Tuesday, 14th May 2024 - Flower Seller in Kadikoy

I am so tired that my eyes are having troubling focusing. What an amazing day we have had.

Last night I slept deeply with the loudspeakers from the local minaret only creeping into my sleep.

Tim planned today. We were off to Kadikoy on the ferry with our newly purchased Istanbul card that gets you onto the ferry, metro and into the toilets!!! I had done no research and thought we were visiting a small island. Nope, it is the very very busy bustling Asian side of Istanbul. We walked from our apartment down and down and down and through and up. We stumbled across an art gallery. Blimey what a contrast to Musee D'Orsay that we were in a few weeks ago. No queues. It was free. Wonderfully quiet. OK the paintings weren't Monet or Van Gogh but there were many beautiful beautiful paintings and drawings.  We stopped at a fish market for lunch. I had deep fried sardines with lemon and half an onion - I didn't know quite what to do with my raw onion. The market had stalls of sardines that were alive in buckets. Best not to think about that too deeply about the lunch I had just eaten. We wandered along the Golden Horn to get out ferry. On arrival in Kadikoy we plugged in our ear buds and followed an audio walking guide. Very interesting and I only wish I could remember half of it. We got the ferry back from Kadikoy to Karakoy - confused? I was and would have been totally lost if Tim wasn't holding my hand across ridiculously busy roads. A metro gave my feet a rest and we gathered olives, bread, cheese, beer and wine to eat while watching the sun set on our roof terrace. 

Any tips on what to see and do in Istanbul very welcome.

My postcard today is of a charming flower seller. She looked very happy making her bunches of flowers.

Flower Seller in Kadikoy 

Pen and Watercolour

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Monday, 13th May 2024 - Last Season

Tim and I are off to Instanbul today. We have house sitters looking after the cat, chickens and watering which is reassuring not leaving the house alone.

A week ago we had some unexpected guests due to a mix up in a friends booking. Today's postcard of some spring primroses is going to them as they were very tolerant of being pushed from pillar to post. Very charming impromptu guests. 

Last Season 

Indian Ink and Watercolour

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Sunday, 12th May 2024 - First Night Out

What a warm one it has been. I glowed while I was stripping - change that the cleaning - that sounds more appropriate - bnb rooms.

Tony and Wendy joined us for a stroll - still mighty sunny at 4pm. I proudly showed Wendy that the Russian kale she had given me was planted out and thriving. Tim made pizzas. I made shortbread. June and Barry ate with us. It is the first time this year the pizza maker has been out. So lovely to be able to sit outside and enjoy the company of friends.

First Night Out  

Pen and Watercolour

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Saturday, 11th May 2024 - Deal Pier

Tim did some admin, cut the grass, weeded the drive while I cooked poached eggs, did some admin and cleaned. 

We headed down, or is it across, to Deal. I had an Aperol Spritz with Alice, Lucy and Josie in the Kings Arms with views over a very busy sunny beach. We had a lunch in The Courtyard to celebrate David's 70th birthday with Josie, Matt, Mel, Mark, Dave, Ethan, Francis and the above. I had a very delicious green risotto and wine. At 16 Dover Road we had birthday cake and song. A good way to spend a Saturday.

I am now back home and eating Marmite on toast - yum.

My rabbit barrier has kept my sweetpeas standing for another day.

Deal Pier 

Watercolour

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Friday, 10th May 2024 - Day Twelve - Landscape

It was time for my sweetpeas to leave the comfort of the greenhouse and enter the real garden world. It has taken me two days on and off to get their supports and rabbit guards ready. I am expecting a very abundant display of flowers this summer after all the care and effort that has been bestowed upon them. My bed and breakfast guests arrived minutes after I had cleared away the wheelbarrow, empty pots, kneeler, trowel, netting and string. I was slightly sweaty. I think it went unnoticed as I served tea and brownies in the garden for the first time this year.

It's the last day of Amy's Inchie Challenge. It has pushed me to think outside my normal day to day paintings. Some prompts I have groaned at when they were emailed at 8am. These are probably the ones I found most enjoyable. Thank you Amy for this 12 days of creativity.

Day Twelve - Landscape 

Watercolour

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Thursday, 9th May 2024 - Day Eleven - Expansive

I didn't read my guests breakfast requests properly. They didn't want the toast I served with scrambled eggs. They didn't want the toast to have with marmalade. The chickens got very well fed this morning. I took a break with a mug a coffee to watch them feasting. A crafty crow took his fair share of toast while the chickens backs were turned. 

This evening was the WOKAS AGM. Lots of lovely things planned for 2024 and 2025. We had a touch of wine to finish.

I am now on my penultimate prompt from Amy. Expansive is today's. I may have pushed the meaning. I sat outside on a stall and painted a  rhododendron that is at its most glorious and 'expansive'. It is covered in flowers and very noisy bees. 

Day Eleven - Expansive 

Watercolour

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Wednesday, 8th May 2024 - Day Ten - Buds

Tim went out to do a bit of plumbing. I was looking forward to a quiet afternoon - yes, linocutting. I had a phone call from someone thanking me for the postcard I had sent - lovely can't complain about that interruption. A ring on the doorbell. My bed and breakfast guests had arrived - that's ok. A knock on the backdoor from a neighbour who had a parcel for another neighbour but couldn't find their house - happy to help. Tim came home with a new bathroom light - our old one had shattered under his exuberant towel drying after a shower. Another knock on the back door from a friend on a motor cycle who was in need of a pump for a flat tyre.  Now I am alone and drinking a glass of rose. What a funny old day.

Amy's prompt for day ten is 'buds'. I have done a cross between Slow Drawing that Amy does on a Wednesday evening and an Inchie. The pattern came from a cornflower bud snuggling underneath a hedge.

Day Ten - Buds 

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