Geriatric Gapper

A Winter Wonderland in Ispra, Italy

2012-02-03T18:38:00.000Z

David and Jessica had to dress warmly for the snow

In my last week with Clare and Jessica in Italy, we were surrounded by a winter wonderland. Fortunately we were warm and cosy inside their apartment, while outside the temperatures plummeted. David joined us for my last few days and we flew back to Istanbul together.

We could see from Clare's window that no one would be

playing on the tennis courts this week

Fortunately, I had bought a pair of snow boots.

They are very warm, with a good tread.

I took a walk to look at the scenery. This is the same

farmhouse I photographed for a previous post.

This horse was looking suspiciously at all this white stuff

that had suddenly appeared

We walked to the little village of Ispra, and rewarded ourselves

with delicious cakes and cappuccinos in a delightful café

We had such a wonderful time in Italy, that we were sad to leave. Here's to the next time!

Ispra, Lombardy, Italy

2012-01-26T20:12:00.000Z

Clare lives on the top floor of this block.

Jessica and I flew to Italy, to her new home in Ispra, Lombardy. For the time being, Clare lives in a rather small apartment, in a block belonging to the European Commission, although she plans to find somewhere larger soon, so she can have friends and family to stay.

The farm behind the complex

The complex is surounded by forest and farmland, with paths winding in and out of the trees. At the moment, the trees are bare, but in summer they will look spectacular.

We went for a walk in the forest

We are obviously in an earthquake zone, as we have had two this week; one of 5.1 and the other of 5.3. I am assured that the apartment block has been built to earthquake-proof standards, but it is still rather scary when the whole building sways from side to side during a shake, and you are stuck on the top floor!

Jessica was delighted to find there is a playground with swings and slides

We saw this wonderful sky-blue-pink sunset from Clare's balcony window.

Jessica had her tenth birthday this week,
and we surprised her with a cake and candles.

Jessica was delighted with her cake.

Jessica in Istanbul

2012-01-20T18:16:00.000Z

It was very cold in Istanbul, so Jessica was wrapped up warmly

I collected Jessica from England and brought her to Istanbul for 10 days, while Clare moved to Italy to begin her new job with the European Commission Research Station. We had such fun together. Jessica is so easy to entertain, she never complains or makes a fuss. She is quite delightful.

We went with Angela to the Grand Bazaar, and to Şark Han, an amazing emporium of goods imported from India and China; no doubt keeping up the ancient trade that travelled back and forth along the old Silk Road.

At the Grand Bazaar, we learned new ways to tie scarves. Here is Angela, modelling an elegant knot.

We also went to the hairdresser where Jessica had her hair trimmed. We were fascinated to see how he did the parting. I tried to recreate it at home,

but it never looked the same again!

One day, we went to Büyükada to have lunch with Angela, and afterwards rode around the island in a pony and phaeton. Fortunately, Angla provided us with blankets, as it was freezing cold and trying to snow!

At the end of the ride, the good-natured driver let

Jessica sit in the driver's seat...

...and then sat her on one of the horses.

Christmas Day on Büyükada

2011-12-28T16:20:00.000Z

We saw this family of cats as we climbed the hill to Angela's house.

I managed to rally from my flu-like condition on Christmas morning, and was able to sail across to Büyükada for A wonderful Christmas Day lunch with Angela, Korhan and family. We met Petra and Saïd on the ferry and walked up to the house. It's just as well we did, as we needed the exercise, given the wonderful array of food we were about to consume.

Korhan opened the champagne...

...while Benjamin handed round the delicious aperitifs

Sibel and Earle entertained us with stories of their work in far flung places...

...and David thoroughly enjoyed himself

The meal was delicious and the company excellent

Petra and Benjamin were sitting to to Sibel's right...

Nisa was between Earle and Said...

...and Korhan sat at the head of the table and carved the two geese

...while angela ensured that everything was perfect.

Thank you everyone for such a splendid Christmas day.

Christmas Eve in Istanbul

2011-12-28T15:43:00.001Z

Mustafa carves the Turkey

Last Thursday, after a strenuous day of shoppping in an amazing place called Şark Han, I picked up some diabolical germs that laid me low for two days. As a result, I missed Gabriela's Christmas Eve dinner. Fortunately, David took photos for me, so that I could see the happy gathering.

The assembled guests

When the guests thought they couldn't managed another mouthful,

Mustafa brought out his quince pie!

I was sorry to have missed such a jolly evening, but I did eventually have lunch with Gabriela so we could catch up.

Photography Day 7: The Princes' Islands

2011-12-23T18:51:00.004Z

Transport on Buyukada

No tour of Istanbulis complete without a visit to the islands. So on Jerry's last day, I took himto this idyllic spot. We visited Büyükada (The Big Island), the largest of the5 inhabited Princes Islands. Angela met us from the ferry, and we took a horseand buggy ride around the island, stopping from time to time to take photos.Apart from the municipality vehicles, like the ambulance, police car, and rubbishtruck, no cars are allowed on the island, so the only means of transport is byhorse and buggy.

We stopped for a cup of Turkish tea, so the horses

could rest after pulling the carriage up a long hill climb.

We stopped from time to time to photograph the view...

...while Angela admired the view from the buggy

After our ride, we had lunch in a fish restaurant by the sea.

We chose our first course from the mezzes on offer...

..and finished with a cup of Turkish coffee

The view from the restaurant was stunning

Later, we walked up to Angela's house for tea, and just had to find room

for this delicious cake and ice cream dessert

On our return to the mainland, we decided to photograph the fish market by the Bostanci port. This fish seller insisted on having his photo taken with Jerry.

This was such a fun day, and I hope Jerry enjoyed it as much as I did!

Photography Day 6: Istiklal and Taksim Square

2011-12-09T17:39:00.001Z

New lamps for old!

We came across this man selling lamps in Karaköy

No visit to Istanbul is complete without taking time to stroll down Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Street). It was once known as Grande Rue de Pera, home of foreign embassies and fashionable shops, but was renamed in 1928 to commemorate the 1923 conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence. Today, it is definitely the place to be seen, judging from the hoards of people walking up and down its almost 3km length, so it was imperitive that Jerry should include this on his itnerary.

The funicular that travels from Karaköy to Istiklal Caddesi

We took the ferry from Kadiköy to Karaköy, and headed for Tünel, the funicular that would take us up the steep hill to Istiklal. Tünel opened in 1875, and is the third oldest underground system, after London and New York. It is not a long journey, as the Tunnel is only 573 metres long! Once at the top, we began our walk along Istiklal. The first thing we saw was the vintage tram, that rattles up and down between Tünel and Taksim Square, usually with a bevy of young boys hanging off the back.

The vintage tram that travels along Istiklal.

It had stopped for some reason, so people were posing

for photographs next to it

There are always crowds, promenading up and down Istiklal

We came across this street performer...

... and a man selling Turkish ice-cream, called dondurma.

Turkish ice-cream is an acquired taste. It is made from powdered
orchid roots, milk, sugar and mastic (a tree resin),
and is rather chewy and glutinous.

We stopped off for a typical Turkish lunch. I had chicken kebab....

...followed by Aşure, also known as Noah's Pudding

We finally reached the end of Istiklal, and came to Taksim Square, often referred to as the "symbolic heart" of Istanbul. It is there that the Independence Monument stands, a testament to the achievements of Kemal Ataturk, founder of the present day Republic of Tukey.

One side of the monument depicts Ataturk the soldier...

...and the other side shows Ataturk the Statesman.

Of course, this is only a fraction of the photos I took that day. Istanbul is very photogenic, and I will never tire of it. I hope Jerry enjoyed the day as much as I did!

Photography Day 5: Whirling Dervishes

2011-12-03T15:56:00.001Z

The evening began with music.

Our next photography expedition was a challenge. Jerry and I went to watch the Whirling Dervishes, who are always interesting to watch, although very difficult to photograph, as we were trying to capture fast movement in low light.

Next, the instrumentalist changed into their symbolic garments.

...the camel hair hat, representing the tombstone of the ego,

and the wide skirt the ego's shroud.

The Dervishes are advanced students of Sufism, and are sometimes described as the mystics of Islam, whose beliefs centre on the quest for personal enlightenment. The 14th century Arab historian, Ibn Khaldun, described Sufism as: ... dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone.

The Dervishes enter in black cloaks. Their removal symbolises

being reborn to the truth. The Sufis then cross their arms,

to show the unity of God.

The Dervishes always whirl from right to left, with the right hand turned upward to the sky, and the left one to the earth.

There are 4 parts to their ritual, and they whirl

faster and faster with each one.

At the end, the Dervishes put on their black cloaks and pray...

...and gradually leave the room to go and meditate.

After that fascinating experience we left for the ferry and home, although we couldn't resist taking night photos on the way!

The Kadiköy tourist balloon

Reflections in the water by Kadiköy harbour.

Photography Day 4: The Bosphorus

2011-12-02T16:25:00.001Z

We set sail from Eminönü

Cruising up the Bosphorus is one of my favourite ways to spend a day in Istanbul, and we wanted Jerry to enjoy this experience while he had the opportunity. On the dockside in Eminönü, tourists are often badgered by touts offering Bosphorus Cruises, but these only offer a short trip as far as the second bridge, at extortionate prices. The best way to see Istanbul from the Bosphorus is by taking the Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (IDO). So, it was there, at the ferry dock by the Galata Bridge, that David, Jerry and I met up with our friends, Gina and Ron, for a day out on the Bosphorus.

Jerry took this photo of Gina and me taking photos from the rail of the ship. That must be me on the right, it can't possibly be me on the left!!

On both sides of the Bosphorus is a wonderful array of palaces and other remarkable residences, so we photographers happily snapped away as we sailed.

Dolmabahce Palace has a special place in the hearts of Turkish people.

It was here that the founder of the Turkish Republic,

Kemal Ataturk, lived and died.

Ataturk's yacht, the Savarona, is moored in the Bosphorus.

As we sailed along, the seagulls flew overhead

Our destination was Anadolu Kavağı, near the entrance to the Black sea, where we enjoyed a leisurely, delicious fish lunch, before our return trip along the Strait.

The little fishing village of Anadolu Kavağı

Ever since a man on a dolmus waved a TL100 bill and pointed to Jerry and the picture of Ataturk, we have noticed the likeness. Gina took this picture so we could compare. It is extraordinary!

Passengers wanting to embark from Sariyer. Notice the complete lack of any health and safety features ...but no one fell in!

We saw this extraordinary vessel being moved by tugs along the Bosphorus. Please can anyone tell us what it is used for?

We had such a wonderful day. I will never tire of taking that trip. I hope Jerry enjoyed it as much as I did, and that he got some great shots!

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

2011-11-13T16:52:00.001Z

Jerry and I made another early start when we went to photograph the Topkapi Palace, but the complex was already crowded with sight-seers when we arrived. Jerry paused outside the "Gate of Salutations", to video the crowds. The inscription above the gate reads, "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet."

The walls of the harem, guarding the warren of rooms and

corridors that make up this complex.

Topkapi Palace covers such a vast area that it takes most of a day to really do it justice. This was the home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, and was built by Mehmet II, on the site where the Byzantium Emperors had ruled since Roman times. Topkapi doesn't fit into most people's idea of a palace, as there is no one grand architectural edifice, but rather a collection of small buildings, surrounded by gardens and walkways.

