The old man pushes the tea at you; not like he’s a tout trying to sell his wares, which he is, but like you really need to try it, which you do. So you do, because you’re thinking of the Bosphorus and the fog of history that settles on it like a mist settles over the water in the stillness of morning.
You’re thinking of the Byzantines and their Constantinople, and the Ottoman Turks–of the collision of continents and cultures. Of the glitter and bustle of the Dervish House, and the possibility for excess. Time stretches away and drops; you’re at the confluence of centuries and you can see it all spreading out like ripples in a pond.
Here, a palace on the shore–regal and stained by the passage of time. There, a cafe sheltering artists and intellectuals, who sip their coffee and murmur softly. A fishing boat bobs in the wake of another ferry, which chugs away towards Kadikoy laden with others savoring tea and staring back at you, as if into a mirror.
Screeching sounds from the gulls, which wheel overhead as the waves crash and the engine growls. You drink your tea, both cubes of sugar added and stirred in, and you decide that there’s no place you’d rather be.
In case you can’t tell, I took a few day vacation from blogging in Turkey. Even so, I couldn’t resist writing this while sitting on one of the ferries crossing from the Asian to the European side of the city. Tune in to the next post for a return to some proper trip updates!
- Hiking to Refugio Frey and Beyond - January 20, 2020
- Christmas Letter 2019 - December 18, 2019
- My Walk Out of the Woods - June 30, 2019
Six Things to See in Samarkand
Again, I love your photos. But amongst your photos here the one I loved the most was the one of the Basicila Cistern. It just feels like I could walk through it and see what you’re seeing. It’s just so beautiful.
Just keep writing and we’ll keep reading. Whenever I read your posts it always takes me out of my comfort zone in a good way. It’s like a reminder that there’s a world out there I haven’t discovered, and soon as I can I need to just go and explore before I’m too old to do anything.
Looking forward to your future posts 🙂
Thanks, Jackie, I loved the Cistern as well! It was such an awesome place, and a great way to escape the heat 😉
I thoroughly enjoy the way you write. It reads less like a blog post and more like prose. The way you write your posts are both informational and inspiring. Inspiring in that I want to go where you do, and also inspiring to change my own writing style!
Thanks, Meaghan! That means a lot 🙂
Looking forward to reading what you have next! Your writing is so engaging.
Thanks, Laura 😀
I just love your photography! Very talented! Thanks for sharing this! It’s definitely on my list!
Thanks Linda! Hope you make it there someday 🙂
Gorgeous! I definitely want to add Istanbul to my list now.
Thanks! I’d definitely go back, though I’d like to see the rest of Turkey as well.
Ah, Istanbul 🙂 Beautiful words and images.
You definitely took me there with this short and sweet write-up. I’m ready for more! Keep it coming.