For the last full day in Istanbul, Susan had planned for a ferry ride to the Prince’s Islands. But first, I was up early in the morning, so I headed out of the rental house before breakfast. We had seen a red-brick building located close by the house, but could not figure out more info. So I navigated through the streets to locate the building. This was the Greek School, that is no longer in use. Perhaps it was a relic of the Population Exchange that occurred many years earlier?
Greek School, Balat
The school building had a very distinctive style, with crenelated decorations along the roof. The walls of the building were decorated with light and dark colored brickwork.
Greek School No 2, Balat
Walking through the neighborhood, I found a small minaret close by.
Minaret Near Greek School, Balat
Lower down our street, I found a clothes line, loaded with clothes, stretched across the street from this house.
Clothes Hanging Out To Dry, Balat
Of course, the neighborhood had its fair share of cats. This guy was draped over a terracotta tiled roof a couple of blocks from the rental.
Cat On The Roof, Balat
It was eventually time from us to make our way to the Prince’s Islands. These islands are located in the Sea of Marmara, off the coast from the Asian side of Istanbul. We took a ride to the ferry terminal, where there were crowds of people that were waiting to make the same journey. Here are some images made during our ferry ride.
Match, On Ferry
Susan…
Susan, On Ferry
Warwick…
Warwick, On Ferry
When we arrived at Prince’s Island, we hired bicycles for the day. The islands are unique in that there are no motorized vehicles on the roads. Only horse drawn carriages and bicycles are permitted. Here is Angela astride her bike.
Angela On Bike Ride, Prince’s Island
We stopped for lunch that was at a restaurant on the top of the hill. We had to dismount bikes and walk the half mile up the hill to the restaurant. This is a view from the island, looking back towards the Asian side of Istanbul, with one of the other islands in the foreground (or should that be fore sea?).
View From Prince’s Islands To Istanbul
During our bike ride, I made a couple of images of some of the houses located on the island.
House On Prince’s Island
In this image, I captured another house that had accumulated layers of peeling paint.
Entrance To House With Peeling Paint, Prince’s Island
That is one of the final images that I made of our trip to Turkey. On the following day, we would be heading back home after a fabulous vacation.