We all came to Anzac Cove together in the morning to have take a bit more time. We started at the beach cemetery which also had a concrete machine box which had fallen down on to the beach. The girls were really interested in the history but they also enjoyed looking at the beach and water. They found some interesting shell impressions on them.
We went to visit Anzac Cove after dinner just before the sun started to set. We were just about the only ones there and it was such a peaceful place. Such a contrast to what it would have been when the Anzacs landed and the months of trench warfare there. It was really beautiful there and because of the beauty so much sadder to see all the graves. The words from Ataturk were so poignant but also appropriate. We were so privileged to have the opportunity to visit.
Once we unpacked we went for a walk along the shore of Eceabat which sits on the straights of the Dardanelles Strait. It was really windy but we didn't find as it was really surreal to be there. So much history surrounded us and a Turkish navy destroyer cruising by reminded us of the continued importance of the straits. It was really great to be there and be able to walk along the foreshore to a restaurant right on the water.
The girls met a lovely pup as we were loading our car. We then went back to the airport because we realised that the car we had was too small for our road trip, and the company we originally got it from made it a bit nervous as it seemed like they would over charge us. We were glad we swapped cars and companies as the new car was great and the girls got to explore the airport a bit more. The drive to Eceabat was really nice as the modern roads and lovely scenery made the trip go by quickly. Once in Eceabat it didn't take long for us to make friends with the locals.
We caught up with Babicka and Brad near the Blue Mosque as they had just arrived in Istanbul from their tour. We found a little rooftop restaurant where we had a drink together before they had to catch up with their tour. It was fun to see them in a cool place like Istanbul. We then had a lovely dinner with such a nice view, it was a great way to wrap up our last day in Istanbul before heading out on the road.
We decided to visit the Kapalı Çarşı or Grand Bazar since it was just up the road from where we were staying. It was very large but not quite what we expected. It was certainly full of shops and people but most of it was enclosed and tiled. Very different to the much more organic and chaotic bazars of Morocco. There were a heap more jewellery shops here and fewer food stalls. It was a pretty place but we preferred the Moroccan versions. The girls found a geocache there though, which was fun.
We walked back from the Hagia Sophia through our neighbourhood and tried to get a little bit lost. We managed to find some really pretty little houses, more mosques and of course heaps of cats. Not too far from our house was a park with a fountain and playground which also had a pretty good cafe where we stopped for dinner. EV had a friend who kept asking for a snack as well while we were there.
