In Ankara

We transited from the international to domestic terminal at Istanbul without difficulty ad were soon on our way to Ankara. With the help of  a friendly taxi driver and a telephone call or two to Zeynep we arrived safely at the Ersavci residence.

Ankara is staggeringly bigger than it was 40 years ago. So much so that from the air it seemed to have several centres, including an entirely new settlement to the west on the road to Eskisehir. The drive from the airport, along a twin carriageway that contrasted sharply with our first ride in from the airport in 1972, took about 30 minutes.

The extent of growth became clearer on Tuesday morning when we awoke to a warm but cloudy day. We could see from the vantage point of the Ersavci's 8th floor apartment a grand vista to the West, the enormous build up of apartments beyond Cankaya.

A View From the 8th Floor

We went on an orientation tour in Murat's car. One place that was firmly registered n our recollection of Ankara was 11/11 Enis Behic Koryurek, our apartment in Ankara. We recalled that the Russian Embassy was down one end of our street and a street called Vali Dr Resit at the other.  To our great joy and surprise our apartment is still there.  We noticed that the balcony on our fourth floor  apartment,  which we had crudely enclosed with fly wire was now neatly glassed in. Our was the only one so treated and we like to think that the glass was installed in succession to our primitive effort.

Our apartment in Ankara 1972/1973

We posed for photographs in front of the apartment block and a pink blossom tree, showing Spring had arrived in Ankara if not in England.

Sunset Over Ankara - the view from apartment window as the sun sets over  growing city