October 10, 2014.
Left Antik Otel and started walking this morning. After walking 1/4 mile a bus honked at me and then stopped. I hopped on the bus not knowing where it was going but thought "I am at the base of a peninsula and the bus is either going to the end of the peninsula or inland. How can I possibly get lost?"
I rode the bus for about 2 miles until I saw the remains of the old city wall and castle fortifications, dating back to 2000 BC.
The castle walls are still intact although they are crumbling. I walked around the castle walls and then down to the beach and took dozens of photographs.
I then took off walking to the north along the narrow city streets and stopped at a window that was the shop of a knife maker. I went inside and was greeted in fluent English by the shop owner. We talked knives and about Sinop and the US Army base a mile north, at the top of the peninsula headland (the northernmost point in Turkey, the closest point in Turkey to Crimea and the Ukraine, due north across the Black Sea. Doubtlessly, it was a military listening post.) that had 1500 personnel and closed in 1992.
We spoke for 30 minutes. I met his son who he is teaching how to make knives. The knife making business was his father's and his grandfather's. He was about 70. He invited me to have tea and we stood and talked for 45 minutes. He was fluent in English and explained much about the city to me. I left the knife store and continued walking about.
I then went to the archaeological Museum and spent 45 minutes looking at all of the displays.
Sinop receives few tourists - sometimes from cruise ships that talk in the harbor, but by and large it is not a tourist town. You do not see T-shirt shops, stores selling bumper stickers that say I Heart Sinop, baseball hats and other tourist kitsch.
Stopped a model boat builder shop and talked with the shopkeeper - he spoke little English, but he offere me tea.
The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny with a strong breeze and about 70°F. The castle walls of old Sinop wind throughout the end of the peninsula. While walking around I saw some steps leading up to the top of the castle wall. I wound my way through some gardens and a through aclosed outdoor restaurant and found the base of the stairs and climbed up to the top of the fortress wall.
At the top of the castle walls there was a magnificent view to the north and to the south along the peninsula.
At the top, there was a small restaurant that serves tea, beer and other drinks. I stopped and had a beer atop the wall and enjoyed the view across the Black Sea.
I think I have taken over 1500 pictures so far. At this rTe I will take about 10,000 on my 101 day journey. Taking pictures today is so much different than 20 years ago. Everybody has cell phones and everybody is taking pictures - ttaking selfies - and constantly staring into their phones so taking pictures is not an uncomfortable thing to do.
Walked back to the Antik Otel - it took over an hour but it was a glorious afternoon for a walk.
Went to my new room - a room with a view, you are wondering?
Had a beer then took a swim in the saltwater pool. No one was there but me.
Had an excellent grilled sea bass dinner overlooking the Black Sea and called a good day.
On Walkabout,
Byron
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