Johnny awakes really early - around 5 am - and on most days I am too sleepy to do anything but play quietly with him and stare at the river and the cliffs until the rest of the family gets up, but this week I overcame my tiredness and went running a few times, and I took a morning photowalk to the Hisaria Fortress. Unfortunately, that particular day was overcast, and I didn't capture the brilliance of the sunrise. This was compensated by an interesting light of a filtered quality that gave my photos a very unique feel. There wasn't anyone on the cobbled streets of Varosha yet, just the local stray dogs (which I gave breakfast), and an cats behind every corner (which were too wild to approach, even with food).
As I climbed the white steps to the Fortress, the sun finally broke through the blanket of clouds, and bathed the Roman ruins in golden rays. It was quiet and lovely, and once again I thanked Providence that I had the luck to grow up here, and the luxury to return as often as I do.
One thing my Western World friends might find odd in these images is the obituaries posted on various gates across the neighborhood. This tradition of deep respect for the dead is very Balkan, and although I personally find it a bit unsettling, I wanted to share it. The woman in the picture happens to be my Grandmother's sister, who I remember fondly from my childhood.
These is also the promised view from above. My 300 mm lens came quite handy in this expedition. I will return to this spot again at sunset, to capture the landscape in a more dramatic fashion.