An example of the intricate tiling in the harem

Jerry photographing some detail underneath an imposing

entrance to a section of the harem

Even the pathways are beatifully designed

We saw many examples of exquisite doors, inlaid with mother of pearl

Jerry taking photos in the "Courtyard of the Queen Mother",

a central courtyard where members of the royal household could meet.

One of the stained glass window in the royal princes suite.

We had lunch at the Topkapi restaurant, with a magnificent view overlooking the Bosphorus. Although I am sure that the view today is vastly different from the one that the sultans saw.

Photographed out, we finally left Topkapi and walked down the hill to the Bosphorus, stopping to look at the Sirkici Railway Station, the final stop of the Orient Express.

Photographing Istanbul (Day 2)

2011-11-03T19:23:00.001Z

Cruise ships visiting Istanbul

Our first full day of photography was spent capturing some of the iconic sights of Istanbul, beginning with the Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia). Although we made an early start, we still had to wait in line, due to the influx of huge numbers of cruise-ship passengers into the city. Finally inside, we were able to take innumerable photographs of this magnificent building. The sheer size of this Byzantine masterpiece is breathtaking, especially when one considers that it was built nearly 1,500 years ago, without the aid of any type of machinery.

While we waited to go into the Aya Sofia, we took photos of the man

selling sweet corn, a popular street snack in Istanbul

Now all the scaffolding is down, one can appreciate the sheer

size and beauty of the Aya Sofia

We especially admired the beautiful mosaics

Our next stop was the Yerebatan Sarnici, also known as the Basilca Cistern, built by the Romans to store the fresh spring water brought to the city from the Belgrade Forest along enormous aqueducts. This underground cavern is eerily lit, and very difficult to photograph without a tripod, so we tried steadying our cameras on the rails to get our best shots.

The cavernous interior of the cistern is quite spectacular

It is easy to get around this part of Istanbul by using the tramway.

The Grand Bazaar, where we went to next, is always a colourful subject to photograph. It has been in existence since merchants travelled the old silk road, bringing their goods from distant exotic lands. The bazaar has been covered since 1461, following a decree by Sultan Mehmet II, the conqueror of Constantinople, giving it the distinctive style we see today. Jerry and I had great fun walking the streets of the bazaar and talking to the stallholders, who assailed us from all sides with their banter, "Please can I help you spend your money," being the most popular.

The Grand Bazaar was bedecked with flags for Children's Day

From the bazaar, we walked downhill, through the crowded, winding streets, full of little shops, all the way to the Egyptian Bazaar, by the Golden Horn.

On the way down, we saw these boys washing in a fountain.

Spices for sale in the Egyptian Bazaar

Finally, with hundreds of photos captured on our cards, we headed for the Eminönü Iskelesi, where we boarded our ferry back to the Asian side for our journey home.

Photographing Istanbul (Day 1)

2011-10-26T19:42:00.000+01:00

Boats in harbour, on the Sea of Marmara

Recently we had the pleasure of a visit by our friend, photographer Jerry Newsome, from Georgia, USA. Jerry and I spent the whole week he was here, photographing many of the iconic sights of Istanbul. We began soon after his arrival by venturing down to the promenade along the Sea of Marmara, with our cameras, of course, not wanting to miss anything within range of our lenses.

We were blessed with beautiful weather, and saw people fishing,

and generally enjoying the sunshine

We walked all the way to Bostancı, and then back down to Kızıltoprak, snapping away as we went, stopping only to have some gözleme and Turkish tea in a little seaside café.

Gözleme

We enjoyed photographing the birdlife...

...and people too!

Jerry getting down to his work!

We stayed to photograph the setting sun...

...and were rewarded by a stunning sky!

Last Day of AWAI Phtography Workshop, Venice

2011-10-17T13:40:00.000+01:00

On our last day with the AWAI's Photography Expedition to Venice, Itlay, we got to experience everyone's dream of what to do in Venice - glide along the canals in a gondola. There are only 425 gondoliers in the whole of Venice, as the number of licences granted is strictly controlled by their guild, and are generally passed down from father to son in a family. Even so, there are long periods of training and apprenticeship culminating in a rigorous exam, before a gondolier is deemed proficient enough to take charge of his gondola.

Two of our three gondolas, taken from the other one.

A gondoliers right of way.

Our gondolier

Gondoliers have transported passengers through the canals of Venice for nine centuries, but it wasn't until 2009, that the first female gondola was allowed to take up her oar, and break the ancient taboo against women gondoliers. Gorgia Boscolo fought long and hard for her gondolier's licence, and we were lucky enough to see her in action.

Gorgia Boscolo rowing a tragghetto across the Grand Canal

After our gondola ride, a group of us walked to find Teatro La Fenice, newly built after the devastating fire in 1996.

La Fenice Theatre

As we walked up the steps of the theatre, we were surprised to see the Director of the Theatre, and his leading man in the opera Don Giovanni, going over the score.

Venice was expecting the Acqua Alta (High water) that

blights the city. These platforms were ready to be put out for

people to walk on when the floods come.

We returned to our hotel just in time, as we would have been unable to reach it only moments later. A demonstration was forming outside the nearby railway station and the roads were being blocked off by riot police.

Riot police blocking our way

We later discovered that the demonstrators were immigrants demanding the same rights as Italian citizens. Later, one of our number, Peggy, had a conversation with one of the demonstrators. She was a Nigerian, who was working illegally in Venice on a three-month tourist visa. Each time her visa ran out, she returned to Nigeria, only to return on a new tourist visa. So much for hard-done-by immigrants!

Later, we managed to circumvent the barriers and make our way to Al Giardinetto da Severino, where we had our final dinner together. This was such a great workshop, I was so sorry that it had come to an end!

AWAI Photography Workshop Venice Tour

2011-10-10T10:27:00.000+01:00

Our day began with a three-hour guided tour of Venice. One of our stops was the original Jewish Getto, Il Ghetto. The word ghetto has become synonymous with urban slums and the persecution of the Jews by the Germans; but its origin is in the Italian word, "ghettare", meaning "cast in metal". It was so-called because it was established on the site where old foundries were located.

The entrance to the ghetto

Two young men from today's ghetto area

One of the synagogues in the ghetto

From Il Ghetto, we walked over bridges and along canal sides to Il Campo Dei Mori. This was once the home of the Mastelli brothers, who arrived in Venice from Morea in the Peloponnese in the 12th century. The brothers were primarily silk merchants, but were thought to have made much of their wealth by investing in the Fourth Crusade, and receiving part of the plunder as their reward.

A statue of one of the Mastelli brothers in Campo Dei Mori

This brother had to have his nose replaced, as people thought
they would have good fortune if they touched it.
Unfortunately, they wore his nose away!

Our next destination was the fish market on the other side of the Grand Canal. We crossed in a tragghetto, one of the passenger boats that ferry people from one side of the canal to the other. These tragghetti have mostly been run by the same families for many generations, who use old gondolas that have been stripped of all their finery.

It's quite common for passengers to stand in the tragghetti,

while crossing the Grand Canal

Our group climbing into a tragghetto

We also visited a tiny workshop where gondolas are made and refurbished.

As the sun was beginning to set, we took our tripods and set them up to practice capturing shots in the fading light. This definitely needs more practise on my part! NOT an easy task!

We were rewarded for our patience with a beautiful sky!

AWAI Workshop in Murano and Burano, Venice

2011-10-05T12:53:00.001+01:00

We visited a glass factory in Murano, to watch how the glass

is melted, blown and shaped

On this day, we travelled to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is just like a miniature Venice, and was one of the first lagoon islands to be permanently inhabited. It became the centre for glass-making in 1291, when the Senate declared the industry to be a fire-hazard for the city of Venice. This move had an added benefit of keeping all the master glass makers and their manufacturing secrets in one place, ensuring Venice's monopoly in the production of glass-ware.So much so, that every mirror made in Europe during the 14th century was made in Venice.

I loved this glass snail

The canals on Murano are just like the city of Venice itself

This is a close-up of the glass sculpture seen under the tower above

There were amazing glass sculptures everywhere on the island,

I especially liked these glass ducks and drakes

Our next stop was Burano. This picturesque island dazzles in multicoloured hues of brightly painted house. This island was settled by fishermen, who prospered from the abundant fish they found in the lagoons. While the men were away, the women developed the art of lace-making, and the island has become famous for the quality of their lace. Legend has it that the unusual colours of the houses was to enable the fishermen to identify their homes after long periods at sea, although it does seem rather unlikely.

A row of brightly coloured houses along a canal

This one would be easy to spot...

...and so would this one!

Some hand-made Burano lace

That evening, we had a group photo review back at the hotel. It was great fun looking at everyone's photos and seeing how we had all done. This really is a wonderful way to improve one's skills as a photographer.

Our First Full Day with the AWAI in Venice

2011-09-29T17:12:00.000+01:00

We took a vaporetto along the Grand Canal to San Marco

Our first full day of the AWAI photography workshop was full on. We began the day in small groups in San Marco and the surrounding area photographing the iconic sights of Venice.

The Basilica in San Marco

Beautiful mosaics decorate the entrances

More beautiful mosaics

After a well-earned lunch, there was a two-hour classroom session on Lightroom, the software programme specially designed for photographers to enhance their images. This was followed by a visit to a mask-maker and a paper-maker.

Carlo Marega with a wall of his hand-made masks

The mask-maker was Carlo Marega, of Atelier Marega, who gave us a fascinating glimpse into the art of hand-made Venetian masks. His masks are constructed of “paper-machè”, and he follows the traditions of the ancient mask-makers dating back to the beginning of the XIVth century.

This is a traditional "plague doctor's" mask. The beak was filled with

sweet-smelling herbs to protect the doctor from inhaling the the

foul air and catching the plague. The doctor also wore a long coat and a

large hat to keep his body covered as further protection.

We watched how the masks are made with layers of card and glue.

Carlo Marega uses a card, something like construction paper, and although his masks are only made with three layers of card and glue, they are surprisingly strong and durable. Every mask is uniquely decorated, even if the base moulds are reused many times.

Carlos Marega also showed us how gold-leaf is applied to the masks

Our next stop was at the home of Alberto Valese, who makes hand-decorated paper, with a system first developed in the Byzantine era, called ebru. He studied for many years in Istanbul, and is the only foreign artist recognized as a "master" in Turkey. One of Alberto's specialities, is the marbled paper that was originally imported through the Silk Road from Japan and China to Turkey, and gradually spread throughout Europe during the XVII century.

Alberto Valese demonstrates his technique of splashing different paints

onto a water and gel surface, before carefully placing the paper

on top to absorb the pattern.

Paint on the surface of the gel

The patterned paper is then dried on racks. Every design is unique.

Alberto Valese also demonstrated the highly specialised technique

of painting on the gel with very fine brushes, to produce a

uniquely Turkish design

The finished design.

This day was amazing, and I waited with anticipation to see what the next day would bring.

Ultimate Photographer's Expedition, Venice 2011

2011-09-24T12:26:00.000+01:00

"My beautiful, my own My only Venice - this is breath! Thy breeze Thine Adrian sea-breeze, how it fans my face! Thy very winds feel native to my veins, And cool them into calmness!" – Lord Byron, ‘The Two Foscari’

Byron expressed what many of us feel about Venice, it is so easy to fall in love with this unique city. I was lucky that Venice is only a two-and-a-half hour flight from Istanbul, so I was able to fly in on the morning of our first day at the Ultimate Photographer's Expedition, Venice, Italy 2011.

