We started the day at an outdoor cafe for breakfast. A huge meal. The restaurant across the street from a marina near Andrea and Salih's apartment. I can't remember or even pronounce the name but my favorite was bread, slathered with curdled cream, butter, and drowned in Honey! Yea, honey. The bread was marvelous.

A terrifying ride through narrow, crowded, tree lined streets along the waterfront in Salih's little red bullet reminded me of driving along the French Riviera in a formula one race car. We passed palaces, embassies, and even the Four Seasons Hotel which was a palace at one time. Beautiful.

Salih turned up a narrow cobble stone street and we climbed up a hill to something called the Galata Tower. The tower was built in1348 and rises 62 meters above the city. A narrow ledge provides terrifying views of the city.

After returning to earth we went to the spice market to meet Andrea's Tracey who had arranged to take us on a 4 hour cruise up the Bospherus. We traveled the same route we had traveled this morning but just 150 yards offshore.

The trip up the Bosphorus to the mouth of the Black Sea was amazing. The shores are lined with houses and villas that reminded me of Lake Como in Italy. The populated areas on the shore reminded me of the Almalfi Coast. In between these homes were palaces of long dead emperors, kings, and presidents which many have been turned into embassies and museums. It's a side of Istanbul I never knew existed and was pleasantly surprised by. We spent an hour and a half in a small seaside village drinking wine and telling stories before returning home on the boat. Above our restaurant was an old Roman fortress that used to guard the entrance of the Bosphorus. Mary and Tracey made the trek to the fortress. Andrea stayed with me in town sampling the local wine.

A glorious day.

The boat ride back was short and sweet. Galati ice cream on the way home. Salih had concert tickets for him and Andrea for The Red Hit Chili Peppers. I don't think her heart is in it tonight, but I'm staying out of it.