Prince's Islands have a interesting relationship with Istanbul, once serving as the location of exile for princes and etc who got on the sultan's bad side, then transforming into a luxurious retreat sometime during the Ottoman empire. The sumptuous wooden houses resulting from the Ottoman boom set the tone of the islands today, pulling visitors and inhabitants alike back to a more genteel, magical time.
This nostalgic and euphoric sense is only heightened by the horse-drawn carriages and carts and prohibition of motorized vehicles. The moment you step off the ferry, you feel as though you have walked into a enchanted village throwing a party, complete with flower crowns, charming villagers, and the steady clip-clop of ribboned horse-drawn carriages. 
What I loved most about the island was the sense of relaxed elegance, of a place that is so comfortable with its identity and so content with its history that it feels no need to rush into the future. While that may not be realistic for most of society in our constant race to the top, it makes the retreat of the islands even more compelling.
And now, as promised, a story. My family, as those who know us can attest, is generally very law abiding and upstanding. In this little episode, we found ourselves turned into giggling renegades, unwittingly breaking the law and narrowly escaping. It all started with the horse-drawn carriages, which of course we were dying to ride. As it turns out, the carriages are very regulated by the city, and you had to stand in a que and pay a set fee for a set time. After being told we would have a 40 minute wait, we decided to not waste our time and instead explore the town center. As we stood admiring some shop, we heard a sharp "pssst, pssst," and turned to see a man in a carriage waving us over. He told us that he could take us on the same ride for a cheaper price if we hopped on there. Always loving a bargain, we clambered in his little carriage, only to have him grab a camera, frantically take a picture and motion for us to get out. With great bewilderment, we climbed back out, and our would-be-driver started talking to a policeman who had just approached. It seems you are really supposed to go to the official line... As we stood there, another carriage driver beckons at us "psst, psst" while waving for us to follow. We look around, giggling now, and follow down the alley, looking around and seeing no trace of the carriage driver. Feeling a bit foolish, we stood on the corner looking around, and suddenly the carriage driver appears from behind us, smiles widely, waves for us to keep following and disappears down yet another alley. We trot after and approach the stopped carriage. The driver turns around, calls for us to climb in, slows as we throw ourselves in the cart, and takes off at a gallop! As we gallop up the hill, the driver turns around and says with a sly grin "please excuse us, we had a bit of a police problem". So there we Hamacheks were, renegades, on our illegal carriage ride, loving every minute of it.
Other than the rock start, the carriage ride was a delightful way to see the island and all the old houses.
We finished the day with a lovely seaside dinner, complete with the obligatory swarm of cats (probably encouraged by the scraps Nat and I kept dropping, just a hunch).
So if you ever find yourself with some spare time in Istanbul, escape to Prince's Island. The antiquated and friendly pace will leave you refreshed and delighted. Just make sure you follow the proper carriage procedure... I can't wait to go back.
KatieP.S. Check out the Prince's Island style AAA. How many Turks does it take to fix a carriage?
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