We stayed in the Hotel Abbazia, close to the Santa Lucia railway station. The hotel is housed in a restored ancient Abbey, that of the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelite Brothers, and many of the original features still remain. My room was up four flights of stairs (there is no lift), so I had plenty of exercise! There are rooms on the ground floor, but they must have decided that I looked fit enough to cope with all those stairs!

We gathered together at 2 pm, for our first meeting with Lori Allen, Director of the Travel Division at American Writers & Artists Inc (AWAI); professional photographer, Rich Wagner, and our Venice guide Kathy Scopin of Fantastica Italia. Introductions over, Rich checked our camera knowledge, before we all headed to a local cicchetteria for anti-pasta, a glass of wine, and an impromptu Italian lesson.

Attendees getting to know one another.

Lori is in the middle in a turquoise dress.

The other side of the table, with Rich in the centre, and

Kathy in blue next to him.

After dinner in another restaurant, new-found friends, Dave and Susan, stopped off with me for a delicious glass of Baileys Dream Shake (ie Baileys, ice-cream and cream) before heading back to prepare for our first day of photography with Rich Wagner.

Oh, incredibly yummy!

uShaka Marine World, Durban

2011-08-24T13:32:00.002+01:00

Entrance to uShaka Marine World, Durban.

When we visited uShaka Marine World in Durban, the day was cold, windy and overcast. The upside to this was that there were few other visitors, so we were free to stroll around at will, unimpeded. uShaka Marine World is a vast complex of over 15 hectares (37 acres). We didn't have time to cover everything, so we confined our visit to Sea World, which has the largest aquarium in the southern hemisphere, housed in a very realistic recreation of a 1920s shipwreck.

The replica 1920s wreck looks very convincing, both inside and out.

I don't know what kind of fish this is, but it was HUGE!

Shannon was fascinated by the fish, although rather a little scared.

Jordan was intrigued by the sea turtles.

I agree with Jordan, it's amazing watching the turtles swimming underwater.

There were lots of weird sea creatures (that's not a rock bottom left!)

We were there at feeding time, when the divers take to the aquariums.
This diver was putting morsels of fish into the mouth of a stingray.

From the aquarium, we went to see the dolphin show. Excitement mounted

as the drummer announced the beginning of the entertainment.

The dolphins performed for us, they were delightful to watch

...and were rewarded with food.

Afterwards, they showed their appreciation by wagging their tails!

We all had such fun at the uShaka Marine World in Durban. It was a great end to our stay. The next day, David and I flew back to Istanbul. Here's to the next time! Thank you Jane, Sean, Shannon and Jordan.

The Shongweni Farmers' Market, KZN

2011-08-20T09:18:00.002+01:00

Hand-woven baskets for sale at the Shongweni Farmers' Market KZN

We made an early start last Saturday, in order to get to the Shongweni Farmers' Market. Open only between 6 and 10 am, this popular market is well worth a visit. The range of goods and produce on sale is amazing, and very good value.

We bought some delicious pesto and dips

from this delightful Greek gentleman

All sorts of enterprising people have stalls in the market

...you don't even have to have large quantities to sell

There were even some owls, and other small creatures, exhibited

by an animal rescue centre, looking for donations

Jane and the children went to look at a magnificent metal rhino, among other animals and birds, being sold by some Zimbabwean entrepreneurs

Shannon enjoyed a cream cake

...and so did Jordan!

There are also buskers to entertain the crowds

We thought this young violinist was rather enterprising

...possibly recruited by his elder brother!

Overall, Shongweni Farmers' Market is a great place to visit on a Saturday morning in Kwa Zulu Natal. I hope I get to go again next time I visit Jane and family!

Tiger Fishing on the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe

2011-08-13T13:35:00.003+01:00

From left back: Martin, Terry, Tim, Paddy - and in front, Brian and David.

During our first week in Southern Africa, David went up to Zimbabwe for a fishing trip with his four brothers, Paddy, Tim, Terry and Martin, plus brother-in-law, Brian. They flew from Harare Domestic Airport, early in the morning, to the tiny Chekwenya airstrip, down in the Zambezi Valley. From there, they were driven to the mighty Zambezi River, where their boat was waiting for them to start fishing immediately.

Martin caught the first fish of the trip (11 lbs in weight)

David made the second catch, weighing in at 10 lbs

Their camp was further down river at Shamashanga, where they arrived at dusk. The camp is a tented camp, with 8 en-suite two-man tents, a central dining area and a campfire area. Luckily, they had the camp to themselves as there were no other visitors for the duration of their stay.

One of the tents at Shamashanga,

with the veranda overlooking the Zambezi.

Each day they stopped off for a braai lunch, on islands in the river

In the evenings, they dined in the camp's dining room

...followed by relaxation around the camp fire.

Sometimes they stopped to watch game. David said that there were vast numbers of elephant, hippo and crocodile in the area.

Enjoying a braai, with their boat skippers.

Tim got to celebrate his birthday during the fishing week. He was presented with a birthday cake - made from elephant dung!

The Phoenix - The Shipwreck Near Durban

2011-07-31T17:00:00.002+01:00

We climbed down to the windswept beach, where the waves were crashing onto the rocks, to see if we could see the ill-fated Phoenix.

After picking me up at King Shaka International Airport, Jane took a detour to see the ship that had run aground in Salt Rock, near Durban. The 164 meter long bulk freighter, the Phoenix, was on its way to India to be scrapped, but had to drop anchor off the coast, in Christmas Bay, to weather out a storm. A cold front had arrived bringing 30 knot winds, rough seas and a 15 foot deep-sea storm swell.

Unfortunately, the anchor line broke and the Phoenix drifted towards the shore, where it ran aground. The skeleton crew of 15 were airlifted to safety by helicopters, and the ship left to the mercy of the Indian Ocean. At first, it was decided to try to use a tug to drag the ship into deep water, but it now seems as if the ship will be scrapped where it is, as a salvage company has already been brought in to oversee operations.

We could see the ship in the distance, through the sea-mist

caused by the spray. Unfortunately the path was too rocky and slippery

to reach the ship this way.

As you can imagine, this ship has been a great attraction and hoards of people are trying to get down to the beach to see what's happening. The police have set up a road block to prevent cars blocking access to emergency vehicles, so we had to leave the car up on the bluff. We walked down the nearest path to the beach, but the sea was very rough and the path to the ship was very rocky and slippery. We then climbed back up again and took another road, which took us nearer to the ship. It was an amazing sight, especially when a helicopter came to deliver supplies for the salvage crew.

We managed to get closer to the ship by taking a different route.

A helicopter appeared, carrying gear for the salvage crew.

It hovered over the ship as it tried to land its cargo.

The load was delivered safely before the helicopter flew away. Later,

we heard that this was one of ten runs made by the helicopter.

Although I was extremely tired after having flown from Istanbul to Jo'burg, and then straight on from Jo'burg to Durban, it was well worth the effort just to see this extraordinary sight. But, unlike the mythological Phoenix, this one will never rise again.

A Cold, Wet, and Windy East Anglia, England

2011-07-14T13:35:00.004+01:00

It's a summer's day in July, and the weather is cold and damp, I can only be in England! Although, to be fair, the miserable conditions are only here, in East Anglia. The weather forecast for the rest of the country is dry and sunny. Just my luck!

Jessica, second from the right, sets off in the 100m sprint.

Notwithstanding the weather, we had fun at Jessica's school sports day. Jessica enjoyed taking part, and Clare won the mother's race (not entirely unexpectedly). We also had delicious strawberry and cream scones for tea.

Jessica carefully balances her egg on the spoon,

as she races to the finish.

Jessica runs her hardest in the relay.

Clare, second from the right, sets off

in the mother's skipping race.

Clare romps home ahead of the rest.

The IWI and German Club Cruise up the Bosphorus

2011-07-03T20:14:00.004+01:00

Our vessel, with the captain on the bridge

Cruising along the Bosphorus is a wonderful way to escape the heat and bustle of the city. On Thursday, I joined the IWI (International Women of Istanbul) and German Club's boat trip. During the summer months there is a tour every Thursday, all the way along the Bosphorus to a sheltered bay near the opening to the Balck Sea.

Once we had moored in the bay, Naz wasted no time

before diving in to the clear, green water.

Naz was quickly joined by others

Here's a crab, plucked from the sea floor...

...and a fistful of conch shells,

(yes, that is a man - husbands are welcome too!)

Everyone is asked to bring something to contribute towards lunch or afternoon tea, and as a result, the variety of food is amazing. We all had a marvelous day, although I must confess to having eaten way too much as everything was so delicious!

Relaxing after a delicious lunch.

At teatime, we just had to sample every single offering,

it was our social duty!

Teatime was a serious affair, we just had to try all those cakes!

Homeward bound at the end of a glorious day.

Istanbul People

2011-06-25T11:51:00.005+01:00

Under summer skies, the Bosphorus becomes a beautiful blue.

I love travelling by ferry across the water.

With 20 million inhabitants, Istanbul is full of interesting people. On a recent trip to the Grand Bazaar, with friends Angela and Füsun, I was fascinated by the Istanbulus going about their daily work. They are great subjects for photographers, and, although there is the occasional one who doesn't want their photo taken, most are only too delighted to be asked.

My companions for the day, Angela and Füsun.

This is a familiar sight in Istanbul, a man carving slices of meat for kebabs.

This man is carrying simit, a crusty bread covered in sesame seeds.

Simit is a popular snack in Istanbul, and there are many

small stalls selling them, as well as mobile sellers like the two above,

who cater for the market people who cannot leave their pitches.

This lady works in a café in the flower market behind the Spice Bazaar.

She is rolling out pastry circles, possibly for gözleme

(rather like a grilled stuffed pancake).

When I took the shot of the lady above,

the cafe owner demanded to have his photo taken too!

Istanbul is inspiring! I love being here.

A Trip to Büyükada on Market Day

2011-06-21T17:17:00.002+01:00

The American Market on Büyükada

It is just a short ferry ride across the water to Büyükada, the largest of the Princes Islands just off the coast of Istanbul, and I wonder why I don't visit more often. This week I went to visit my good friend, Angela, and she took me to Büyükada's weekly market. The market is in two parts, the so-called American market that sells clothes and household supplies, and the fresh produce market. I took my camera, hoping to get some good shots, but the weather was overcast, with a sprinkling of rain, so my photos were only so-so.

Towels and linens for sale

This lady modelled a dress she wanted us to buy.

Many of the stall-holders enjoy having their photo taken

All kinds of fresh produce is for sale

After the market, we went to Angela's home on the island to have lunch. Angela made Börek for lunch, which we ate with salad. Börek is a typically Turkish dish that comes in a variety of forms and fillings. Angela made hers with cheese, eggs, milk, and flavourings, wrapped in a special pastry. I was fascinated to see how it was made, and was so engrossed that I forgot to take a photo of it. I hope Angela makes Börek for me again, as I really need a photo - well that's my excuse, it was rather delicious!

