A spectacular sunny day -
one of the first of Spring.
I was with Barb,
a new friend from America,
working here in Istanbul.
We were excited to explore Emirgan Park
for the first time.
A river of grape hyacinth
Such an imaginative planting!
It was a perfect day,
and a perfect way,
to enjoy a conversation.
How relaxing
to just contemplate
which planting and flowers
were the prettiest -
it was so hard to choose.
What do you like best?
Ribbons of color? All one color?
All colors mixed together?
A traditional Turkish lady
with the Turkish flag
created in red tulips.
The crescent and the star
are the symbols of Turkey.
A tree with idiosyncrasies.
It was so fun to have Barb
as a conversation partner.
She's done all kinds of interesting stuff
from owning and operating her own bakery
in Fairbanks, Alaska,
to working as a corporate labor lawyer
in Johannesburg and Istanbul.
She is helping an American corporation
integrate a Turkish factory into their portfolio.
She is helping an American corporation
integrate a Turkish factory into their portfolio.
I've often thought this tulip
with leaves that seem to form a crown
should be the official tulip of
the Istanbul Tulip Festival.
It's shape is most like the tulip
on all of the Iznik Tile.
What fun!
The "Nazar,"
or Turkish Evil Eye,
said to ward off evil thought.
A tulip made out of
soon-to-bloom tulips.
Istanbul is famous for its youthful energy,
but it has its contemplative spots too.
You just have to seek them out.
I'm grateful to have shared a beautiful
morning with a new friend.
Do you have a favorite spring flower
you look forward to every year?
If you enjoyed this springtime walk,
you may enjoy a couple other springtime walks in Prague:
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5 comments:
What amazing designs. I think I've seen 4 tulips in Bodrum so far, but where Istanbul leads we follow, so I expect to see more next year.
Gorgeous displays! Particularly the use of the blue, blue hyacinths. I've never seen displays so beautiful.
Great pictures Karen - Spring arrived in Istanbul well ahead of Prague. We've only had our first days of Spring weather this past week. Hopefully, we'll have some tulips & daffodils flowering soon.
What gorgeous photos, Karen! I love the hyacinths and the tulips too. Perhaps I'll get to see the tulips in Istanbul one day in person. Here in New England where I live we are finally seeing spring. There is a lovely hillside covered with thousands of daffodils. It was planted in 1941 by a woman, thanks to the inspiration of Wordworth's famous poem.
Wow, what a cool story Justine. And what a gift to people of the future that lady gave.
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