Princes' Islands (Kizir Adalar) in the Sea of Marmara, off the coast of Istanbul, are a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the city. A couple of Sundays ago we visited the largest island Büyükada (Big Island!)
The catamaran from Kabatas soon transported us to another world ... a bygone era ......
As there's no traffic on the islands (except for service vehicles) the only way to get around is on foot, horse and carriage(fayton) or bicycle and we thought it would be fun to hire bikes and ride to the top of the island.
During the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, members of the royal family who fell out of favour were exiled here and gave the islands their name.
The bike ride took us past impressive villas and wooden mansions set in the most beautiful lush gardens along flowery lanes. No skyscrapers here!
