The closing ball...

A week filled with excitement, joy, discoveries, wonderful people, theatre and smiles. This could be a short portrayal of what the Black Sea Int. Theatre Festival meant to me. So, here we are at the closing ball on the last day of this lovely theatre journey. All the participants left (Romania, Ecuador, Poland and Turkey) gathered in the ball room of the Zorlu Hotel, all looking beautiful. After the director of the festival held his speech, the music and fun began. Danced, ate, had fun with all the people like a big family. Wondefrul moments!

...but the night wasn't over yet. :)

Kodak moments with lovely friends!

With two of the most wonderful people around...Mate and Sevki! :)

Can not forget Silvana from the Romanian Cultural Institute, who made this trip possible. 

Big hug and a big THANK YOU!

...felt like on the Red Carpet :)

With the Technic Chief of our theatre, Gusti. A wonderful man and a real pro!

 (and there are so few among the employees of BM Theatre...sadly)

...started the nigh with some punch...

the ladies :)

with Selin :)

...almost all the people from the romanian crew.

I loved these two guys. We had a lot of fun together...beginning  with those "paintings"... :))

And this was the cherry on top of the cake for me...a short but lovely msg from Sevki. 

show time...Trabzon, Turkey

Here are more pics of  Trabzon...Last night we had our first performance. Besides some issues with the english translation, the show went Ok. And the fact that filled my heart with joy, was at the end of the performance, when all the public raised and applauded loudly. Turkish audience acts like this ( at least this I've been told by locals): if they don't like what the stage offers, they leave. Without any regrets. Well...that didn't happened when we played! That was a relief!! I was anxious to see what will it happen tonight, at our second performance.

Before every theatre performance, I usually like and have to sleep at least an hour. Today was not an exception. Here's a pic before going to bed in the hotel's room. :)

The play starts at 8pm, so we had to be at the theatre with a couple of hours before. Just in time to take some pics with the ads in fornt of the theatre. ( ... ignore the squirrel waving on my  back... )

This is the banner for our play they posted in the lobby of the theatre. Loved it!

Such a lovely theatre they have in Trabzon. With beautiful paintings, everything so clean and neat.

Preparation hour... :)

I must tell you about the hair dresser....mmmm...I fell in love with the way he did my hair. Fast, efficient, and nonetheless, always smiling. Chapeau!! 

We had with us in our crew, two members from the Romanian Cultural TV, that filmed us from the beginning of the journey till the end. It was my turn to talk with them, right before the show.  :)

The performance turned out to be less perfect than last night...probably because some of the actors just relaxed a bit too much, so much that they've missed some lines...but these are things that only I feel...Anyways...we went out for some drinks and some fun. Happy that things went OK.

Here it is Sevki, a really nice man (part of the organizers), that turned out to be nicer in person. I've been talking to him for the whole 6 months, right when I first wrote him about our play. I'll be missing him for sure when I'll be far away form Turkey...

Makin' freinds all over Trabzon. :)

Hope you liked the story of today... :) Stay tuned for tomorrow!

Love, Gab~

...meet Trabzon, Turkey

We arrived in Trabzon after midnight. No need to mention we were all dead tired...AT the airport we met Sevki (the person whom I talked to prepare everything for the festival) and Selin, who turned out to be the responsible person for our crew. We were booked at the Hotel Zorlu...a beautiful 5* hotel that I truly recommend if you're about to visit the N-E part of Turkey and you need to stay somewhere excellent.

I loved the fact that all the countries that participated at the festival,

 had their own flag in the lobby of the hotel. :)

The hotel’s lobby with its unique decoration and magnificent architecture

 partaking of a palace is one where guests feel quite special. 

After we had lunch, Selin took us to visit some parts of the city, including a Georgian Bazar :)

▲ The bazar on the Trabzon streets    ...

▼ Heading to the coast of the Back Sea

▼ Near a monument for Suleyman the Maginificient, on the Black Sea coast (called "Ganita")

 Trabzon, Turkey

▼ Took a pic with the owner of a glass shop, that gave us for free some Turkish tea glasses. Loved them! That was very kind of him. He did that when he found out we were actors, that came to play at the "Black Sea" Int. Theatre Festival in  Trabzon. :)

Like Istanbul...Trabzon didn't disappointed me when it came to fruit market. Heaven! ♥♥♥

...and, of course, fish market details :)

... found it interesting how ladyfingers were sold... :))

We had a tea glass right  on the Black Sea coast at the Ganita Cafe  :)

In the evening we went to see the Russian performance...and when we got at the theatre, we had a surprise. A pic of me and Mate from the play "Cold Child" (that we're going to perform in a couple of days) was posted right above/in the middle of the theatre's building. That was awesome! :)

The Russian performance was a bit long and boring, so we've decided not to see the second act and left for the hotel by foot. Trabzon just transforms when it's getting dark. The walk was worth it because we got to see so many interesting things ...like the sweets "industry" :) ▼

▼..or the illuminated minarets of the mosques...

▼or a restored part of the city, which once was a ruin...

When finally back at the hotel...well it looked so nice, I needed a pic :)

I fell in love with the Turkish figs...sweeter, bigger than the ones you find in Romania and...cheaper! 

Life's not fair! ...

The first day in Trabzon turned out to be wonderful!

..oh...and the elevator ...was basically asking us to take pics... :)))