Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Exploring Istanbul

We got off to a lazy start this morning as we visited with Shukru before he left for work. Hopping in a taxi we went to Bebek, the neighborhood where they used to live. While John sat in a tea shop with his journal, Buket and I went for a haircut and a manicure. A handsome young man spent one hour trimming my hair while Buket's nails were painted bright red. It was the first time that I have seen two young men working together to dry a head of long hair...whew!...hard work!!

Using a combination of taxi rides and the Metro we travelled to Taksim, the centre of Istanbul. From there it was a lengthy walk to the Gallery where Buket has a solo exhibition. Through narrow streets lined with old buildings, past merchants and students we navigated our way by stepping from sidewalks to streets and back again to avoid taxis and motorbikes.


Buket's exhibition is composed entirely of self portraits, a dramatic display. Canvases expose raw emotions in vibrant colours. It was interesting to see how our friend sees herself.

After taxi rides and Metro transfers we arrived back in their quiet, tranquil home to a lovely dinner prepared by Buket's mother...tomato soup (made with fresh tomatoes), stuffed peppers and huge artichoke hearts filled with a mixture of veggies...yummh!!



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