Princes' Islands

Another beautiful day in Istanbul. Today we hopped a ferry to the largest of 5 islands just outside Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara (which is to the west, while the Black Sea is to the east, up the Bosphorous Strait).

The islands were first used to house expelled princes from the Ottoman Empire, and later wealthy Istanbullus constructed summer houses there. The crumbling Victorian-meets-the-East mansions are in various states of repair, but all have the blue glass "eye" that is ubiquitous in Turkey posted above the doorway. This symbol is believed to ward off evil and it is somewhat of a national symbol - you see it everywhere from key chains to bracelets to walls of office buildings.

One nice thing about the islands is that cars are not allowed, so the streets are remarkably traffic free. There is a steady business for the bicycle rental and horse buggy places, and after see the hundred meter long line for the horse buggies, we opted for some rusty, creaking bikes to carry through the leafy hills and to a rocky beach where we would relax a little. Helena, so deprived of air in Delhi, overdid it and got a sunburn. The water was a bit chilly and the beach a bit rocky for me to be enticed in - I am waiting for our time on the Mediterranean next week.