Asia meets Europe

Istanbul boasts its geographical location as the only city in the world to straddle two continents.  Water dominates the landscape of seven hills--the city is bi(tri?)sected by the Bosphorus and the Bay of Bosphorus which then connects the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.  All this amounts to a hell of a lot of water, for lack of a more precise term.  

As such, fishing plays a big part in the local economy and entertainment industries.  On any given day or evening, men, children and a few women line the Galata Bridge with their bait and tackle in hand.  I think it's partially about the fishing but more about the company and camaraderie; everyone's friends here.  

And for low, low prices, tourists can also buy a cup of bait and rent a fishing pole on the Galata Bridge:

With the view of Sulyemaniye Mosque in the background, there's hardly a more stunning manmade fishing viewpoint: 

On the bay, ornate Turkish boats line the river peddling kebabs and other delicious smelling spiced meats.  

It is also possible to organize boat trips that span both Europe and Asia.  Our hotel organized one that came with rather contrived Turkish dancers, a jaunt to the Muslim influenced Asia side, a stop at a lighthouse used in the James Bond films and some stunning sunset views.  

The Bosphorus bridge is one of only two suspension bridges that spans the gigantic river. There are other bridges currently in construction but nothing nearly as spectacular. 

From afar:

The built up posh section of the European side of the city:

All built up: 

 A view of Rumeli fortress, on the European side.  It protected various eras of Ottoman rulers and the city of Istanbul from invasion: 

And then across the river, welcome to Asia:

We had about forty-five minutes to stumble around this particular port in Asia and discovered nothing too exciting. But that's not to say there's nothing there and given more time, we'd have done some serious Asia explorations.  Maybe next time.

A thousand stunning sunset snaps awaited us:

 

 

 

 

I couldn't help myself. Beautiful, beautiful.