Getting back into Istanbul, was like arriving at a whole new city. The two weeks I had been away, the city had seen a complete transformation into spring. The colors were more vibrant, the people seemed to walk with more pep in their step, and the amount of tourists seemed to jump ten-fold. My last days spent Istanbul were a whirlwind of shopping for friends and family. Finding all the deals was no easy task!
I took a break to head out to the Prince Islands, a chain of islands that can be seen from many points in Istanbul. I stopped in the biggest island to see the large and often times abandoned wooden houses on the forested island. None of the inhabitants are allowed automobiles, just the police and city workers. This gives the island a character as the main form of transportation is horse drawn carriage. The streets are all cobble stone, with very few people out on them, it is easy to feel alone as you walk just a block or two off the city square.
The last event I want to write about is the soccer game that I got to attend. I walk by the huge, Beshiktash stadium often on different outings, but never knew I would have a chance to see a game. The stadium was packed, but we found a corner that was available to watch the game. It started out slow, and with the home team down 2 to 0 at half time things looked bad, but the second half brought lots of excitement with Beshiktash scoring three goals and winning the game!! It was fun to enjoying the energy of the massive crowd and curse and cheer with the rowdy group! This is where I got to use all the Turkish I have been learning over the last three months!