The Power of Love

I used to make my terrace a riot of colour every Spring which lasted right through to the Autumn, but this year I have done nothing about it so that this Hydrangea is just about all the colour there is. I like it though.

After a nice dinner at Chez Karen, (thank you) we took a 9pm evening stroll to the plateau to see the fireflies dancing and the lights of Istanbul twinkling on the Bosphorus. I liked that too.

Yesterday the PM announced that the protesters had 24 hours to get out of Gezi park and I have been dreading tonight knowing that they would not leave. Earlier today he publicly addressed the mothers of the protestors in Istanbul saying something like "call them back to your houses for their own safety". Mothers responded by going to Taksim Square and forming a human chain in front of Gezi park between the police and the protestors. The photos of this human barricade are very moving. Someone wrote: 'This is the real "tear" gas.' Now at 2am, live streaming shows a very crowded but peaceful square with thousands of people listening attentively to a public piano concert that has been going on for hours (apparently even the riot police are listening to the music) and the on site reporter is laughing with the TV studio anchor as they chat about what they can see. Who would have thought it? These women may have saved Istanbul tonight.

The power of love.