Angela's welcoming front door

The AWAI Workshop, Granada, by Jerry Newsome (Part 1)

2011-06-10T10:36:00.003+01:00

I didn't go to Granada with the AWAI Travel Photography Workshop, but Jerry Newsome of Statesboro, Georgia, did. I have asked Jerry to be my guest blogger to tell us about that add-on trip, and to share with us some of the magnificent photos he took. Jerry sent me such a wealth of information, that I have decided to upload his blog in two parts. Here is part one (carry on reading down for part 2).

The AWAI Travel Photography Workshop in Granada by Jerry Newsome

The Alhambra Palace, Granada

Following the photography workshop in Seville, Spain, an optional add on trip to Granada, Spain, was also orchestrated by Jackie Gray and Efrain Prado of AWAI. The add on trip originally was to have gone to Marrakesh, Morocco, but due to the bomb blast there a few days prior to leaving, the destination was quickly changed to Granada. Four members, Jerry, Brent, Simone, and Lynnia continued with the optional trip while the other members returned to their homes. We missed them, their participation, and their camaraderie but the workshop continued and we went to photograph and learn more from Efrain. I was surprised to learn that Granada is a Spanish word for pomegranate and the stylized symbol of pomegranates were everywhere to be seen especially on posts and fountains.

Another view of the Alhambra Palace, Grenada

Our first subject to photograph at dusk was the Alhambra, literally "the red one". It is a palace and fortress complex occupying the top of the highest hill in the area. Construction began in the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers at that time. Over the years various Catholic and Christian rulers came and went adding their touch and influence.

A garden of the Alhambra Palce

The complex grew without a formal master plan but always included flower gardens, running water and fountains. Charles V, (Holy Roman Emperor in 1527), incongruously inserted his palace within the Nasrid fortifications. Disruptions, wars and lack of interest eventually caused the complex to fall into ruins and disrepair until it was "rediscovered" in the 19th century by scholars and travelers.

A fountain and cool, pleasant walkways

Restoration began after the years of neglect. Refurbishing and rebuilding continues today for this major tourist attraction of Spain, especially Granada. The Alhambra is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It remains one of the country's most significant and well known examples of Islamic architecture, in concert with the Christian buildings and garden additions.

Huge, green hedges line the walkways

Generalife, the name of the garden area, is said to mean Garden of Paradise. The garden area has few replicas of living creatures such as statues of humans or animals but is filled with huge green hedges, verdant covered walkways, flowers, fountains, and flowing waterways throughout. Eight centuries of Muslim rule provided abundant religious calligraphy on the walls and pillars of the buildings and palaces . "Allah is great", "There is no conqueror but Allah" is inscribed over 9,000 times along with other verses from the Q'uran.

A beautiful waterfall in the Alhambra gardens

Opportunities to photograph are endless. One has to concentrate on specific themes and leave others out to do justice, with the workshop in the amount of time we had. Alhambra and Generalife have inspired almost countless works in music, art, books, and other genres over the centuries Two examples. In 1922 M.C. Escher's produced works after studying the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles. In astronomy there is a main belt asteroid named Alhambra.

The AWAI Workshop, Granada, by Jerry Newsome (Part 2)

2011-06-10T10:00:00.000+01:00

The statue of Washington Irving in Granada

One of the main travelers and writers who popularized Alahambra during the 19th century was Washington Irving. (1783-1859). A commemorative plaque also adorns the wall of the room where Irving lived and wrote when he stayed as a guest in 1829. When Irving first arrived in Granada he is reported to have said, "...a most picturesque and beautiful city, situated in one of the loveliest landscapes that I have ever seen." (Jones,Brian Jay. Washington Irving: An American Original. NY 2008 ISBN 978-1-55970-836-4.) Irving also served as ambassador to Spain (1842-46) He was the first American author to achieve international literary recognition and to live from the proceeds of his writings while introducing the site to Western audiences. (Tales of the Alhambra) A statue of Irving is on the walkway out side the walls of the fortification on the way leading from the town Plaza Neuva to the Alhambra complex.

Me, sitting on a bench near the statue of Irving,

and the waterfall shown in part one of this blog

The area is made for walking (or not). Benches are abudant on the walkways and within the complex. The bench on which I am sitting is near the waterfall and the statue of Irving. Efrain, Brent, and Simone loved to walk everywhere. Lynnia, Jackie and myself would ride the bus up the steep hills to the destinations but everyone would walk back down through the twisting passage ways. When the workshop was over I stayed an extra two days touring the city and photographing the narrow streets with their shops, the cathederals, and nightlife. One would have to spend many days or weeks photographing it all.

A bull-fight in Seville

Following Grenada, I returned to Seville for two additional days. I wanted to attend and photograph one bullfight along with other sights I missed the first four days. The bull fight was very colorful and much more ritualized than I had expected. One bull fight turned into six bullfights in little over two hours. There was a large crowd that cheered loudly. An earlier photograph in Elizabeth's blog shows the arena where the spectacle took place.

A female matador

No longer are matadors (killer of the bull) only men but now a few women have taken up the cape. A female matador did her part on this day. Seville is an ancient city with much history and many old landmarks to photograph. The bull fight will not be for everyone but as an American I wanted to see what it was like along with other controversial subjects.

The matador entices the bull

A picador, ready for action

Following the bullfight I found the "mushroom", the derisive nickname given to an ultra modern structure near the Alamada De Hercules. The "mushroom" is unlike anything else in Seville, I spoke to many locals and none of them liked that structure but it is a major and popular meeting place. Many young people were camped out there and held rallies during the Spanish elections which took place while I was there.

The ultra modern structure near the Alamada De Hercules

The AWAI Travel Photography Workshop, Seville (Day 4)

2011-06-04T20:19:00.001+01:00

The workshop participants

Back Row from the left:Jerry, Lynnia, Lee, Jackie (our organizer and administrator), me and Efrain (our guru)

Front row from the left: Simon, Sue and Brent.

Our last day at the AWAI Travel Photography workshop began with a class session on Selling to Magazines. The idea being that we could develope our art well enough to sell our travel images to the print media. Efrain has been published many times, and showed examples of his published work. Although this was meant to be encouraging, after seeing his lovely photographs, one can't help wondering if it really is possible to be that good. Still, as I keep telling myself, I could have another 30 or 40 years ahead of me to practice, so why not give it a shot, I should at least try!

The Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares

(Museum of Folk Art and Costumes)

in the María Luisa Gardens

A ceramic pottery decoration in the park

For this day's shoot, we went to the Parque de María Luisa Gardens. The great thing about the Doña María Hotel, where we stayed, is that it is within walking distance of many of Seville's famous landmarks, so we had no problem in getting around. The park used to be part of the private gardens of the Palacio de San Telmo, where the Infanta, María Luisa Fernanda de Orleans, Duchess of Montpensier, lived. In 1893, she donated the land to the city of Seville, and it was used as the site of the Iberoamerican Exhibition of 1929.

This unique ceramic frog fountain is one of the features of the park.

The park covers a very large area, so they have

these pedal-power carts for rent

The Jacaranda-lined avenues of Seville reminded me of Harare.

On our return to the hotel, we had our last photo review with Efrain, before going to pack, and get ready for the evening's entertainment. This was our farewell dinner in Tablao el Arenal. This is a restaurant with a Andalusian Flamenco show. We were entertained in true Sevillian style by a troup of true gypsy flamenco musicians, singers and dancers. Unfortunately they do not allow photographs, but it was a fun way to end our far-too-short a stay in Seville. We did, however, all come away with a whole new perspective on the business of travel photography, and a determination to practise hard to improve. I found the whole workshop so stimulating and informative that I have signed up to go on another one to Venice in September. Not that I really need an excuse to go Venice. Watch this space!

Efrain encouraged me to be more adventurous in my photography.

This is my last shot of the Giralda Tower, showing the Weather-vane on top.

Seeing the horses and carriages reminded me

of the Princes Islands, Istanbul

The AWAI Travel Photography Workshop, Seville (Day 3)

2011-06-02T16:23:00.005+01:00

The Mequita Cathedral Tower

Our third day at the AWAI Travel Photography Workshop took us to Cordoba, only 45 minutes away from Seville, on Spain's slick, fast train (AVE). In existence since Roman times, Cordoba is a city with a long and rich history. It was once one of the greatest cities of the medieval world, on a par with Constantinople. Our first photo shoot was at the Mesquita Cathedral.

The interior of the cathedral is vast, and has 850 columns supporting pink and white striped arches. Someone remarked that it looked like candyland!

Part of the ornate roof of the cathedral

In the 6th century, this was the site of the Visigoth Basilica of the martyred San Vincente. After the Islamic invasion, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, La Mesquita, was founded in 785. It was gradually enlarged over the following 200 years, resulting in a mixture of architectural styles encompassing Roman, Gothic, Byzantine, Syrian and Persian features. After King Ferdinand III reconquered Cordoba, in 1236, it was rededicated as a Christian cathedral

This was in one of the side chapels, dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle

After regrouping outside the Mesquita cathedral, we crossed the ancient Roman bridge to photograph the city from the other side of the Guadalquivir River. Although the present bridge probably bears no resemblance to the original one, there has been a river crossing here for over 2000 years. To get to the bridge, we passed through the Puerta del Puente (entrance to the bridge), designed by the architect Hernan Ruiz in 1572, during the reign of Philip II, (1556 to 1598).

View of Cordoba from the other side of the Guadalquivir River

(The Puerta del Puente can be seen towards the centre of the photo)

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos,

The Palace of the Christian Kings

With no time to waste, we had lunch in a delightful restaurant, where we shared plates of tapas, before meeting for our next shoot at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, the Palace of the Christian Kings. The palace is noted for its beautiful gardens and inner courtyards, developed over many hundreds of years. We all disappeared in different directions to find our iconic shots to take back for Efrain to critique. I must confess to finding this a little stressful, although Efrain is kindness itself when suggesting improvements to our photographs. It's just that none of us wanted to hear the dreaded words, "This may not be your best work, however...".

The immaculately laid out gardens of the

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The prettily decorated narrow streets of Cordoba,
during the Festival de los Patios

Our last shoot before leaving Cordoba, was among the narrow streets filled with flowers for the Festival de los Patios. This is an annual festival, where householders compete for awards for the best patios and window arrangements. Homes are usually open for public viewing, but our arrival coincided with siesta time, so the patios were closed. We did, however, have the chance to admire and photograph the beatiful window decorations.

We had a wonderful day, and tired, but happy, we returned to Seville to edit our photos and report back to Efrrain. Time was running out, we only had one more day. Time was passing too quickly.

That evening in Seville, there was a procession through the streets as the marching band played. Quite beautiful!

The AWAI Travel Photography Workshop, Seville (Day 2)

2011-05-28T17:10:00.002+01:00

The first session on the second day was on Adobe Lightroom, the software developed especially for photographers to work a little magic on their images. We all came prepared with a copy on our computers, and spent an absorbing hour while Efrain gave us an overview of this complex program. Class over, we walked to the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, the Bull Ring, for our next photo shoot.

The elegant baroque exterior of the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza

This is the bull ring made famous by Bizet's Carmen and dates from 1761, although the magnificent complex we see today was gradually built up over the following 120 years. We joined a tour so that we could visit the museum, and to gain entrance to the bull ring itself as there was no fight on that day. The arena is huge, much bigger than the one in Ondara, where Clare and Jane played in the Ondara town band. It is also more oval than round, which is unusual for a bull ring, and it is higher in the centre, to give the toreador a downhill run to the safety of the barricade.

