And our time here in Istanbul is at an end....

Tomorrow we set off on our journey back to Ternopil. Truth be told we have no clear idea of our exact way back... Nor have we spent a lot of time plotting our way. There are several possibilities. I'm sure it'll be fine. West, then north....more or less. 
Our friend Paul has tried to be of assistance....he must despair of us, but has come up with some good suggestions.

We have had a few wonderful days in Istanbul. We continued to be shown every kindness. In the street, if we were looking at a map on our phone, or seemed lost, people would ask if we needed help. These were not isolated moments. To take time with strangers from a different country and show them some kindness must be a way forward.
We got more feedback from the connection from the two schools...
I have pasted in the words of the teachers involved....

This from Oksana...edited my brackets.

"Hello! It's a little period to watch everything.( see all of Lviv)But I tried my best.Yesterday in the morning they had breakfast at the gymnasium, ( the school-  Lviv Academic Gymnasium...apologies for getting this wrong in previous posts.) then they went on hiking excursion to the Old City of Lviv . Later they had spare time. Dinner was at the McDonald's, children wanted to enjoy a meal there, as most of them have never been there. After dinner they had excursion to Lviv Oceanarium, they enjoy watching different kinds of fish.
The train was at 5.40 pm.( back to Chernihiv) I accompanied them all the day. Each had a packet of presents as well as teachers.Also we gave some presents for school.( In Ivanivka) 
At their arrival, pupils and teachers got pocket money. All the students of our Gymnasium, their parents and the staff decided to help them, as I told them what happened to them last spring. ( Their villages had been occupied by the Russians with untold horrors) I arranged that all the excursion and meals were free of charge."

I had a response from Ala, the teacher in Ivanivka,short and to the point.

"Hello, it was fantastic!!! We had a wonderful time😊".

And so to finish our time here, just a few photos. Thanks to all for the brief moments of kindness here. 
The beauty and history of this city will stay with us a long time we think. Where east meets west.
The haunting sounds of call to prayers, the peace and harmony of the Mosques.The smells and sounds of the Grand Bazaar. The hours spent on boats on the Bosphorus. When we left Trawden in March 2022, could we ever have imagined this scenario? I certainly couldn't have. 





Comments

  1. Franklinatsea23 April 2023 at 12:45

    Bingo! You discovered Istanbul. That kind of hospitality and openness is what drew me back several times until I ended up moving there. I am glad you have enjoyed your stay. I'd just drive up the Black Sea coast

    ReplyDelete

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