The Ballot - Greeks, Turks, Last Post and those Marbles

[wooley]

bloody awesome TR!

 

[amaroo]

bloody awesome TR!

Thank You!

It's good to know you're enjoying the TR.

 

[amaroo]

Been looking forward to this meal!

Le Gavroche http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk

We arrived a little early so had drinks at the bar.

 

[amaroo]

We went with the tasting menu with matching wines.

 

[amaroo]

The crackling was terrific!

 

[amaroo]

Food = high quality

Wine = poor value ... really need to cease ordering matching wines!

Ambience = classy ... mostly male only tables (9pm booking), business meetings aplenty!

Would I return = no

 

[rainbowgirl]

I think the crackling looks tasty as well. I would have enjoyed that.

Is the restaurant named after the character from Les Mis?

Thank you for your trip report. I am enjoying the many fascinating details.

 

[amaroo]

Fantastic TR so far. Amaroo, I see you are using RSL Tours. You didn't get Yusuf by any chance did you? (I got him last year, great guide.)

Sorry for the late reply.

No, we had a very funny guide - the bloke had been brought up with Aussie tourist and had watched the Castle countless times - he had the Aussie slang down pat. Made the days very entertaining!

 

[robd]

Sorry for the late reply.

No, we had a very funny guide - the bloke had been brought up with Aussie tourist and had watched the Castle countless times - he had the Aussie slang down pat. Made the days very entertaining!

Just booked RSL Tours for our day trip to Gallipoli in a couple of weeks. I hope we get a good guide.

Still following this great TR.

Oh, and I also booked a walking tour with Circle Istanbul - http://www.circleistanbul.com/classic-old-city

 

[Mattg]

Wow, your Gallipoli experience was certainly different to mine last year. I was one of just 5 people to tour the peninsula that day - most definitely not overrun with tourists! But I guess this is what happens when such an important event happens. I bet the locals would have been thrilled with the influx of tourists.

I'm curious, while you were waiting around all night for the Dawn Service, did the crowd interact and speak to each other or did everyone just sort of keep to themselves? I can imagine that would have been a long, long wait.

 

[amaroo]

I think the crackling looks tasty as well. I would have enjoyed that.

Is the restaurant named after the character from Les Mis?

Thank you for your trip report. I am enjoying the many fascinating details.

Cheers.

Yes,

[video=youtube;e2gzI5m6raI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2gzI5m6raI#t=41[/video]

 

[amaroo]

Just booked RSL Tours for our day trip to Gallipoli in a couple of weeks. I hope we get a good guide.

Still following this great TR.

Oh, and I also booked a walking tour with Circle Istanbul - Daily Istanbul City Tour - Istanbul Old City Tour

Overall we were pleased with RSL Tours. They were clearly stretched managing a large number of people doing a range of different tour options ... they're copping a little flak on other forums/TA however, I don't have a negative view.

I'm very confident that RSL tours would perform to a high standard when they're not trying to service 1,000+ at once.

You will not regret the walking tour - looks like a good company.

Wow, your Gallipoli experience was certainly different to mine last year. I was one of just 5 people to tour the peninsula that day - most definitely not overrun with tourists! But I guess this is what happens when such an important event happens. I bet the locals would have been thrilled with the influx of tourists.

Yes, it swung from the the best of times to the worst. It's all about expectations - we had a great time because we understood the location and numbers would be a challenge ... I'd happily do it all again!

curious, while you were waiting around all night for the Dawn Service, did the crowd interact and speak to each other or did everyone just sort of keep to themselves? I can imagine that would have been a long, long wait.

We were on the same tour bus for 4 days so you got to connect with the same group of people. Our bus was a great bunch from a range of occupations and ages, we made friends with 3 other couples and hung out with them.

The strolls during the evening were entertaining - massive queues for food/hot drinks so plenty of talk time. Even the three way urinals (great design) provided scope for chats

It was quite funny sitting in the stands watching people sleep ... imagine rows and rows of people sitting/sleeping in the brace position!

 

[amaroo]

English breakfast - love 'em!



Beautiful sunny day - perfect for a day of walking.

Hyde Park

 

[amaroo]

Australian War Memorial



Madness performed on that roof

 

[amaroo]

Spur of the moment - tour of the Royal Mews http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/royalmews

 

[amaroo]

This one was pretty cool! http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/royalmews/what-to-see-and-do/the-diamond-jubilee-state-coach

 

[BNEFlyer]

Great trip report! Loving all the pics. I was also at Gallipoli and your pics from a different perspective were great to see! I was with The Fanatics (in the yellow hoodies) and my tour group was on the grass at the front on the LHS looking towards the water. No one around our area really spoke to other people in other groups, we were all really tired so most people (including me) got in our sleeping bags, laid down and went to sleep until the 3am-ish wake up. I was actually still in my sleeping bag (but standing up) during the service, didn't have much room to manouvre and put shoes on until afterwards.

Sounds like RSL Tours were a bit stretched but they still managed to get the job done and you had a great experience. We got to Anzac Cove before 6pm on the 24th then left Lone Pine straight away after the service and were the second bus to leave the holding area park, around 2pm I think.

Your London stop looks amazing too! Such a good idea to tack on some time in other places around Europe, I wish I had done that.

 

[amaroo]

..........

 

[amaroo]

Great trip report! Loving all the pics. I was also at Gallipoli and your pics from a different perspective were great to see! I was with The Fanatics (in the yellow hoodies) and my tour group was on the grass at the front on the LHS looking towards the water. No one around our area really spoke to other people in other groups, we were all really tired so most people (including me) got in our sleeping bags, laid down and went to sleep until the 3am-ish wake up. I was actually still in my sleeping bag (but standing up) during the service, didn't have much room to manouvre and put shoes on until afterwards.

Sounds like RSL Tours were a bit stretched but they still managed to get the job done and you had a great experience. We got to Anzac Cove before 6pm on the 24th then left Lone Pine straight away after the service and were the second bus to leave the holding area park, around 2pm I think.

Your London stop looks amazing too! Such a good idea to tack on some time in other places around Europe, I wish I had done that.

You would've had a wonderful view of the service! I looked at you guys when we arrived with envy...later when I noticed the sleeping bags - I learnt what real envy felt like

The Fanatics had a dream run. Fair enough, it's an annual event for those guys so special treatment is expected. I noticed the "yellow tide" disappeared at Lone Pine - it was only when we bumped into someone at the airport did we learn how you guys made your early escape!

Did you head back to Istanbul? What time did you get back? The people we spoke to at the airport said they arrived back at Istanbul around 6pm ... a good 7hrs before us

 

[amaroo]

In hindsight - I think we should have went to the other brothers restaurant https://www.waterside-inn.co.uk

[video=youtube;ysGu5DVcGT0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGu5DVcGT0[/video]

Looks like a brilliant overnight stay!

NB: Classic line at the 11.34min mark