Polytropy

Having enjoyed spending a January week at the Nesin Mathematics Village in 2016, this year I came back for two weeks. My spouse will join me for the second week. Meanwhile, here are some photographs from this amazing place.

Sunday

I took an overnight bus from Istanbul again. There was rain for much of the night. Still, we had no delays in getting out of Istanbul, and we arrived in Selçuk almost on schedule, a little past 8 o’clock on Sunday morning, January 15. The rain had let up. The dolmuş to Şirince left soon and quickly filled up with workers.

This rock garden by the library is striking, but I confess to having thoughts of how difficult it will be to maintain, unless the gardener is planning to poison any weeds.

I am assigned to the Henri Matalon House, named for the teacher at Lycée Saint-Joseph whose students endowed the structure.

Another side of the Henri Matalon House.

A pathway.

Corner of the Matalon House where I can recline and work.

Monday

The rainy weather continued; but on Monday afternoon there was some clearing of the skies. Having given my two-hour lecture in the morning, I went for a stroll with the camera.

Houses of the Philosophy Village.

These young women had been in my lecture and had sat at my table for lunch.

They offered to photograph me with my camera. Then I took their photograph with their mobile.

The rain is ultimately supposed to fill this new dam. In an emergency, the water in the pond can be treated and used in the Village. Currently waste water is treated sufficiently for use in gardening.

A panoramic shot.

I have never understood the freedom with which people discard their trash. Somebody did explain to me once that, in the old days, all trash was biodegradable, and so you could just freely discard it. Many people seem to have retained the habit.

A box that once held hemorrhoid medication.

The stream in the village of Şirince. In the village I met the old man from whom I buy shirts in the summer. He had a big sack of almonds in the shell. He insisted that I take the shelled almonds that he held in his hand.

Rain causes erosion as well as growth.

The screen of olive leaves may be more impressive in 3-d vision.

The Philosophy Village again.