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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Morning sun's heat

A seagull warm herself in the morning sun after a winter cold night

Stormy day

A Cruise Ship is leaving the bay, it is hard to distinguish the "tiny" ferry in front of the 300 meter long vessel. This day of March 28 was quiet stormy and the light disputed the sky to the clouds for the whole day.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Evening route

On the pale evening winter sun the Mary Schulte is living the harbour at low speed while ferries crossing the bay have to sail around to avoid her path and other mooring ships.

Morning Mist

Early morning in December 2010 ferries leaving for the south shore slowly disapear in the mist. The passengers are only 10 minutes away from Konak but they hardly see the shore.


Monday, January 16, 2012

The ferry to the north shore

The trip across the bay lasts around 20 minutes, sometime the captain having to tack between heavy ships preparing to dock or leaving the harbour, or just mooring in the bay waiting for they turn to approach the huge cranes. We can distinctively see the fog due to the pollution comming from the heaters of hundred thousands of housholds and offices. The harbour stays in the very center of the city and even if the port of Aliaga 80 km north is becoming a very busy alternative the frequentation is still high in the Aegean city.

Barinak Café

The Barinak Café (Barinak is Shelter or Refuge) was erased in autumn 2011 because of new regulations about the gestion of restaurants on the sea front. It was a perfect place to profit of the sun in winter time and also a beautiful spot to watch the sun disappearing behind the marshes.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

After the rain

I appreciate especially a walk after the rain at the seafront. The shore is almost deserted, the air is clear and the light beautiful. It is easy to like the rain when it is so rare, only around 60 days like this one, with always a pale sun projecting his weak rays between two clouds and two downpours, an alternace of grays and hilights.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

moorings

Any chain can keep a boat away from the open sea, she will let herself die and sink in the water she loves instead.
Today looking at this picture from my archives (my pocket camera Lumix LX2 with the Leitz zoom) Azanavour's song came to my mind. Here are links to Youtube french vintage copy, a recent french version and a recent concert with the English version too. If you read french profit of the original, the poesie of the french text is not found in the english version, unfortunately. At the time of the song was first published most of the French Colonies had been granted independence, there were no way to spend holiday time abroad for the concept of holiday by the sea was quiet new and reserved for a class with some financial capabilities, owning a private car and thus able to reach the mediterranean and atlantic shores.



After the rain

After the rain the shore is almost deserted, it is a perfect time to stroll along the seafront.

Carferry

The bare decks of the carferry Esenköy remain silent, even the waves frapping the hull in a lazy rhythm do not succeed to awake the mass of steel of the old lady. She seems deserted right now but in less than an hour the barriers will open and she will be assaulted by trucks and cars and hundreds of passengers rushing up the long and straight stairs leading to the upper deck and to the saloon with his hot glass of tea and cups of Turkish coffee awaiting. Late comers will probably not find a place for their cars and have to take the ring and its 50 km to meet the city south-west end.


Morning frost

The pale morning sunrays wash out the cold of the night but pain to warm this wasteland of the industrial zone and dissipate the frost.


Friday, January 13, 2012

Windy day

The seafront is almost deserted, lonely walkers fight the wind.


After Xmas Eve

The picture is taken early morning in the last days of December 2005 with my old friend Om-1n with the Zuiko 85mm. The weather is so quiet there is even not the lightest breeze to blur the canal's water. A lonely silver glass ball floats as a metaphor of the past celebration.


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Rain Drops





waiting for 2012

The new year eve is also a commercial event and for many the occasion to fill the safe with fresh cash before the year closure. This empty restaurant is prepared and expecting his last 2011 clients. 


Concrete Crown

The Atatürk Stadium was build for the 1971 Mediterranean games and designed to host 50'000 people, it hosted indeed up to 80'000 for a derby in the early 80ies. The Stadium was long the second largest in the country and is dedicated to athleticism beside his regular (soccer for US friends) football ground. Here is a part of the stadium upper structure.

The Fishermen

A 3 hours rotation is requested to place the nets for the night. The next day the fishermen leave the pier at 7 am for another 3 hours trip to collect the nets. Than back to the port they have to collect the fish if ever there are, clean and repair the net for the next night. 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Sometime they do not pay even the fuel with the sales. Even when the nest are filled up to crack open, the prices drop at the level a loaf of bread. I wonder if we will still see fishermen and fishes in ten years from now because I do not seen young man willing to learn the craft. Wich one will desappear first, the fish or the fisherman?

(note: except the close up on the hand coming from an other boat it is a single team who is reported here)