E arrive in Istanbul, to the Sumahan on the Water, a former distillery turned boutique hotel on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, which is all abuzz in the wake of the famous annual Cross-Continental swim. This is a four-mile marathon along and across the straits from the Asian shores of Istanbul to the European side. The historic trade route, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, comes to a halt, for this day only. As many as 2,500 competitors power through the waves freestyle, directly past the hotel pontoon before they pass beneath the iconic first suspension bridge, The Bosphorus, the soaring delicate silhouette of which frames the view from my bedroom window, shimmering with commuter traffic against the setting sun.
