"The sea surrounds Constantinople like a garland even more so now than in
Procopius' time as the Greater Istanbul Authority installed a working sewage system last week although tap water remains undrinkable." I briefed Miss Nikos carefully as we circled the Sea of Marmara for 2 hours awaiting our landing clearance at Ataturk International.
I wanted to show Miss Nikos where her παππούς had been born, and is now resting in peace: 11 years has now passed since, strictly against Orthodox convention, I dropped his casquet of ashes into the family tomb. I have not been struck down by lightning in the intervening decade so I reckoned I have got away with it especially as he had been checked in as hand luggage. No ossary here.
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| First stop at the monastery office to be admitted to the locked Christian cemetery - of late there has been desecration of the graves . My grasp of the Greek language was sufficient enough to inadvertantly agree to let the priest perform a tomb side blessing. |
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| Somewhere in there is my family's sole remaining real estate in Turkey |
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| My great Grandparents - before the fez ban. |
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| ...speeding away in the taxi before I am asked to contribute to the Patriarch's retirement fund. |
It looks like a somber occasion. Good to remember where we've come from though.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Nikos.
Was a sunny day.... theodosius II wall?... did you find your granddads grave?? Next time i come , too ;O) Mrs. Nikos
ReplyDeleteBloody Turks, eh? Plus you can't drink the water. Here's an idea: get them to pay the Greeks for all the land and lives they took as their entry requirement for joining the EU. That should clear some of the debt.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Miss Nikos?
Trobairitz: sometimes I try to forget!
ReplyDeleteGadjo: Don't mention the Armenians, Curds....Midnight Express...Norman Stone a turkish agent
... or any theories regarding the romantic life of the founder of their modern nation. I always thought that Midnight Express should be remade as a musical, and made a bit more upbeat.
ReplyDelete...you aren't saying that he was a complete womanising alcholic are you?
ReplyDeleteHilarious musical! I'll call Andrew's agent to arrange a meeting.
I thought he was g*y. (And Jewish and a freemason...... )
ReplyDelete..heaven forbid!
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, I was using an incorrect reference work.."Famous Turkish War Heros Married 1923-25"
Apologies to all