Monday, June 8, 2009

Monday, June 08, 2009 - No comments

Studded and Strewn

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with unwrapped gifts and free surprises . . . cast broadside from a generous hand."

- Annie Dillard


Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

The day after I landed in Istanbul (after being back in the States for a wedding) I got a jet-lag induced early start, and headed for the European side in hopes of some good shots to use in my next calendar. I got off the ferry at Beşiktaş and headed up the coast on foot, planning to stop whenever an interesting image caught my eye. A sense of expectation in my heart, I asked Dad to guide my steps. No sooner had I breathed that thought than I passed the magnificent gates of the Çırağan Palace, now one of the city’s finest hotels. Thinking maybe I could get few nice shots of the Bosporus, I turned around and went in. The palace wasn’t open for tours, but I sweet-talked my way into getting directions to the back garden. (It pays to be able to talk up the beauty of the Bosporus in Turkish!)

Entering the hotel, I saw a sign that made me laugh with surprise: I was just ten minutes late for a free classical music concert put on by Starbucks, with free coffee to follow! So, completely by coincidence (ha!) I got to spend my morning listening to Bach and Mozart and then sipping complimentary liquid goodness served on silver platters in the grand hall of a palace. Someone sure knows the way to my heart!





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