I’m in Istanbul, a place that has been on my wish list for a very long time. The taxi ride from the airport took almost an hour and a half, in rush hour rain. It was awful. I arrived a couple of days in advance of the Liverpool Biennial Team. We’re all meeting up to have a look around the Istanbul Biennial.
Today, there are bad-tempered dark skies and torrential rain. I’d always visualised being here in scorching heat with unbroken blue above.
Yesterday I finally got to visit the Blue Mosque. It was magnificent. No rain, but dismal grey skies, and the many worshippers and visitors were corralled by scaffolding, both inside and outside. Another confirmation that things aren’t always what we assumed they would be, I guess.
I found a corner where I could stand still and and just gaze up at the crescendo of domes and the gentle glow of the tiles. Being content with being here was enough.