Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Rainbow Umbrellas



Our lovely stroll through the çük Ayasofya neighborhood finally ended in the Kumkapı Quarter in the Fatih District in Istanbul where we met with some other members of our German-Turkish family and eventually had dinner (yes, food is quite important in Turkey!). The Kumkapı Quarter is crowded with fish and seafood restaurants. Good thing we had our Istanbul family who knew which ones were worth a visit!

But it was the umbrellas in the colors of the rainbow that drew my attention.



How lovely to see this special style of street decoration in this part of the old city. This is so much fun, a light-hearted way that lets everybody smile, whether you want it or not. I felt like dancing through the alleys, passing by all those restaurants with their outdoor seating, light and without any worries.


I simply loved all the outdoor restaurants in Istanbul. It gets really lively in the evening and further into the night. It is a joyful atmosphere with lots of laughter and delicious food.

Turkish people like color. You can see it in their handmade rugs, often in their clothes, the umbrellas of course and all the beautiful lights that are hanging from the ceiling.



When it gets darker, the light starts to glow and it's almost magical. Oh how much I miss this!


A propos umbrellas - we're finally expecting some rain over Thanksgiving and on-shore winds that hopefully blow away the smoke. It's been almost two weeks that we have been living in extremely unhealthy air. I can't wait to finally open the windows again and get some fresh air into the house. Something to be deeply grateful for.

The wildfires have been devastating for the people in Butte County and especially the small town of Paradise (not Pleasure!). With 76 people dead and still over 700 unaccounted for this has been the most destructive wildfire in California. We only suffer from poor air quality, but their lives are forever changed.







13 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

My heart goes out to those affected by the fires. So very much.
And thank you (so very much) for the splashes of vibrant colour to lift my mood.

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh Carola, to respond to your comment, I had my own ideas, in fact, I designed my wedding dress, and my mother sewed it with love. It's just that she did many of the wedding preparations, and we just went along with most of it. Mainly out of respect for her, we didn't question her, and it turned out many times that what she decided and chose, I really liked myself (like my cake, which was a five-tier cake and she made it herself). : )

Now, these umbrellas are beautiful, and the lanterns are wonderful. You mentioned that Turkish people like color. I have to have color in my life, and I wonder if that is my Greek and Spanish heritage. You're right, this all looks so magical. And your photos are fantastic!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Carola.

~Sheri

krishna said...

Very lively and colorful.

Terra said...

What a lovely street in Istanbul with the colorful umbrellas up above and the outdoor restaurants with the Turkish food that I love. I spent my junior year in college in Istanbul, a wonderful year. My area in California has similar unhealthy air from the fire in the Paradise area.

Jeanie said...

Now THAT is TOTALLY fabulous! How fun it would be to see that one in person. All wonderful shots.

I feel for you with the air. Anyone with lung issues must be especially hurting now. And Pleasure? What was he thinking. I shouldn't be surprised but I always am...

Bohemian said...

Those Umbrellas, those Lights, simply Amazing Eye Candy!

Sue (this n that) said...

I'm totally enchanted with those beautiful outdoor eating areas (no wonder you miss them!), the lighting and atmosphere. How lovely are the umbrellas!

Yes, they've been terrible fires.
Good that the smoke may dissipate soon too.
All the best from Australia :D)

handmade by amalia said...

I love your colorful photos, Carola. What a fantastic idea to decorate with umbrellas. And helpful if it rains.
Amalia
xo

Karen Lakis said...

Oh goodness - I so want to jump into a couple of your photos to experience it for myself! The umbrellas are so festive and colorful and I can imagine the outdoor restaurants full of wonderful food and aromas and the sound of laughter.

Magic Love Crow said...

My heart goes out to everyone in California! I am so sorry!
I love all these photos! I love the umbrellas!!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Big Hugs!

Lowcarb team member said...

So lovely to see these colourful photographs.

All the best Jan

Tomoko said...

What exciting images! I am so thrilled with your photos!
Happy New Year!

Thank you for visit and your lovely message.

Unknown said...

I love the designs. It's really good and very useful to shade outdoors. Keep posting!!

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