CATCH UP

WHOOPS  i haven't done the blog for a couple of days - have to remember what we've been doing.  The jewellery market on sunday was as good as ever, sadly the beautiful little wedding cake of a mosque down on the water at Ortakoy is shrouded with fabric, it's being restored. the weather was too cold and a bit rainy for the trip up the bosphorus.  i didnt take the camera so can't remember the rest of the day, we've done too much since then.

MONDAY  we caught the bus down to Ortakoy and walked about another half hour along to the old castle.  Past all these magnificent Ottoman houses, little winding streets with these gorgeous old timber buildings looming overhead, full of beautiful carved lacy detail and 

the street dogs lie around everywhere -not a lot of pets to be seen aroundistanbul but plenty of street dogs - people leave food for them and they just live around the neighbourhood

Fishing is huge here -all along the bosphorus are men fishing and there's plenty of fish to catch

WINDOW CLEANING istanbul style - this old guy was up on the
second floor, when he stepped right out onto the ledge i couldn't watch

SPRINGTIME and these beautiful pea-flowered blossom trees are out all over the city - right up over the hills in the countryside too

the beautiful

egyptian consulate

on the bosphorus - 

lovely seagull

motifs on the roof.

THE TULIP   i think the tulip is the national flower, its certainly used in design everywhere, ceramics, Iznik tiles, jewellery.  it's the tulip festival now and the whole city is filled with beds of flowers, these are up at the castle 

we walked back down to the bosphorus for brunch on the water, this huge ship passed by
leaving these waves crashing in its wake

this children's band passed by and then came back again, heralding the arrival of Children's Day tomorrow - it's a national holiday created by Ataturk in 1920 to celebrate the formation of the new parliament.

from the balcony . . . 

sunny watching the departure of the Aida as she disappears around the golden horn