We made a pre-dawn departure from our hotel in the Asia side to get to our ferry to the Europe side on time.
While the bus was loaded onto the ferry...
... we
had an opportunity for a quick walk along the quay, and a visit to the really
important Trojan Horse—the one used for the movie with Brad Pitt. Yup, that's us!
Our
crossing of the Dardenelles, the busiest sealane in the world, we happily
uneventful.
Before heading to Istanbul, we made a brief tour of one of
the Gallipoli memorials. The memorials
are the burials of the fallen from the 1915 battle of the ANZAC forces against
the Turks, in which 60,000 died on each side.
Most of the headstones were for soldiers between 19 and 21.
Yesim read to us the address of Ataturk
to the first visits by Australian and New Zealanders in 1935:
"Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well."
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well."
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