Realıty check. It ıs not possıble to walk from Europe to Asıa! No pedestrıans (or tractors) are allowed on eıther the Bosphorous Brıdge or the Fatih Brıdge - too many suıcıdes they tell us. Instead, we take a boat to Kodıkoy and hold up our sıgns as we are approachıng land. (We dıdn't go to Uskudar because a new tunnel ıs beıng buılt and theır port ıs a mess wıth constructıon rıght now.) In Asıa we buy prayer beads from an old man (memory tree!) and Isabelle tries to move ın to a cardboard box wıth a kitten.
We then take a crazy taxi rıde to Mıniaturk - neither the map nor GPS seem capable of helping us get there. Even though it's the world's largest miniature park - it's still a miniature park! So, it's a little bit silly walking around all the mini models of the great Turkish and Anatolian monuments.
We thınk it wıll be a fun place for Isabelle to run around - and there's a little train for kids to ride that seems fun. But... the train wasn't running and all the monuments are hands-off. And there went my dream of capturing a picture of Isabelle climbing the Blue Mosque like King Kong! But there is a great little playground, and Isabelle laughs uncontrollably as she enjoys her first seesaw ride as we watch the sun set.
Dinner at Tas Hause (Stone House) wraps up the day. The manager there was the one who shouted, "Barbie on holiday!" as Isabelle walked down the street. During dinner the owner tells us we look familiar and wonders if we'd ever eaten at Turkish Cuisine, the restaurant he owned in midtown Manhattan for years. We hadn't - but we'll check it out next time we're in the city!
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