|
Wednesday, April 20
Journal entry:
A 3:00 PM meeting in
the Hotel Ayasofya's pleasant lobby begins our two week photography
adventure with Meli, our fearless leader for this time together. It is
a time to see the group together for the first time, to review the
agenda for Istanbul, the first three days, and to understand
expectations.
At
4:00 we leave by van for Istanbul's version of "Happy Hour". We are
introduced to relaxing with tea, appetizers and the "water pipe" at
Parma Nargile. We find that all age groups enjoy this after work, after
school method of transitioning from work to leisure. This was a source
of experimentation and photography. The "water pipe" was a new
experience for most of us and we couldn't resist trying it.
After the 5:00 call
to prayer we head for the Blue Mosque. It was breath taking in size and
even more interesting with Meli's story telling explanation. My
imagination was captured.
Next to the Blue
Hotel terrace and panoramic views of the old city, the Blue Mosque, Aya
Sophia, and the Bosporus. Dinner followed in the dining room. Dinner
was delicious and beautifully presented .
Today is Mohammed's
birthday with a special service at the Blue Mosque which many of our
group attended.
So begins our
Turkish adventure!
Claire Milton
|
