Thursday, was a sad day for me, being someone who grew up “knowing the Queen”.
The younger generation will not know this, but when I was a little girl and went to the local bioscope, as we called the cinema in those days, it was customary for us to actually stand at some point in the proceedings when the “God Save the Queen” anthem would be played.
I remember that the Afrikaaners in the audience were not impressed with this happening, but I rather liked it.
She was two years younger than my mother, and was crowned on my younger brother’s day of birth, both things not really making it special to anyone other than to me!
But over the years I have truly admired her as she steadfastly held the unenviable position of being Queen of England. The two photos above show her with Prince Phillip who she referred to as “her strength”.
What an couple. They showed a united, happy front for all to see. If only their offspring inherited those qualities!
However, with all the sadness, scandal and improper conduct shown by their children, the Queen somehow managed to remain untouched in the public eye. It must have been so very difficult for her.
Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth..
The above three photos were taken by our local photographer at Baggies, AntonK, and captures the beach, tidal pool at sunrise and the placement of the birds flying over it. He couldn’t have positioned the birds in any better way!
The weather has not been very nice at the moment. Windy and still has a little nip in the air. I did try to go to the Kiosk for breakfast one day, but unfortunately it never materialised. I need to get there soon.
I have been neglecting my trip to Turkey, but think that I will continue for a little while tonight.
A short way down the hill from Topkapi Palace we found a really fascinating tourist attraction. It is known as Yerebatan Saray, or The Sunken Palace” or the Bascilia Cistern.
This cistern fell into disuse in the century after the Ottoman conquest and its existence was only brought to public attention in 1545 by the Frenchman Petrus Gyllius. He had been led to it by local residents whose houses were built over the cistern and who had easy access to it.
They had sunk wells into it and even kept boats on the water from which they could fish its depths. Petrus Gyllius’s interest was aroused when he found fresh fish being sold in the nearby streets.
Restorations were undertaken in 1987 when 50,000 tons of mud and water were removed. The walls were covered to make them impermeable; eight of the 360 columns were sheathed in concrete to fortify the structure. The construction of concrete pathways to replace the old boats may seem a desecration, but they do facilitate a leisurely examination of the interesting masonry in the area and the spotlighting helps one to see it clearly.
My own observation of this chamber was one of wonder. The cistern was probably built in the fourth century and it was supplied with water by aqueducts from the Belgrade Forest, approximately 75 km away. The Great Palace and later Topkapi Palace were also supplied by this aqueduct.
The size of this chamber is about the size of a rugby field. The columns that hold up this structure were certainly not seen by many people, and yet each and every one was beautifully hand crafted. There were Ionic and Doric columns positioned throughout.
One of the floodlit columns was known as the Tear Drop column. This had “tear drop” patterns over the whole column. The centre of the one tear drop was hollow and, as tradition had it, you had to insert your thumb into this hole and attempt to make a 360 degree turn without lifting your hand. There was a definite indent in it where all visitors have tried to comply. Below this, in the water, people had thrown a lot of money, so I imagine that this was a wishing place? We both threw in a few coins and made our own wishes.
At the very end of the walkway stood 2 Medusa Columns. These are very interestingly portrayed. The furthest one had the head of Medusa lying upside down with the column pinning her underwater, the second one had her head on the side, but also underwater.
We tried to take photos inside the cistern but it was really too dark. However, I have found a video which I will add below for you to watch. Some of the facts are not exactly as I remember them, but it is well worth watching.
I would really recommend that when in Istanbul, visit this sunken palace. It is well worth seeing.
Blessings and love 💕
