The GF got a fuller quota of sleep today, so after lunch we took the Metro towards the Bosphorus coast to find out how easy it is to get to Bebek by public transport instead of braving the ugly weekend traffic on the coastal road. It turns out easy and very pleasant indeed, and it doesn’t need to take hours as it took us, for we took a very scenic route indeed. The Boğaziçi University stop is at the top of the hill above the fort, and Bebek lies at the foot and a bit south. From the Metro station we walked towards what appeared on the map to be a park, and found a farmer’s market in full swing. Although this was still early in our day’s walk we couldn’t resist some purchases and came back with bags of winter greens and root vegetables, which the GF has vowed to roast (we are still in need of a peeler). The farmer’s market was just at the edge of the park, which turned out to be very nice indeed: the grounds of an old house set on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Bosphorus, with remains of foundation slabs and fountains, and topiary gone wild. Just below were the fairy tale ramparts of the Rumeli Hisari fortress and beyond that the sea and the coast of Asia.
We lingered for a bit and then started to go downhill, through some very pretty streets winding down the cliff, stone-faced and and in keeping with the fortress. I assume they were all related to the university. The road wound around the back of the fortress, green and very steep. Then the GF noted an open door leading into a park and went to explore. This was a path that climbed up to a rocky outcrop which was clearly a spot where students hang out – the views were stunning, and there was a carpet of broken beer bottles underfoot in some spots. We carried on through the park, slightly nervous of trespassing, and then found ourselves in a graveyard clinging to the cliffside. It was mostly full of recent graves, simply laid out and often for a whole family at a time, but there were a few Ottoman era ones as well, with their more ornate carving and the occasional stone turban marking the position held by the deceased. Interesting, though, that the republic even managed to change the gravestones.
Eventually we found our way out and emerged on the promenade, which was absolutely packed. A sunny Saturday afternoon in early winter, with pandemic prohibiting going to tea gardens or restaurants, so not surprising. We walked to Bebek where the GF bought himself a new jumper, and then took the shorter route back to the Metro. This was about 20 minutes steeply uphill, through the rather swish houses of this little neighbourhood, and finally we arrived just as my lungs were about to give way.