NEW STREET ART IN DIBDEN STREET

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”

FISH HARVEST SERVICE

When we visit new places, new cultures, we try to pop-up in their temples and observe the rituals and sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of these events like Buddha’s birthday celebration in a small, no touristic temple in Shanghai where we saw impressive scenes and at the end shared noodle soup with chinese community. It was one of most unforgettable moments of our travels.

Also we like special events in special temples like blessing of cars in a church in Coppacabana, Bolivia or a monastery in Symi Island, Greece visited by sailors for blessing.

This morning we enjoyed a very special service at St. Mary-at-Hill Church near Old Billingsgate Fish Market: Fish Harvest Service. When we arrived there, the nartex of the church decorated with fresh fishes and other richeness of the sea by fishmongers of Billingsgate Fish Market welcomed us.

Everybody prayed and shared their good wishes for seafarers, listened the church choir in company with the St. Mary-at-Hill Church’s organ which is described as one of the ten most important organs in the history of British organ building. Following the service, we joined the white wine and sushies (yes sushies) shared as a courtesy of the church. And we recorded another good memory to our London days.

From the prayers of seafarers:

“...we pray to thee for all seafarers and those who serve their needs; for keepers of lighthouses and the pilots of our ports; for all who man the lifeboats and guard our coasts; for the men of the fishing fleets and those who carry out the services of docks and harbours; for the guilds and societies which care for the wellbeing of fishermen and their families...”

CLASSIC CAR BOOT SALE

Today was a  perfect, sunny day in our little kingdom. After a nice breakfast at home we walked to Southbank for a special car boot sale: Classic Car Boot Sale.

It was a very special car boot sale because all sellers came there with their vintage cars and motorcycles, even the food vans were vintage style. It was a real heaven for vintage lovers, classic car and motorcycle fans and there was also some little treats for foodies. We tried lobster rolls of Bob’s Lobster which they were serving from a vintage VW van and it was just “delicious”.

After the car boot sale we walked through Gerrard Street and filled our stomacs with chinese food. Then a little grocery shopping in our favorite Turkish supermarket and finally washing down the chinese food we ate, in our pub with few pints.

Now it’s time for some cups of good tea with homemade peanut butter cookies and enjoy British crime dramas!

 

THE SMELL OF THE AEGEAN SEA

Since three weeks we were in Turkey enjoying the last days of summer, eating fresh figs, fresh wallnuts, green tangerines, aegean fishes, goat cheese, laying down under the sun, swimming in cristal clear aegean waters with calamaries and fishes.

And we left our hearths in Aegean Sea, again...  

VINTAGE BIRDS

Vintage book finds from an antiques shop in Edinburgh.

Birds of the Sea and Woodland Birds from Penguin Books collection. 

NEW RIVER WALK

We are lucky to live near one of London’s most beautiful walking spots. With only a five minute walk, we find ourselves in Regent’s Canal and enjoy. But there is another little gem in our neighbour, the path here is not so long as Regent’s Canal, it takes only like half an hour to walk from one side to the other but is a little oasis in Islington. Even we have beautiful herons in this little canal. Few days ago we had a  little chat with this fellow in the last photo.

It’s not well known as Regent’s Canal but New River is opened in 1613 to supply drinking water to London and New River Walk is open to the public every day from 08.00 till dusk.

Happy 400th year New River!

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Yesterday evening we were at Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden for The Woman in Black, a play adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel of  British writer Susan Hill, directed by Robin Herford and performed by actors Crawford Logan and Tim Delap.

It was our first time in Fortune Theatre and we loved this old theatre opened to the public in 1924. We are not very big fan of novel adaptations in cinema except some brilliant examples but we love to see them in theatre -specially novels we read- and The Woman in Black was a very successful adaptation from the novel. Also it was very effective usage of only two persons in cast and the simple scenery to interpret the whole story and different locations.  

STREET ART IN HYDE PARK

A street art work in northeast part of Hyde Park.

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In Turkey since 31 of May people resist against the government. At the beginning it was for protecting our trees in Gezi Park...  Then it turned to a resistance to protect the democracy, the human rights, the values of our republic. Since then we lost six bright young person because of police attacks while practising our most natural right: right to protest.

Yesterday night, until early hours of this morning, Turkish people was again in the streets and  not only in Turkey, in lots of parts of the world including London, protesting Turkish government and police. 

Diren Türkiye! Resist Turkey!

EDINBURGH

In July, we made a little road trip and big part of this trip was in Scotland. It was our first time in Scotland. We loved the country, we loved the people, specially Edinburgh. We felt there at home. Even, we have been regular customer to a pub during nine days we stayed there and made new pub friends, talked with them about the life, the city, the museums, the jazz, the poetry (specially Robert Burns), sports and -even we were agreed to not to talk about politics while drinking alcohol- little bit politics. Yes, it was a very special pub and we keep it to ourselves.

When we were talking about a trip to Scotland we were expecting a rainy and cold weather even in summer and for being in such northern part of the island, we were ready to it. Buuut, during our stay there, Scotland lived most hot two weeks since last twenty years and it was heaven for us (not for Scottish friends).

We will share more photos and details of this beautiful city but as an opening, we can say that we fell in love with Edinburgh. Is one of these old, characterful, amazing cities with beautiful people and we hope to go back there again.  

SCOTTISH ACCENT

Brilliant performance by Scottish comedians Ian Connell and Robert Florence for BBC Scotland.

We love Scotland, we love the Scottish accent!