyükada, the largest of the Princes' Islands for a day of dondurma, fish mezzes, long walks and horse buggy rides. Cars are forbidden on the islands, so you get around on foot, bike or by horse buggy. As I child I believed that cars weren't allowed because the islands were too small to support the weight of cars, and that the islands would sink. I don't know the real reason for the ban, I suppose it's to preserve the islands' charm and serenity. I remember Büyükada as a quiet, quaint little island with tree-shaded streets and beautiful Victorian wooden houses.

With these happy childhood memories in mind, I planned a day trip out to Büyükada with my friend Nuri. We hopped on a "conventional ferry"— there's a difference between the ferries in Istanbul, conventional ferries are the old-fashioned white boats that are slower, prettier and in my opinion, more romantic than their modern counterparts, the seabuses. The seabuses will however, shorten the hour and a half ride down to about an hour, but you can't sit out on deck as it is entirely enclosed. You catch the conventional ferries at a separate iskele (port) that is also more old-fashioned looking, often a little white wooden building with blue accents that is right next to the regular port. Since I enjoy the feeling of nostalgia, Nuri and I took the conventional ferry for 3 liras from Kabataş.


Our boat was the Barış Manço, named after one of Turkey's most famous and influential rock musicians, according to Wiki. It was a miracle that we found a seat; the boat was so full that it felt more like a floating dolmuş than a ferry. I recommend getting to the iskele early and buying your jeton before they open the gate so that when they do, you can zip on board and grab a seat. Once the boat takes off, a simitçi, a vendor who sells simit, will come by offering these tasty and oh-so-Turkish round breads covered in sesame seeds for 50 kuruş. Then the çay guy comes around with a dispenser of çay (tea) and paper cups. What ferry ride is complete without a simit and çay?


The Büyükada Iskelesi is a wonderful little building with lots of wooden details and beautiful tiles on the exterior. I particularly like the customer service windows. This one doesn't seem to be used much. I don't know why it didn't cross my mind that about 20 years have passed since I last stepped foot on the islands, and that the tranquil little island of my childhood might have turned into a frenzy of tourists and horse traffic. Yes, there was a little horse buggy traffic. I was going to post some pictures of the crowds, but a crowd is a crowd, and I'd rather show you the beauty. I bet if you went in spring or fall, Büyükada would be a dream.


Dozens of fish restaurants run along the seaside, and I suspect they are all about the same in quality and price. We had seaweed, taramasalata and octopus mezze dishes for starters, followed by a delicious grilled fish from the Mediterranean. Here's a little caveat: mezze dishes are all priced differently from a couple lira to 20, and the grilled fish can be anywhere from 6 lira to 100. Make sure you find out how much your fish is so you can avoid any surprises when the bill comes.


After lunch, we decided we needed some dondurma to enjoy whilst waiting in the long line for a horse buggy. A buggy ride will cost you between 40 and 50 lira, depending on if you choose the short or long tour. It really is a fun way to see the island, or you can rent a bike.


The ferry back to Kabataş was sticky and squished— people try to squeeze their bodies into any available space, even if they don't fit. I was not expecting this, but since I take public transportation regularly, I am somewhat used to being pushed and leaned on. What are you going to do, right? It was still a wonderful ride. I love a ferry ride regardless of space and comfort. And what a lovely day it was.

completion

After a little over a year, and passing through the hands of four artists in six countries, my Moleskine for Moly-X13 has come home. It's a surreal feeling; I remember ripping off the plastic wrapping and looking at the blank paper, wondering what on earth to draw. I was in my little apartment in San Francisco, sitting on my little Ikea sofa with a cup of tea when I picked up a pencil and drew the first lines. I recall the anxiety I felt when I handed over the package containing my book to the woman at the post office, hoping that it would make it safely to Anna Denise in the Netherlands. Now my book is in my hands, in Istanbul, where I did not imagine I nor it would be 15 months later.


Click on this to see it larger.

luck perhaps

Well, the second I stepped out of the house it stopped raining. Which I suppose was a good thing, except that I kind of wanted to get my feet wet and take some pictures in the rain. And use my 5 lira clear plastic umbrella that I love. I also forgot that the museum I wanted to visit was closed on Wednesdays, so I ended up walking around Istiklal to see what I could see, hoping for at least some drizzle. I didn't get what I had wanted, but it ended up being quite a beautiful day.

cabin fever

I've been a bit of a hermit lately, ever since my Turkish class ended, and I had a migraine that turned me into a cranky vegetable for a few days. Today I'm back on my feet and thought I might get out and visit a museum or two, even though it's raining. The sky is fantastically dark, and it seems as though the entire city is painted in greys. I love walking in warm summer rain.

I've also been trying to tie up some loose ends here before my trip to San Francisco next week, which I am incredibly excited about. I have missed dear SF, and can't wait to see my friends and hang out in old haunts— I've been craving a burrito ever since I left in December. I'll have my camera and plenty of net access so I'll be taking you on a little tour of my City by the Bay.

In the meantime, here are some sketches I did last week. The last one was drawn in Istinye Park Sinemasi while watching Public Enemies, which I really enjoyed— especially for the costumes and cars. Oh! And I was thrilled to hear two Otis Taylor songs prominently featured throughout the film.

thirty-two degrees

I saw on a digital display somewhere today that it was 32ºC— that's 89.6ºF to my American friends. It's hot and sticky, especially when you are dependent on public transport. Nothing is stickier and stinkier than a minibus ride in summertime rush-hour traffic. You are pushed and bumped and pulled into odd spaces between other peoples' bodies to fill up any available space. There are days when I feel compelled to throw myself into the Bosphorus to cool down.

It's a thought.