ESCAPE

Escape from what, you ask? I how you think we are fortunate to be where we are, and you’re right but it’s hard work!

Being pushed and shoved while shuffling through an ancient old building, fighting for space on an overcrowded public tram, figuring out what’s edible on a menu in a foreign language and walking miles because one didn’t know the transit system was being shut down for the day because of a bike race all adds up to hard work.

I know there’s no or little sympathy. I agree, but then I love the unexpected challenges of navigating through the unfamiliar and sometimes unsettling.

So, that brings me to decision of what to do on a recent day. I headed over to the newly built Istanbul Contemporary Art Gallery. It’s located right in front of the cruise ship terminal (hint, hint Victoria) and I thought might attract a lot of cruise ship visitors but I was fortunate – it was dead quiet – a nice relief from the highly publicized tourist attractions in the rest of the city.