Monday, March 17, 2008

We are back to Moscow. Nothing has changed here. This strange new season that can't decide whether it's winter or spring is still here. Judging by the weather forecast and the thick shield of clouds that we've seen from the plane, it's not going anywhere. It's raining, and it's snowing. In Istanbul, on the other hand, everything is in bloom, and the city seems like the happiest place in the world.

When I was a kid, Yalta was my Istanbul every year in March: three weeks of bliss (mixed with some tennis-related tortures). I was conceived in Yalta, too, and there're also a few drops of Mediterranean blood passed to me from both my papa and my mama - so that may explain my nearly total aversion to the northern climate.

And weather, of course, isn't the only thing I love about Istanbul - but right now it's the weather that makes the hugest difference.

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Here's Marta, hanging out at a suzani shop at Grand Bazaar:



And some more stuff from the same day:





4 comments:

  1. Hi Neeka,
    Your trip sounds like fun. Your weather does not. How is your mom doing ? I know it has been tough for all of you.It is nice that we have seen Marta grow up in the past almost 3 years. She is looking like a young lady. Regards Patrick

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  2. In Kiev we probably had 2 blizzards in Feb., but the snow they brough would melt two days later. On other Feb. days it was getting up to +17. March has been around +10, it rained a couple of times but we also had some gorgeous days and evenings, like yesterday. I've seen loads of kids in shorts and t-shirts on bikes all over town. When I look at the CNN weather map, the "cold" boundary keeps sitting somewhere between Kiev in Moscow. Today they posted +12 for Kiev and +5 for Moscow. Come on down here!

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  3. Such wonderful color to life there in Istanbul. So, when is a return to Yalta planned?? Thank you for sharing your thoughts and family with all of us!

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