The pristine splendour of the bull ring.

Puerta del Príncipe (the Prince's Gate),
with beautiful 16th-century iron doors.

The Plaza del Toros museum displays artefacts collected through the ages, depicting celebrated toreadors, their costumes, historic posters, and even the heads of heroic bulls. There is also a small chapel, where the bull fighters go to pray before they face the bull, and the possibility of death.

Matadors' uniforms, displayed in the museum

This was a bull of note, killed in a memorable fight in 1915.

The dome of the torreadors' chapel

Our next shoot of the day was at Seville's Gothic cathedral, and from the bell tower of the Giralda Tower. The foundations of the cathedral were laid in 1248 on the site of the Almohad Mosque, after the reconquest of the territory by the Spanish following the Moorish invasion. All that is left of the mosque is the Giralda Tower, from which the Muezzin made the call to prayer. The access to the bell tower is via 35 ramps, rather like the ones in the Aya Sofia, although not as steep. The reason for ramps, rather than stairs, was to enable the Muezzin to ride his horse to the top of the tower for the five-times-a-day call to prayer.

The entrance to the cathedral's Patio de los Naranjos, the Orangery.

Ornate roof detail in Seville's Gothic Cathedral

A cherub from one of the many chapels

The Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza,

as seen from the top of the Giralda Tower

The view down Mateos Gago, where we often ate in the evenings.

Our hotel swimming pool can be seen on the left.

In the evening, after a relaxed dinner, Sue and I sat on the rooftop bar of our hotel and sipped a cocktail, while gazing out over the cathedral and the tower - such an amazing view!

This is the other side of the tower from my previous image on day one.

The AWAI Travel Photography Workshop, Seville (Day 1)

2011-05-22T15:05:00.004+01:00

The rooftop bar at the Hotel Doña María

I am now back in Istanbul, having had a wonderful time in Seville attending an AWAI (American Writers and Artists Inc.) Travel Photography Workshop. There were only seven people in our group, which meant that we had lots of individual help from our Guru, Efrain Padro, a professional travel photographer and writer. We were also blessed to have Jackie, from AWAI, who organised everything with such efficiency. Those few days in Seville changed me from a would-be photographer into someone who has mastery over her camera, who can now take professional standard photographs (well almost!).

We stayed at the Hotel Doña María in the old historic centre of Seville, facing the Cathedral and the famous Giralda Tower. The Hotel was originally a XIV Century palatial mansion, belonging to one Samuel Leví (that should amuse the Zimbos among you). This particular Samuel Levi was an advisor and confidant to King Peter I, "The Cruel". One of the features of this hotel is its rooftop bar and swimming pool with a stunning view of the Cathedral and the Giralda Tower.

Not that we had much time to admire the view! We spent an exhausting, but thoroughly enjoyable, time learning about photography, and travel photography in particular. Our first full day began with a classroom session on composition and checking our understanding of the various camera functions. We then set off for our first shoot, in the Reales Alcázares (Royal Fortresses). This began as a fortified palace, built for Abd al-Rahman III (891-961), in 913, and was gradually added to, over the centuries, by the many monarchs that followed. It now is the official residence of His Royal Majesty Juan Carlos when he visits Seville.

An inner courtyard, showing the decorative stonework.

The Ambassadors' Room, decorated with gilded cedar wood.

The Reales Alcázares has many rooms, patios and halls, in many different architectural styles, reflecting different periods from ancient Islamic to Neoclassical. There is also an array of beautiful gardens and fountains, so we had lots to photograph. The seven of us workshop attendees spread out in every direction to see what we could achieve in the short time available. To his credit, Efrain managed to find each one of us in that vast space so that he could check our images, and critique them, enabling us to benefit from his considerable experience.

The elegant tapestry room. On the right is Lynnia (one of our group), photographing the exquisite tiling along the walls.

This fountain, showing Mercury the winged messenger,

is in the Jardin de la Alcubilla (Garden of the Reservoir),

which dates back to the time of Charles V.

After a quick lunch, we were back in the classroom for a group photo review. We each had to choose 3 images for Efrain to appraise on a large screen. This was a little nerve-wracking, but Efrain was kindness itself (although we discovered that when he used the phrase, "This is not your best work.", it was time to junk that particular photo).

The Plaza de España is built in a semi-circle,

with a diameter of 200m.

Our afternoon assignment took us to the Plaza de España, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, to showcase Spain's industrial and technological exhibits. Today, it houses government offices in magnificent splendor. Those who had tripods were encouraged to bring them along. This was my first time using a tripod. At first I must have looked strange as I battled with the contraption, but gradually I felt more comfortable as I moved around. The resulting shots were impressive as I was able to achieve perfect focus (for once in my life - ie no camera shake!).

Here, Efrain is advising, Brent, one of our group.

The canal is a great place to go boating.

After a quick dinner, we were out again with our tripods, taking photos of the Giralda Tower, lit against the evening sky. Here the tripods were essential, as long exposures were needed to compensate for the fading light. So ended day one, well almost - we still had to download our photos and get our kit ready for the next day. I went to bed exhausted, but happy. What of the next day? Wait for my next post!

The Giralda Tower at night.

International Tulip Festival, Istanbul, 2011

2011-05-08T15:41:00.002+01:00

The tulip festival attracts many visitors, and is a great place for a picnic

Istanbul is awash with Tulips at this time of year, and has been every spring since 2006. It is the time of the International Tulip Festival. Millions of tulips are planted all over the city, in parks, avenues, road verges, and traffic circles; in fact anywhere there is a space for them. One of the best displays is found in Ermigan Park. This is one of the largest public parks in Istanbul, covering 100 acres. So, one Sunday, Sue and I took our cameras and headed off across the Bosphorus to see for ourselves.

I loved these gorgeous pink tulips

Why tulips especially, one may ask? Although today tulips are usually associated with Holland, they only arrived there in the 16th century from the Ottoman Empire. Evidence of the early existence of the tulip, called "lale" in Turkish, can be found in the many Ottoman paintings and decorations that survive in Istanbul.

This tulip with the pointed petals is called the Sultan's Tulip

The bridge over a river of grape hyacinths, edged with tulips

More of the River of Flowers

The tulips usually bloom from around the end of March, or beginning of April, and last for several weeks. The display in Ermigan Park is amazing in the colour and variety of tulips, as well as the design of the tulip beds.

A tulip bed in the shape of a butterfly

Ermigan Park, Istanbul, is the place to visit in the spring.

...to resume: Polo at Ellerston

2011-05-07T17:15:00.000+01:00

Neil (extreme right) played for the winning PIM team.

When we returned from Melbourne, there was another Ellerston polo tournament. This time, Neil played in the 8 goal tournament for the PIM (Paradice Investment Management) team , and we were so proud when his team surged to victory in the final against RBS Morgans.

This was the best pony of the match

Stomping in divots in between chukkas. Katelyn is running

across the field, 4th from the left.

Normally, after polo games at Ellerston, a machine comes out to smooth the divots kicked up by the horses, but this time there were so many matches that people power was needed. Katelyn was delighted to be allowed on the field and took the opportunity to race off across the grass with a little friend. They thought it was hilariously funny when they had to be caught and brought back.

Katelyn, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Laura and Suzi enjoying the polo.

Suzi, Neil and Katelyn live in idyllic surroundings on the Ellerston property, but it has its drawbacks. I looked out onto the patio one day and saw the cat attacking a large, writhing snake. Later, we found a dead baby snake that we presumed the cat had killed. General consensus was that it was a tiger snake.

The long drive to Suzi's and Neil's house.

The baby Tiger Snake

These are very aggressive venomous snakes with a potentially fatal bite. They generally give birth to between 12 to 40 live young, so its brothers and sisters were somewhere nearby. It's no wonder that Suzi doesn't allow Katelyn to play in the garden unless strictly supervised!

Katelyn is such a happy child

She loves playing on a slide

The 47th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2011

2011-04-24T17:02:00.005+01:00

Today, I am interrupting the sequence of my blogs for up-to-the-minute news.

The view of the 47th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey from my apartment.

I decided there was a better view from the street.

This morning David remarked that there were no vehicles coming down Bağdat Caddesi. The road was closed. We soon discovered the reason. This was the start of 47th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, the first stage of one of the warm up races before the Tour de France - and it was coming down our street; not just once, but nine times, as we were part of an 11km loop that formed 99km of the race.

Crowds wait at the finish to cheer in the winners.

Only 300 metres to go!

I went down to the street to catch the action, and then, when they were on their final loop, I carried on down to the sea front to watch the end of the race.

At the 200 metre mark, Tyler Farrar was leading

Andrea Guardini came through to win.

The last contestants race to the finish.

The President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül was there to hand out the various prizes. Andrea Guardini of Italy won this first stage, Tyler Farrar (USA) was second, and Kenny Robert Van Hummel (NI) was third. The end of the race was very exciting, as it looked as if Tyler Farrar was going to win, but Andrea Guardini came out of nowhere and beat him to the tape.

The President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, congratulates the winner

Andrea Guardini is elated

The first three past the post

The green, white and turquoise jerseys are presented

The Dignitaries

the President drove home down our street, and past our apartment.

Travel to Mt Gambier (Part 2)

2011-04-07T07:14:00.003+01:00

Mount Schank

On one of our trips out, we decided to tackle the Mount Schank walking trail. This is a series of steps cut into the slopes of an extinct volcano. Unfortunately, Mair and I failed to reached the top, although Paul managed it. The problem was that the actual steps became higher and higher as we neared the top. As both Mair and I are somewhat lacking in height, we found climbing onto the steps quite taxing, so we decided to give up and just admire the view.

The area is so flat, we could see for miles.

We also visited Beachport, which has the second longest jetty in South Australia at 722 metres. It was intended to be the longest, at 4000 metres, when it was originally begun in 1878, but various construction problems resulted in the remaining remnant. Beachport is in a natural harbour, which enabled it to be settled as a whaling station in the 1830s, and the safe haven for fishermen it has become today.

Beachport Jetty

I was fascinated to see this tiny old cinema in Beachport. It is still in use,

although I am not sure how many patrons can fit in.

From Beachport, we drove past salt water lagoons to Robe. In Australian terms, this also has a long history, going back to the 1840s, and by the look of it, very little has changed since then. It is a charming little seaside town with wonderful stretches of beach.

We walked along the beach front to the harbour...

...and then to the old customs house, dating from 1863.

Town records note that, Henry Melville, the first Harbour Master, voiced the need for speedy customs turnaround to prevent ships being caught in the "treacherous winds of the bay". In later times, the building was used as the town's Council Chambers, and is now a museum.

I had a great time visiting my friends in Mt Gambier. Thank you so much, Mair and Paul. You gave me such a wonderful introduction to Mt Gambier and the surrounding area, that I hope I behaved well enough for you to allow me back one day!

Travel to Mount Gambier (Part One)

2011-04-06T06:09:00.003+01:00

As part of my trip to Australia, I flew to Mt Gambier, in South Australia, to visit an old school friend, Mair, and her husband, Paul. Although we have been in touch by email for the last three or four years, we hadn't met since we left school fifty years ago. Mair and Paul were really kind, and went out of their way to show me as much as possible of Mt Gambier and its surrounding area in the short time we had together.

