Balloons and Fish

Just a couple of pictures from the first weekend after we got back from the States. Here you see the first bridge built in Istanbul that connects Europe and Asia. We live on the European side. The green area you see in the picture is Asia. I thought the balloons in the water was a very cute touch, so I took a picture. On weekends, these guys come to the waterfront, put the balloons in the water. If you can shoot a certain number of them, you get a small toy as a reward.

What is also a characteristic scene in Istanbul is a large number of fisherman/fisherwomen at the waterfront anytime of the day, either here at Bosphorus or on a bridge in Golden Horn. On that sunny day where we had a walk by the water, the narrow sidewalk next to the water was full of fishermen/women (which makes walking there a bit stressful). Here is a fisherwoman casting her fishing line into the water:

Usually what they seemed to have been catching is really a couple of tiny fish, which Barry thinks won't feed the cat, or an old shoe. Still, I guess they come here for peace and fun, not for dinner.

Don't forget to read about my birthday!