Tunel

I was in the heart of the city early this morning and needed somewhere to pass time, so I took my coffee along to the Dervish lodge, and perched on the edge of the Ottoman graveyard. The markers have 'turbans' for men and flowers for women. Really neat idea, though there are 'better' grave yards around. This is just off İstiklal Caddesi - one of the city's big shopping streets. We wandered back to the Pera Museum, eyeing some lovely prayer beads in a shop that also sold Turkish made Milagros, the owner eyeing a sale had a long conversation with me about how many beads go on a string depending on the religion - very interesting- no sale made though. Baby and I then went along to the Pera Museum - which was open by now and saw the 'The Lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting' - nice - some of it a bit chocolate boxy - though the lighting could have been more subtle - a lot of glare. Some stunning paintings and a couple of surprises, Augustus Johns' T.E. Lawrence painting was small and dauby - not what I was expecting at all - the picture has stature and is more detailed in my mind. Baby, as usual fell asleep half way round.
Added 11.11.08
The other surprise I had trouble finding on the Internet, since I couldn't remember the painter's name.... but - it's John Frederick Lewis' Indoor Gossip- fantastic painting - really stunning.