What to do, what to do?
We had a little down-time in Istanbul this week. We sat in our AirBnb, looking at each other, and wondered what kind of low-key adventure we could take without spending a lot of liras. Our stomachs growled and then our good friend Dr. Ahmet shared this IG account. At first I thought it was a link to a punny linguistic joke or something about rowboats or sail boats – that’s just one of our shared interests but he wasn’t on the crew boat that I referenced here – but was delighted to discover it was the adventure we didn’t know we needed: La Vapeu Magique.
Three of our favorite things combined!
Favorite thing #1: water. We had always wanted to cruise the Bosphorus River, ever since we actually lived here a couple years ago. Quick geography lesson: Istanbul is one of five cities in the world located on two different continents. The mighty Bosphorus is what separates the European side from the Asian side.
We’ve stayed on both continents and have found the Asian side to be a little more laid back and fun. So it’s no surprise that our work has us spending more time on the conservative, traditional European side. Either way, we love being on the water and have always eyed the boats on the Bosphorus with envy when we cross over.
Favorite thing #2: breakfast. There’s another marvel here that we enjoy: Turkish breakfast. It’s everywhere here and usually available all day. But it’s not your typical pancakes and bacon situation. Turkish breakfast typically consists of an egg dish or two (fried, hard boiled, shakshuka, or menemen) breads (sourdough, simits, baguettes) jams or jellies, honey, tahini, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, cheeses, and cured meats.
Favorite thing #3: each other! Time spent together without work or other interruptions is rare, so the chance to float along, eat delicious food and watch the world go by together was an opportunity we had to grab. We love getting dressed up in “date clothes” and looking nice for each other.
Is that the Black Pearl?
The beautiful vessel we embarked upon is actually a renovated steamboat ferry from the early 1800s. While the facilities onboard are comfortable and updated, the outside appearance looks the part. And it sets La Vapeur Magique apart from the other boats around, making it easy to find, just in case your Uber driver dumps you on the wrong side of the river because it’s exactly the time he said he’d get you to the dock even though it’s the wrong dock. Random scenario, we know. But we weren’t late, so no harm, no foul.
For our experience, we went high-class – insert snooty selfie with our noses up here – and sat on the top deck, in the Terrasse Hall. We wanted the best view and got it! The Gala Hall sits on the second deck, offering a buffet. Both decks had live music to indulge your ears. You’ve already engaged your mouth and eyes, so be fair to the other senses.
When you make your reservation, you have options to add on special details like table decorations and drone coverage. We didn’t splurge on either of those because we’re not THAT fancy. (Right?!)
Slight breeze off the port side
The weather forecast called for a windy day but it wasn’t too bad. We could see whitecaps in the water but didn’t feel them onboard. And although we were careful with our napkin placement, striving for anchorages on the table, we did misplace one from our laps. Does it count that we later recovered two foreign napkins from our feet?
La Vapeur has electric windows that raise and lower based on the wind conditions. This function keeps any light items on your table ON your table instead of flying off into the waiting seagulls’ beaks. (We didn’t take any pictures of this phenomenon but along our voyage, some savvy seagulls would intermittently fly beside the boat, waiting for breakfast scraps to be jettisoned.)
After we left the dock and were en route up the river, our window lowered, giving us even more access to the fresh air and shoreline views. The window adjusted on its own, when we came about to head back down the river and then again when we returned to the dock.
As if the boat wasn’t enough
Even though our Uber dropped us on the opposite side of the river and we had to beat feet across the bridge, we had about 20 minutes to spare before we could board. Small souvenir shops and restaurants line the streets of this area, making it the perfect place to kill a little time and spend a little money. We wandered around after the cruise too, so we could soak up some sun and burn off some of the calories we had just happily consumed. And if we hadn’t just eaten breakfast, there are ample places to grab a bite, most notably the “fish wrap,” which looked like fried sardines laying on a single lettuce leaf, accompanied by a slice of onion rolled up in lavash bread.
We give it five stars
This day was the perfect combination of sight, sound, taste and touch. We loved the riverside view, the melody of live music and our laughter, the delicious cuisine and sharing time together. If you’re in Istanbul, book this trip!
