All Aboard!

This afternoon, along with half a dozen colleagues, I had to attend a Ministry meeting of teachers from local schools. The venue was the Ziya Kalkavan Anadolu Denizcilik Teknik Lisesi in Ortakoy - a special Naval Engineering High School for teenagers who will graduate as potential officers and engineers in Merchant navy ships and other private sea faring vessels. The meeting was, frankly, of no import, but the school building, a C19th establishment literally right on the shore of the Bosphorus, (two more steps from the school yard and you're swimming) was beautiful, antiquated, elegant with all the grandeur and noticeable smell of times gone by in the polish and faded glory. The spacious first floor foyer was a central lobby with various administrative offices arrived at through highly varnished dark wood doors and in the centre of this lobby was a display of all old things nautical. On the wall were sea faring paintings and exhibits, naval costumes, maritime memorabilia and a fine exhibition of nautical knots in a lovely wooden case. A living museum that filled the senses with history and images of yesteryear where teenagers are learning modern sea faring technology and skills. Fascinating. I didn't really get much time to explore, but managed to take a snap of some of the nautical navigational devices on display, of which this old steam throttle is one. Can't you just hear the ship's bell ring and smell the diesel ? Loved it.