Our 58-mile ride today (Friday 9/19) took us to the town of
Silivri, a resort town on the Sea of Marmara 40 miles west of Istanbul. The Sea
of Marmara is an inland sea bordered entirely by Turkey, connecting to the
Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait and to the Aegean Sea through the
Dardanelles Strait.
Silivri was founded by the Greeks, became part of the
Ottoman Empire in the 1300s, then changed hands a number of times before
finally coming under Turkish rule in 1922. The city had its heyday as a summer
resort in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but its appeal declined in the 1980’s and 1990’s
due to pollution of the Sea of Marmara. Recently, efforts have been made to
clean it up.
On reaching Silivri, we located our hotel, which has traditional
Ottoman architecture and interior design, and modern well-appointed rooms. After
checking in, we strolled through the town center and continued on to the nearby
harbor. The harbor is full of pleasure boats, as well as fish restaurants that
are adjacent to fish markets, so that you choose the fish that you want from
the market and then they cook it for you. We had
dinner at one of the restaurants, followed by dessert at an upscale pastry shop.
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| On our way to Silivri |
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| Roadside fruit markets |
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| We reached the Sea of Marmara |
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| Cycling into Silivri |
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| The Silivri harbor |
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| Selection of fish to eat |
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| The waiter advises you on the fish choices |
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| Outdoor dining at the fish restaurant |
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| Dessert at a fine pastry shop |
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