Paul and Mair

Mt Gambier isn't a mountain at all, it is really a volcano complex, with the city named after it gracing its slopes. The volcano has three craters, the largest of which contains the amazing Blue Lake that turns a vivid shade of blue in the summer. No swimming or diving is permitted in the lake, as it is the main water supply for the city.

The incredible colour of the Blue Lake

Because of its geological make up this area is known as the Limestone Coast, and the many caves and sink-holes are evidence of this. One famous site we visited, was the Umpherston Sinkhole. It was here, in 1884, that James Umpherston began to create a sunken garden in the natural sinkhole that formed when the roof of a subterranean limestone cave collapsed on his property. Today, this garden is part of a city park, and is a popular venue for weddings.

The Umpherston Sinkhole

On my first evening, I had intended to take Mair and Paul out to dinner, but I was foiled by Paul, and didn't get a chance to pay, as he insisted that I was their guest. We went to The Barn Steakhouse, where they serve the most amazing steaks, grilled over coals. For me, my Peppered Steak looked huge, but was nothing compared with the one chosen by the guy on the next table to ours (see left). He had opted for the Large Grass-Fed Rump Steak, nearly a whole kilogram of meat! He finished it too!

The Happy Diner

The next day, we drove along the coast. The soft limestone means that the coast is constantly eroding, which leads to some extraordinary features.

We passed some petrified trees, standing in the sea.

There were also strange rock formations, this one is called Rhino Rock.

We looked out from the most southerly point of South Australia. It was quite cold and very windy, as there is nothing between here and the South Pole.

During our travels, we spotted this echidna.

We had such fun, but this is only half of what I saw. There is more to come in my next post about Mount Gambier.

Our visit to Melbourne

2011-03-27T09:06:00.002+01:00

Lauren with Findlay

Suzi, Katelyn and I flew to Melbourne to stay with Lauren and Findlay. Steven was working away in Orange, but he joined us on the Thursday, along with Brian, who had flown in for the weekend from New Zealand. Katelyn and Findlay hit it off immediately, and it was great to see the two cousins playing together (or should that be "first cousins once removed", as Lauren and Suzi are first cousins).

Katelyn loved playing with Rigs, Lauren's Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Children play while the Mums drink coffee

Lauren introduced us to the Melbourne coffee culture. Many cafés in Melbourne have playgrounds attached so that the children can play while the mothers socialise.

Findlay enjoyed the sandpit...

...while Katelyn played on the slide.

After coffee, we went to a book shop where they regularly have entertainment for children in the form of songs and readings from books.

The story book lady.

Suzi and Katelyn at story-time

Findlay is such a happy little boy!

Lauren looked after us very well and I knew Suzi was in good hands as I left to fly to Mt Gambier to visit an old school friend, but more of that in my next post.

This Week in Ellerston

2011-03-12T10:23:00.002Z

Emily's Christening at the Anglican Church in Moonan

The day after the Ellerston Carnival, we went to Emily's Christening, which was held in the Anglian Church in Moonan, and afterwards at Alice and Matt's home. The tiny church was filled with Ellerston families, there to celebrate this happy occasion. Katelyn was an angel and behaved so beautifully throughout the service, that I was a very proud granny.

Neil and Katelyn

Katelyn enjoyed playing in Emily's Wendy House

Every morning, Suzi goes to feed some of the mares with foals at Ellerston, then checks others to make sure they are OK, and haven't come to grief somewhere. This take about two hours as there are lots of horses spread over a large number of paddocks.

Suzi feeding two foals

There is some stunning scenery at Ellerston

This week, we also watched Neil play polo for Ellerston in The Kerry Packer Challenge Cup; the final is on Sunday. It was a great game and there was lots of cheering and encouragement for Neil from us, and from his fellow Ellerstonians.

Neil is white number two in this scrum

Neil rides off his opponent

Katelyn wants to ride like Daddy

Carnival Night at Ellerston.

2011-03-11T03:03:00.002Z

Katelyn had lots of fun on the babies' Bouncy Castle!

The Kerry Packer Challenge Cup is being played at Ellerston at the moment, and while the tournament is going on there are all sorts of entertainment events to keep the participants and spectators amused. On Saturday, we had great fun at the Carnival Night, followed by a delicious BBQ. There were Dodgem Cars, two Bouncy Castles, a sheer drop of a slide, and a Bucking Bull, so there was plenty to keep everyone amused.

Suzi had lots of fun too. Here she is lining up with the children for a turn on the terrifyingly high slide. If you look really carefully, you can see Katelyn on the Bouncy Castle behind, being watched by her beloved Daddy.

Yes, that's Suzi on the right.

Suzi also rode on the dodgem cars while

Granny and Katelyn cheered her on from the side.

...and then she took a turn on the Bucking Bull,

while Neil and Katelyn watched.

Jack found the secret to staying on was to hook your feet
under the bull's horns!

The food was cooked on an enormous outdoor BBQ

Katelyn loved the Bouncy Castle, but even she got off eventually!

Getting Around in Istanbul

2011-02-28T10:09:00.003Z

The Galata Tower

Public transport in Istanbul is one of the cheapest and best I have experienced anywhere in the world, only Buenos Aires comes anywhere near. Recently, I have been showing Sue how to get around the city on all the various types of transport. Our first venture was over to Beyoğlu, as she had read about the Galata Tower in the Lonely Planet Guide, and was keen to see the famous view over the city.

The view of the Bosphorus from the Galata Tower

We live on the Asian side of Istanbul, and as we needed to cross to the European side, we first caught a yellow dolmuş to the Kadiköy ferry docks. The word "dolmuş" means "stuffed" in Turkish, and is the name of the shared minibus taxis. They travel up and down set routes throughout the city and are a great way of getting about. They have no scheduled stops along the way, as they pick up and drop passengers on request. The drivers are always on the lookout for potential customers and often hoot as they drive along, to let people know they have room for more.

The view down to the ground from the Galata Tower

The dolmuş drivers are very adept at driving on Istanbul's busy roads, and weave in and out of the traffic at a hair-raising pace; all the while collecting fares passed to them from behind, distributing change, answering calls on their mobiles, and remembering passengers instructions as where to drop them off.

We saw this knife grinder sharpening a knife for the kebab shop.

From Kadiköy we took the ferry to Karaköy, on the other side of the Bosphorus. Ferries criss-cross the Bosphorus every day, and mostly manage to avoid the international shipping passing through the straight. Amazingly, there are very seldom any accidents involving ferries on this very busy waterway.

To access the ferry, I used my akbil (see left). The word "akbil" is a condensed form of the Turkish words "akıllı bilet", which means "intelligent ticket", and is so useful for travelling around Istanbul. It is a pre-paid electronic pass that can be used on ferries, buses, trams, the metro, Tünel, and the funicular. It consists of an electronic button, set on a plastic fob, that conveniently fits onto a key chain. An akbil means no waiting to buy tickets, and not only gives a 10% discount on the original fare, but for any subsequent transfers within 2 hours, the discount is 50%. There are machines to fill the akbil at all ferry ports and railway stations. It is very easy to do, and there is always someone nearby to offer assistance should you need it

The vintage tram that runs from Tünel to Taksim Square

Once across the Bosphorus, we headed for Tünel. This is a short funicular railway connecting Karaköy, at sea level, with Beyoğlu, 60 metres higher up a very steep hill. Tünel was built by French engineers and has been used continuously since January 1875. It was built to transport people and goods up the steep incline from the waterside in Karaköy to the embassies and residences in Beyoğlu. From the station at the top of the funicular, we walked a little way back down the hill to Galata Tower; from the top of which we had a magnificent view of Istanbul.

Istiklal is always crowded with people

We saw these mouthwatering desserts in Istiklal

After descending from the tower, we had lunch at The House restaurant, and then walked all the way up Istiklal to Taksim Square, where we caught our dolmuş home.

Sue at the top of Istiklal, by the roasted chestnuts stall.

Visiting the Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia) and the Grand Bazaar

2011-02-25T16:22:00.003Z

The Hagia Sophia has had all its scaffolding removed, the first time in years.

On our second day with Elenor, Angela and I took her to the Hagia Sophia, one of the most iconic images of Istanbul, This 6th century church amazes everyone who sees it (apart from Mark Twain, who called it, "The rustiest old barn in heathendom"). The sheer size alone is overwhelming, but when you consider that it was raised without the aid of modern-day machinery, the sight is overwhelming. At last, all the scaffolding for the renovations has been removed, for now, and its magnificence is revealed for all to see.

The great dome of the Hagia Sophia

Elenor and Angela

The upper gallery, showing one of the eight roundels that were added by Sultan Abdülmecid, between 1847 and 1849.

The 9th century mosiac at the exit to the Hagia Sophia (although this was originally the entrance.) It shows Constantine offering the city of Constantinople to the Virgin Mary, while Justinian I offers the Hagia Sophia.

From the Hagia Sophia, we walked to the Grand Bazaar where Elenor still had to do some last minute shopping. Then, finally shopped out, we headed for her hotel to pick up her luggage, then took a taxi to the House Café in Ortaköy for lunch, before catching a ferry to Bostancı where I left them to take the dolmuş home. They, in turn, took another ferry to Büyükada where Elenor went to enjoy Angela's famed hospitality for the weekend, before returning to Norway.

The Grand Bazaar dates back to 1461, and is always fun.

While we were there, we saw the Muezzin giving the call to prayer in the Bazaar's mosque.

Elenor bought a beautiful blue ceramic bowl.

Winter is a good time to visit the bazaar, as there are far fewer tourists.

Sightseeing in Istanbul

2011-02-23T20:45:00.006Z

I spent an interesting two days with Angela and Elenor, her childhood friend from Norway. Elenor was in Turkey to attend a Dyslexia Conference in Adana, after which she and a colleague, Marianne, decided to do some sightseeing in Istanbul. We managed to pack in quite a lot of sightseeing in the short time they had available.

The tower on top of he Harem in the Topkapi Palace

Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace. Built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II on the site of the original Byzantine palaces, Topkapi Palace dates from 1459, although it was not completed until 1478. The word "palace", usually conjures up an image of an imposing edifice of considerable size. Topkapi Palace doesn't fit this mould, being rather a collection of smallish buildings scattered over a large area.

The Aya Irini in the grounds of the Topkapi Palace

On entering the palace grounds, the first sight is of the Aya Irini (Hagia Eirene), Church of Divine Peace. A church was established on this site in the sixth century, but was seriously damaged during the Nika Riot in 532. It was rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian in 537, and has remained little changed since then, apart from some repair to earthquake damage in 740. This church was never converted into a mosque in Ottoman times, but was used, first as an armoury, and later to store precious historical artefacts. Today, the building is used as a concert venue for orchestral and choral works.

Elenor and Angela at the entrance to the Harem

After buying our tickets and entering through the Bab-uş Selam (Gate of Salutations), we passed through to the palace's second courtyard, and Angela suggested that we cross directly to the Harem. This was a great idea as there was hardly anyone there. Most people work their way around the square, visiting the buildings in order, so the crowds hadn't reached there yet.

