Postcard from Isbanbul – Topkapi Palace and Harem

We kept the best for our last day in Istanbul – Topkapi Palace – but we were disappointed as two of the best exhibitions were closed for renovation as well as several important rooms in the harem (sultan’s mother’s apartment below). Like many Ottoman palaces, Topkapi , built in the 16th century, consists of a …

Postcard from Istanbul – Sunset over the Bosphorus

Today we went on a cruise along the Bosphorus with the local ferry that took one and a half hours, followed by a two and a half hour lunch break in the village of Anadolu Kadagi before taking returning to our starting point of Galata Bridge. In the evening we went to a rooftop bar to …

Postcards from Istanbul – Dolmabahce Palace

This modern palace built in the 19th century was the home of six sultans and their harems until the republic was proclaimed in 1923. It showcases the best craftsmen of Europe at the time and occupies a prime site on the Bosphorus. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take photographs inside. It then became the …

Postcard from Istanbul – First Impressions

You may have noticed that I missed a couple of days – I was getting ready for a trip to Istanbul. Here we are and are enthralled. What a wonderful city! Here are just a few photos. The first is taken from the edge of the Bosphorous looking towards Galata Tower, the area we are …

Postcard from Paris – Pol Bury

This is one of two horizontal fountains comprised of slowly rotating metal balls by Pol Bury in the Palais Royal gardens ni Paris. They were installed in 1985 in the Orléans Court, between the Constitutional Council and Ministry of Culture about the same time as Daniel Buren’s columns which you can see in the background. It’s …

Postcard #26 – Isola San Giulio, Italia

We are spending the last few days of our holiday on Lake Orta quite close of where we began nearly a month ago at Lake Iseo. This is the little island in the middle of the lake. Nous passons les derniers jours de nos vacance sur le lac Orta tout près de l’endroit où nous …