Keeping Going

 It’s been quite a busy week since I last wrote.

 We had a day out, going by tram to a green area beside the Aegean, with plenty of picnic sites, and a lovely mix of colourful trees and plants. It leads a lagoon which often has a variety of birdlife, including flamingos. There were a couple of birds on the far side, but we weren’t sure of they were flamingos! But it was a good and refreshing walk, beside deep blue, clear water. We returned by sea, taking the car ferry across the Bay, and then a vapur (passenger ferry) back to Alsancak.

 It's also been a cultural week. St John’s is a popular venue for choral concerts. One evening the Music Conservatoire presented performances by some of their graduating solo singers. They were excellent – two counter-tenors and six sopranos, who sang a variety of classical pieces. And on Saturday the A Capella Gramofon choir sang a varied collection of light music – some items from musicals, and even a couple of Lennon-Macartney songs! A less serious concert, but very enjoyable.

 Sunday saw our first complete Eucharist – I celebrated and preached for the Ascension, and Jo took part of the service, led intercessions and administered the chalice. WE had the usual mix of congregation: some we knew from previous visits, others were newcomers, or visitors. Once more, we joined some of the younger people for coffee after they had had lunch. Jo and I walked back through the street market – mostly local farmers and small-holders. WE bought some excellent strawberries and a melon.

 Otherwise most of our shopping has been in one of the local supermarkets – much the same as supermarkets all over the world! However, there are many fewer ready-prepared meals, apart from frozen pizzas and things like köftes. There are plenty of choices of beer – and a variety of (mostly) Turkish wines, which are generally dearer than one might find in the UK. Some things have changed since we first came to Izmir; there are more breakfast cereals, including their own brands.

 We have also taken Evening Prayer at Bornova again; we had a very refreshing cold coffee with coconut milk at a café beforehand, and afterwards joined with most of the congregation (ie about six people!) at an interesting restaurant with a very cosmopolitan menu (where the servers are encouraged to go back-packing to different countries!) Again, we had good conversation with the students, who had come.)

 We saw our friend Seyma, whom Jo had taught at St Sidwell’s school when she was 8. She is now married (though her husband was busy), and works as an architect – at present based in an office near the church. She came and had supper with us  (an English menu of cottage pie and fruit crumble – though the fruit was fresh apricots.) In return, the next day she brought us a bag of lovely juicy lemons from her in-laws garden!

 Finally today, we hosted a visit for some 40 American Episcopalians on a pilgrimage round the Seven Churches. They were nearly an hour late arriving, but seemed to value the visit.

 It’s become quite a bit hotter – temperatures around 32-34°, with dawn to dusk sunshine. We’re now preparing the worship for Pentecost Sunday – but the church congregation will be a little depleted as this weekend is a 3-day holiday for the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha. To complicate matters, there is a strike among municipal workers, which means there are no buses, and consequently more traffic congestion on the roads.

 Otherwise we have maintained our regular pattern, watching the sun rise above the hills, before we say Morning Prayer, and then enjoying our walk beside the Bay. Most days we go to the church office, to feed Cleopatra the church cat – though there are other who take advantage of the biscuits!