A beautiful mirror, one of a pair in the first room.

The Harem was where the Sultan resided, surrounded by his wives, children, concubines, eunuchs and slaves; all controlled by the stern hand of the Valide Sultan, the Queen Mother. It is a labyrinth of rooms, corridors and courtyards, where rooms were continually added and rebuilt as needed. The decorations are beautiful, and obviously the work of many master craftsmen.

The Courtyard of the Concubines and the Sultan's Consorts

Angela, Elenor and Marianne by the stunning view

After visiting the Harem, we went to the Mecidiye Pavilion to gaze out over the spectacular view of the Golden Horn and the confluence of the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara. The treasury was next and we marvelled at the extraordinary opulence of its bejewelled artefacts. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed there, so you will just have to go to see for yourselves.

The Basilica Cistern

Reluctantly, we left this amazing testament to a bygone era and headed for the Yerebatan Cistern (also known as the Basilica Cistern). This extraordinary feat of Roman engineering, enlarged to its present dimensions by the Emperor Justinian I in 532, was used to store water for the Great Palace.

We had lunch in the Havuzlu Restaurant in the Grand Bazaar

Our last stop was the Grand Bazaar - an essential experience for any visitor to Istanbul. This was Marianne's last day, so she had shopping to do, as did the rest of us.

We looked at ceramic bowls

...and bought some beautiful scarves.

Boston, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

2011-02-15T13:47:00.004Z

The view from the house over Dave's land.

When Jane went to the Drakensberg on a girly weekend with her friends, I went to Boston to stay with Dave and Bärbel on their farm. They are both keen photographers, and are especially interested in the wild flowers of South Africa. They now have an extensive collection of images, all identified and classified. I persuaded Dave to set up some Power Point Presentations so he can give talks on their many walks through the beautiful, and often wild, South African countryside. We spent a happy day selecting images and setting up some slides.

We picked fresh rhubarb from Bärbel's vegie garden

for her delicious rhubarb crumble.

Approaching the maize field, along a muddy farm-track.

On our walk, we came across these strange beetles.

Later in the day we walked the dogs across some of Dave's land, and around a maize field. We spent some time looking for Crowned Cranes, which Dave assures me can be frequently seen in that area. I took my camera, hoping to get in some good shots. Unfortunately, the only cranes we saw were too far away for any useful images. However, Dave kindly let me have a couple of his photos so I could see what I was missing!!

This was the closest I got to a Crowned Crane all weekend!

This was the shot I was hoping for, unfortunately this is not mine.

The weekend passed far too quickly and all too soon Dave and Bärbel were taking me to meet Jane and her friends at the Howick Falls. This 300ft (98m) waterfall is amazing. The Zulus call it KwaNogqaza, "place of the tall one", and they believe the area is inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors. Local legend also claims that a giant serpent-like creature, called the Inkanyamba, lives in the pool below the waterfall. For this reason, only Sangomas, or Witchdoctors, are allowed to approach it, as they believe anyone else is in terrible danger. Sacrifices of chickens and goats are offered here to appease the creature, and to honour Inkulunkulu, the Great God, as well as Amathongo, the ancestral spirits. It certainly is an awe-inspiring sight!

The Howick Falls

An Evening with Billy and Judy

2011-01-25T19:15:00.000Z

Drinks on the patio at Billy and Judy's

We all went to Billy and Judy's house on the day we visited the Shongweni Farmers' Market. We were delighted that Barbara was going to be there, but we were really pleased to find Mary there as well. We were meant to go for tea, followed by drinks, but we found Barbara's explanations of Reiki so interesting, that the time flew by and we ended up having dinner there as well.

Judy teaches Shannon a forward somersault,

but Jordan can't wait for his turn!

This is how you do it!

Cartwheels too!

Judy is amazing, she not only whipped up dinner for all of us, apparently from thin air, but also managed to entertain Shannon and Jordan by teaching them somersaults and cartwheels. It's always a fun evening at Billy and Judy's.

The following Monday was Sean's birthday and Viv and Lindsay cooked a magnificent curry for us in celebration. Unfortunately, Gary had to miss this occasion as he was on duty that night. I think we left some curry for him, but it was so delicious that we ate loads, so I cannot be sure.

Viv and Lindsay cooked a magnificent curry.

Sean really enjoyed his birthday

Shannon watched some of Gary's National Geographic DVDs

...and Jordan watched too!

Gary ready for duty.

Shongweni Farmers' Market

2011-01-22T15:01:00.004Z

Jane, Jordan, and Shannon stroll through the market

Judging from the early start of the Shongweni Farmers' Market, shoppers must be keen enough to arise at dawn in this part of South Africa. Turn over for some extra shut-eye and you'll miss it altogether. Shongweni is in Kwa Zulu Natal, not far from Durban, and the market is renowned for its fresh and home-made produce, as well as its crafts section. It runs from 6 am to 10 am every Saturday, and it is well worth getting there early, as one needs to have time to browse all the stalls and savour the mouth-watering produce.

We stopped by the pet stall so the children could see the animals

This strange-looking creature is an angora goat

The Shongweni Farmers' Market attracts visitors from far and wide, and many people go there to breakfast with friends and family as a special treat at the weekend. This is a wonderful place to buy organic produce like hormone-free meat and free-range chicken and duck eggs; as well as a wonderful selection of farm-fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, olive oils, and home-made pickles, conserves, bread and cakes.

We came across some Zimbabweans, selling their metalwork animals.

We loved these hats. Jane bought the blue one, second from the left, and I bought a black and white striped one.

Although the Shongweni Farmers' Market began as a place to buy healthily produced food, it has expanded to add crafts as well. There is so much on offer that one could easily come away laden down with all sorts of exciting finds. Unfortunately, Jordan wasn't feeling quite well, so we had to cut our visit short, but it is definitely on my itinerary for next time.

Homeward bound. Jane is wearing my hat, while
Shannon is wearing Jane's.

Spider-Man's Third Birthday

2011-01-16T10:04:00.000Z

Spider-man, Jordan, throws his web.

Jordan loves the comic-book hero, Spider-Man, so it was no surprise that this was the theme for his third birthday party. He was especially delighted to receive a Spider-Man swimming costume from Jane's friend, Heather, and proudly wore it for his pool-side party. All the children has such fun and they swam all afternoon, and on into the evening (although, I must confess, the water was far too cold for me to even think about venturing in!).

The children enjoyed the pool

Jordan loves swimming

...and so does Shannon.

Travis tried to run across the pool!

Heather is famous for her baking, and even came up with a Spider-Man cake to round off the celebrations. Jordan thoroughly enjoyed his day and he was a very tired but happy little boy when he eventually went to bed!

Heather's Spider-Man Cake

Jordan loved his cake

...and wanted to cut it all by himself, but Jane insisted on helping him.

(Guess what the dads were trying to watch on television?)

Heather shared out the cake.

Spider-Man's mother, the lovely Jane!

New Year's Eve in South Africa

2011-01-01T11:22:00.020Z

Jane and Sean invited some of their friends and neighbours around for a New Year's Eve party. The children amused themselves with play station and movies, until they fell asleep in a heap, while the rest of us ate, drank and took part in Gary's quiz-night. I was Viv's partner and we had great fun, especially with the general knowledge section. Unfortunately, the questions on music of the 80s had us completely stumped - we must have seriously missed out on that decade! Regrettably, I was too busy enjoying myself to take many photos, sorry about that!

Shannon looked beautiful in her princess dress

Jordan was his usual cheeky self

Jane relaxed before the guests arrived

The children played play station and watched DVDs

Christmas in Zimbabwe

2010-12-28T22:29:00.001Z

Alfresco lunch at Christmas time.

Christmas at Chitora reminded me of all those times the family spent together there, I was only sorry that there couldn't have been more of us; but, spread as we are all over the globe, that would be a difficult wish to fulfil. Christmas in Zimbabwe means summer, alfresco lunches, fun and laughter. This year the summer has been slow to start, with lots of rain. This does means, however that the vegetation is looking very lush and green. I suppose one cannot have everything!

Irene decorated the table for our Christmas Eve dinner

We had our main Christmas dinner, with turkey and all the trimmings, on Christmas Eve, up at the main house. Irene decorated the table, and Sue and Jen provided a magnificent spread. Even Marty helped with the cooking!

Marty checking that all is well with the meal.

Bubby, Flo and Sue ready to enjoy Christmas Dinner

We exchanged presents on Christmas Day

On Christmas Day, Bubby led a short service before we exchanged presents. We had such a happy Christmas, full of joy and camaraderie. We just wish everyone could have been there to enjoy it with us.

Brian, Séan and Tim opening their presents

Bubby and Tammy with Findley

My birthday came shortly after Christmas and we celebrated it with a magnificent farmhouse breakfast, followed by a picnic out on the lands. I felt very special!

My Birthday Picnic on the flat rock, out in the bush.

Jen, Marty and Penny

Irene took lots of photos

Tammy helping Jen with her new camera.

Something quite large has been feasting here!

These could be the remains of a civet cat

In Loving Memory of Jennifer Calderwood

2010-12-22T23:17:00.002Z

Jenny as we remember, her with Barry on the left and Polly

on the right, at Peterhouse Speech Day, November 2009

We were all very sad to hear that Jenny Calderwood finally had lost her valiant battle with cancer. It is so hard to believe she has gone, especially as we had seen her only the previous year, looking the picture of health at the Peterhouse Speech Day.

Jenny was surrounded by the flowers that she loved

Jen's funeral was held in her beautiful garden at the Rector's Lodge in Peterhouse, on December 22. Sue did the catering and was asked to cater for 200 people, she decided that 300 would be more appropriate, but ended up sending out for more supplies as more than 500 people gathered together to say farewell to Jen, even though it was the Christmas holidays and many people were away. The bush telegraph works well in Africa!

Dr Kevin Martin led the service

Gracious Mandengu organised the choir from her church

A duet played for us during the lunch

Sue organised a magnificent lunch

The Wedding at Leopard Rock

2010-12-19T10:46:00.000Z

The Wedding Party

We first heard the singing of African voices. Then they appeared, striding over the hill in close formation like a Zulu Impi. Lynne in front, supported by her two sons, with her maids of honour just behind, and followed closely by the Choir of Africa University. It was an amazing sight and brought a tear to many an eye.

The Choir of Africa University

Guests waiting for the wedding party to arrive

We had gathered together by the golf course's 17th hole, otherwise known as "World's View", because of its stunning vista. Brian and Lynne held their civil wedding on Thursday in Mutare, so today's celebration was for the affirmation of their vows before family and friends.

Lynne and Brian exchanged vows

Brian engaged a singer to come all the way from Scotland to sing especially for Lynne, as an acknowledgement of her Scottish ancestry.

...in return, the Africa University Choir sang a song of greeting to Brian

As well as the many friends, the wedding brought together four families; Brian and Lynne's immediate families; Brian's late wife, Sheelagh's family, and Lynne's late husband, Dave's family - so at times there were bitter-sweet memories - but everyone was unanimous in that we were all there to support Brian and Lynne in their new life together.

The Coughlan Clan (well, at least those who could be there!)

The ceremony was followed by a sumptuous dinner at the Leopard Rock Hotel with live music and dancing. This was truly a wonderful occasion!

