Up to the Black sea

If you go down to Galata bridge, in the middle of Istanbul, you can stand with one foot in Europe and one in Asia. The bridge spans the Bosphorus and links the two parts of this 17 million strong city.
Beside the Galata bridge are the ferries which ply across the water day and night. The wharves are seething waves of black clad locals coming to and fro.
We took a regular ferry up the Bosphorus as far as the Black Sea. It took 90 minutes, calling in to seaside suburbs on both sides of the water. Restaurants, parks, mosques, expensive houses with launches tied up outside, palaces, castles, universities, all line the shore and stretch up into the hills as far as you can see.17 million is a lot of people to house!
The narrow stretch of sea goes from the Dardanelles all the way to the Black Sea. The last stretch is all military zone and seriously off limits. At Anadolu Kavagi, on the Asian side, we walked up to a crumbling castle overlooking the heads and looked down onto a modern naval base, A warship lay at anchor in the bay, and gunfire echoed in the hills.
In Turkey all young men must do 18 months military service - in fact it is seen as a rite of passage. For young men living in remote country areas it is an essential part of becoming a modern Turk. For city boys the experience can draw them closer to their roots. And of course it strengthens the already strong sense of nationhood and history.
It was fascinating to see the Black Sea to the north, having been to the Aegean to the west, the Mediterranean (called the White Sea by the Turks) to the south, and knowing that Iran/Armenia/Georgia were very close to the east. Way ahead is the Crimea, with Russia, Moldavia, Romania, Bulgaria bordering the Black Sea. No wonder all Turkish boats, even fishing and hobby boats, fly the Turkish flag as they sail up and down the sea, - nation of origin is very important in these parts.
Back down at the wharf, there are many fish restaurants selling the most delicious fresh fish, with salad and a beer. We watched military vehicles come and go, women selling jewellery pashminas, and traditional bags, men trying to capture tourists into their particular restaurants, and little children coming home from school. In late December it was warm and completely absorbing, a marvellous way to see yet another aspect of this intriguing country.