It was so lovely to see the nephews and nieces

There was even an exotic dancer to entertain us

More family fun!

Enjoying Leopard Rock Hotel

2010-12-19T08:46:00.035Z

The day of the wedding, was a day of leisure and golf. Many of the guests took advantage of this amazing course to either play, or just ride around in a golf buggy following the action. Still others congregated in and around the Club House people-watching from afar, catching up on gossip, or simply admiring the scenery.

We sat, catching up with friends and family

...overlooking the putting green where our golfers made their preparations

We watched them teeing off...

...and again as they walked off up the fairway

...closely followed by another set of golfers

A picturesque water hazard

Leopard Rock Hotel, Zimbabwe

2010-12-18T15:39:00.000Z

Leopard Rock Hotel

We finally arrived at Leopard Rock Hotel, which is looking quite splendid after its recent US1.8 million refurbishment. This hotel, 32km from Mutare and high in the Vumba Mountains, is one of the best-known hotels in Zimbabwe. Since the year 2000, the 1657 hectares of hotel grounds have been declared a Game Reserve, and include one of the finest golf courses in Africa.

The View

We all congregated for drinks on the course, with stunning views over the Burma valley. There was quite a hike to the venue, but Irene managed to hitch a lift on a motorbike - her first ever!

Irene arrives in style

It was glorious, sipping sundowners, meeting up with old friends and family, and watching a dramatic sky as the storm clouds gathered.

We met for drinks on the golf course

Brian with his sister, Barbara

From the left, Terry, Rebecca, Daniel, Lindsay and Dale

Biddy and Margy

Sundowners were followed by a sumptuous dinner in the club-house.

That night there was the most almighty thunderstorm, with such frequent lightening and deafening thunderclaps that we might just as well have been in the middle of a war!

Drifters: The Last Resort

2010-12-18T14:28:00.059Z

The sign at the entrance to Drifters,

on the Harare to Mutare road.

We said goodbye to Harare and drove to Rusape to meet up with Terry, Sue, Daniel, Margy and Bernard on our way to Mutare and Leopard Rock. Terry planned that we should stop off at Drifters on the way. For the uninitiated, Drifters is featured in the book, "The Last Resort: A Zimbabwe Memoir", by Douglas Rogers. It is an account of ordinary life for blacks and whites under Mugabe's dictatorship. Sometimes funny, and sometimes poignant, it documents the struggles of his parents to hold on to some of their land in the face of the, often violent, so-called 'land reform' programme in Zimbabwe.

Sue and Bernard arriving at the Poacher's Pub on Drifters.

The rickety ramp, leading up to the Poacher's Pub

All our family has read the book, mainly because David's sister Sheelagh, brother Terry, and brother-in-law Brian James are mentioned in the book. So we were very excited to be visiting the place we had read about. Unfortunately, I was suffering from an extreme bout of travel sickness as a result of travelling along the bumpy, windy roads in the back of the Merc; but I still managed to get some photos.

The happy barman standing under the sign that says,

"Welcome to the Poacher's Pub"

Enjoying a drink at Drifters

We were amused by the lampshades made out of straw hats.

Leaving Drifters, we headed in convoy for Leopard Rock Hotel, where Brian and Lynne's wedding takes place on Saturday December 18th. I was only half surprised when we were cheerfully waived through all the road blocks and never made to stop once - even when entering Mutare, where the ZANUPF conference was being held! Obviously, white people are seen as no threat these days!

First Stop Harare

2010-12-17T12:56:00.001Z

Our flight from Istanbul to Jo'burg went to plan, and David and I were able to meet up with Margy and Bernard in time for our flight to Zimbabwe. On arrival in Harare, there was a slight hiccough when the electricity failed, causing the baggage carousel to stop before we had secured our cases. But as no one else seemed too perturbed, we all just hung about until power was restored and we were able to leave the airport - welcome to Zimbabwe!!! Outside, we were met by Candiss, waiting to take us home to Tim and Flo's, and Terry, Lauren and Brian William, waiting to take Margy and Bernard back to Chitora.

Flo's garden was looking beautiful

There have been good rains in Zimbabwe this year and Flo's garden was looking very lush and green. This is such a tranquil spot that, if it wasn't for the far distant hum of city traffic, you could be deep in the countryside. We slept really well while staying with Tim and Flo, lulled by the sound of crickets, and the occasional tree-frog.

During our forays to Borrowdale Village we were really impressed by the vast range of goods for sale, even more than last year. It seemed that there is nothing you can't buy in Zimbabwe now, although at a premium. The American Dollar is still the main currency, although I have never seen such filthy notes anywhere else in the world - especially the one dollar notes - they were so disgusting that we didn't even want to put them in our wallets, and we were forever washing our hands.

I was intrigued to see this old post box in Borrowdale Village,

dating from Southern Rhodesian days

We also visited Goliath Safaris' new premises. Last year, Flo showed us the building she was renovating to house their Harare offices. It has been transformed, as you can see from last year's and this year's photos!

Flo's Offices 2009

Same premises transformed, 2010

On Thursday night, Paddy and Irene came to dinner with Vic and Gwen,with whom they were staying. We had such an entertaining evening, everyone was in such good spirits. On Friday we began our journey to Leopard Rock in the Vumba, stopping off at Drifters, but that's another post.

Lunch at Angela's

2010-12-01T19:24:00.001Z

While the fire was blazing at Haydarpaşa Railway Station, we were having lunch with Angela on Büyükada. We had such a happy and relaxing day meeting some of Angela's friends, and enjoying her hospitality.

Angela's welcoming front door on Büyükada

Selin and Ciğdem show Kaya one of their published books.

Selin and Ciğdem are researchers of historic buildings in Istanbul. When they have completed a project, they publish their findings in book form for the owner of the property. Their books are beautifully illustrated, and a wonderful record of their work.

Here we are enjoying a coffee after a wonderful meal.

Thank you Angela for a great day, we had a wonderful time.

On the way to Angela's house, we came across these two men mending a leak in a roof. They were three stories high, with no visible means of support, and certainly no safety equipment if they had inadvertently set fire to the roof! 'Elf and Safety? What's that?

Haydarpaşa Station Fire

2010-12-01T18:39:00.001Z

Having recently written about Haydarpaşa Station, I was shocked to hear that it caught fire last Sunday. The damage was quite extensive, although generally confined to the top floor and the roof. Here are before and after photos showing the damage.

Haydarpaşa Railway Station taken just days before the fire.

Haydarpaşa Station after the fire. You can clearly see

where the roof has burned out. The interior of the top floor

is also badly damaged.

To see dramatics pictures of the actual fire, follow this link.

Exploring Our Environs in Istanbul

2010-11-21T16:20:00.003Z

Haydarpaşa Railway Station

David was on holiday this past week, so we decided to explore our environs, which also gave me a chance to practise my new passion, photography. One of the places we visited was Haydarpaşa Railway Station. Every time we take a ferry we pass this magnificent building, but we have never taken a closer look until now.

A train, waiting to depart for stations in the east.

The Haydarpaşa Railway Station was designed by German architects on the initiative of Kaiser Wilhelm II, as a gift for the Emperor; although it was really part of Germany's plan to dominate the trade routes between West and East. The first trains left Haydarpasa Station on August 19, 1908, and enabled a link between Berlin and Baghdad. The railway was used extensively to move troops during WWI, until it was bombed in 1917.

The ornate booking hall, richly decorated.

The building, built in the neoclassical-style, is very grand with its circular turrets and Baroque decorations. The inside is also very ornate, and beautifully decorated with floral motifs. The station is built on the edge of the Bosphorus, just behind the Haydarpaşa ferry port. Between the two, there is a magnificent old steam engine, recalling the good old days of rail travel, when passengers from the Orient Express crossed the Bosphorus to travel on to Baghdad.

The old steam engine outside the station.

The promenade on Burgazada.

Boats in harbour on Kaniliada

On another day we crossed over to Kaniliada, one of the Princes' Islands, as this was one island David had yet to visit. We were a little confused as to which island was which, so we ended up on Burgazada first, then had to transfer back again to Kaniliada. Once there we set off to explore. Kaniliada is much smaller and quieter than the other Princes' Islands, especially now that the summer houses are empty of their seasonal residents.

A tree-lined avenue on Kaniliada

We walked along tree-lined avenues, seeing very few people. It was very peaceful. As we climbed higher, all we could hear was birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the sea breeze. Then we came across a church. We discovered that it was the Armenian Orthodox Church of St Gregory the Enlightener. It is a beautiful building that looks as if it has been recently restored, and serves the large Armenian community on the island.

The Armenian Orthodox Church of St Gregory, the Enlightener.

During the week, we also explored Kadiköy and Moda, and visited the Santralistanbul Museum, but these will have to wait for another post!

We often pass this balloon in Kadiköy.

One fine day I want to go up in it to take photos.

Every time I travel on a ferry, I try to take pictures of seagulls in flight.

They are very hard to capture, but I have one at last!

Photography Club Trip to Beyazit

2010-11-14T18:00:00.004Z

Our group met outside the Istanbul University, which stands on the site of the original wooden palace belonging to Sultan Mehmet the Conquerer.

Our Photography Club trip this week was to the Cebeci Han, an area of copper workshops, dating from the 18th Century. Commercial areas in the older areas of Istanbul usually have the name "han" (inn), which is derived from the Persian word for "house". The hans were places to stay along the trade routes that were popular during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They usually consist of a courtyard, surrounded by two to three stories of individual rooms.

A woman selling birdseed in the square in between

the Istanbul University and the Bayazit Mosque.

Each han bears the name of the merchandise sold there. Cebeci Han means Armour Inn, where, presumably armour was originally made, although now it is the han where copper products are fashioned and sold. We must have been an extraordinary sight as our group of expat women peered into workshops, and surveyed the area, cameras at the ready, snapping away. Mostly people were very tolerant of us, although there was one man, asleep in his workshop, who was very angry when he awoke to find a whole lot of foreign women hovering around his doorway taking pictures.

Oversized copper-ware for sale on one of the upper balconies.

There was also the obligatory carpet shop.

If you fancy a carpet I can get you a good price!

Nizam Çolak's antique shop, in the Cebeci Han, is well known in Istanbul.

The Cebeci Han is right next to the Grand Bazaar, and we had to run the gauntlet of the ever-persistent stallholders to get to our next destination, the roof of the ancient Büyük Valide Han (literally the Big Mother Han). This han dates back to 1651, and was commissioned by Kösem Sultan, the mother of both Sultan Murat IV, and Sultan İbrahim, his successor. Although the han is fairly deserted and neglected, we did see some workshops operating. Their speciality appear to be hookah pipes.

We wandered through the Grand Bazaar.

The best thing about this han is its roof access. We climbed up crumbling staircases, through gloomy passages and ancient doorways to reach the roof. From there the panoramic view was spectacular, and we spent a happy time taking photos and admiring the scenery.

We climbed up crumbling staircases, and negotiated dark passages.

The panoramic view from the roof was amazing,
and well worth the climb!

All too soon it was time to go, and we didn't have time to explore the Kalcılar, or "Silver" Han. This will have to be reserved for another trip. I thoroughly enjoyed this expedition, even though most of my photos were rubbish. Never mind, it's back to the drawing board and lots more practice with camera settings. I'm sure to get the hang of it eventually!