Intestines: It’s What’s for Dinner!

28 Monday Jan 2013

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I was never the adventurous eater on family vacations. My little brother always took that prize–he had no problem devouring snails in France and snacking on calamari. For me, it took some prodding; not because I was ever a particularly picky eater, but I have discovered that I am particularly picky about foods of specific textures, namely rubbery–hence the aversion to a lot of shellfish and other seafoods (googling that actually results in an eating disorder that children normally suffer from. Awesome.)

Basically what I’m getting at is that I’m not known for being the one to eat the unusual stuff when I’m traveling. Unless I don’t know what it is. 

For me, ignorance really can be bliss. I love hot dogs, and I know in theory they have got some nasty shiz in them, but they are so dang tasty! Don’t spoil my fun.

I enjoyed haggis in Scotland, mostly because I conveniently forgot what it was made of. 

Yum! See, I almost cleared my plate!

Well, last week I got to experience the haggis of Turkey: kokoreç. 

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Photo of My Day: Hagia Sophia, I

28 Monday Jan 2013

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I finally made it to the Hagia Sophia. You’d think being in Istanbul for a month would warrant an immediate trip. Better late than never, right? I’ll post more photos soon, although I regret to say that the lighting inside the incredible building is not super for my regular old point & shoot. Starting to wonder whether it’s time to invest in a real camera…Anyway, enjoy this sneak peek!

That Time I Bought Stamps in Istanbul (And Other Adventures in Turkish)

27 Sunday Jan 2013

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At the Post OfficeA few weeks ago, I went to the post office next to our apartment. My goal: to buy stamps. 

À la Recherche du Stamps Perdu
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 Like many other countries, post offices in Turkey are also where people pay bills and conduct other business. Stamps are one of the last things on the list when folks visit the post office. 

But I have a bad habit of hoarding post cards and ending up with 20 cards from 4 countries. And so it was that day.

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Photo of My Day: Gull Army

26 Saturday Jan 2013

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It always cracks us up that the seagulls all stand to attention facing the exact same way towards the sun. Whenever we see them in big groups, Boris jokes that it’s his army (if they’re on land), air force (if they’re flying), navy (if they’re all bobbing silently on the water) and once we saw a flock land on top of a 3-storey house. They were the sniper battalion.

Making Meze: A Cooking Class in Istanbul

25 Friday Jan 2013

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If you’ve been following along, you may have noticed that I like food. I mean, who doesn’t? Food is awesome. It tastes good (most of the time), it’s fun to make, and it gives you energy to keep doing cool stuff like hike Mount Olympus or dance the lindy hop.

My boyfriend does give me a lot of flack for taking photos of the food I eat, and I confess that a lot of my recent Instagrams have featured food.

Click to make it bigger…

Anyway, you get the picture. So for Christmas, I decided to take a half-day cooking class here in Istanbul.

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Photo of my Day: A Long Walk Home

24 Thursday Jan 2013

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Heading uphill.

The other day we strayed from our routine of walking only on the waterfront and crossed the street (HUGE, I know!).

 I was actually really surprised at how different the perspective was, by making such a slight change.

We saw things we had never seen but had always passed because we were looking the other way: stained glass we hadn’t noticed, a beautiful graffito that I liked. I also caught a glimpse of this elderly woman on her way somewhere. Maybe home, maybe not. But wherever she was going, I hope she enjoyed the journey.

Topkapı Palace: Stomping Grounds of the Ottoman Sultans

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

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When I think of a palace, I think of Disney. And lush gardens, and over-the-top architecture, and lots of bling. Although my trip to Topkapı didn’t include a Cinderella sighting (I suppose that’d be more of a castle, wouldn’t it? Is there a difference? Someone help me out with this…), I was certainly impressed by its grandeur.But wait…Topkapwha? 
 Here are the basics:

  • Topkapı Palace began being built in 1459 by Sultan Mehmed II, who was responsible for conquering Constantinople.
  • It was home to the sultans and their courts until 1856, when the sultan moved to Dolmabahçe Palace.
  • It has been a museum since 1924.
  • A treasury, kitchens, mosques, stables, baths and even a circumcision room are all part of the palace complex
  • There are 4 main courtyards

Obviously there is a lot more history and information about the palace, but you get the idea. The people who lived on the palace grounds essentially never had to leave–they had everything they needed there!

Topkapı Palace: Stomping Grounds of the Ottoman Sultans
Entrance to Topkapı-The Imperial Gate
The Street of the Council was used for imperial processions. It leads to the next courtyard.

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Photo of My Day: Harbor Hounds

21 Monday Jan 2013

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Doggies appreciating the beautiful January day in Sariyer, Istanbul.

Our neighborhood has dozens of stray dogs who wander the streets. Boris has named many of them and since arriving, a couple newbies have showed up whose monikers I’ve helped coin: Prince Graceful, Mange, Spotty, Beyaz Peynir to name a few.

We spotted the two above during our walk along the waterfront. The golden looking out along the water looked so wistful and wise, so we named him Odysseus. The dog hanging out with him doesn’t have a name as appropriate to share, as one time she chased Boris down the street and he doesn’t like her temperament very much… 🙂

Bumbling Chats: Meet Mehmet

18 Friday Jan 2013

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Over the past months I have been privileged to meet many people–other travelers, locals who have opened up their cultures and homes to us, and more. Mehmet is one such person. He drove us through the crazy streets of Ankara, taught us about Şalgam, and we now call him a friend.

Mehmet and I sat down today during his visit to Istanbul and talked a bit about why he loves this city, how he’d like to travel through Europe and more.

Bumbling Chats: Meet Mehmet
Mehmet pours raki, the national drink of Turkey.

What is your name? Mehmet.

How old are you? I am 22. 

Where are you from? I was born in Ankara but my family came from Kars, in eastern Turkey. I live in Ankara.

What do you like to do in your city? Now I am just a student in Ankara. I live with  my family. I am waiting to finish my university, and for now I am not sure when I will finish university or where I will go after. Probably I will come to Istanbul because my work is public relations and advertising. Advertising is best in Istanbul. 

Without school, I go to the bar with my friends and drink raki, a Turkish drink like ouzo. It’s famous. I also go to the cinema with my friends, I am interested in movies.

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7 Things I’m Glad I Packed

17 Thursday Jan 2013

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My trip’s not over yet, I know, but as I look back and realize I’ve been on the road now for more than 6 months, I can’t but help give myself a pat on the back for my packing job. *Pats self on back.*I’ve made it through summer, fall (real fall!), winter and will be starting spring by the time I get back to the good ole US of A. Through hiking in the hot Mediterranean and the Highlands, last-minute travel planning, and my first white Christmas, some of my stuff has really made the travel grade.

Here are the 7 things I’m glad I packed for my extended trip to Europe.

My comfy black yoga pants

  These were a Christmas gift a few years ago from my parents. Mine happen to be by GapBody (something like this), but I’m pretty sure any black dance pants with cotton-y, stretchy goodness would have been swell.

Not only have they proven great for actual yoga and dance, they’re also good for layering under a short dress in chillier climes or more traditional cultures, perfect for lounging around the house/apartment/hostel/farm/commune, and also function as my cold-weather PJ bottoms! The black color helps with their versatility, too!

Lowa Trailrunners 

I went through quite a process to find the perfect shoes to bring on this trip.

I knew I’d be hiking in many types of weather, and doing a lot of regular walking. I didn’t want super chunky boots for packing reasons. I went to my favorite outdoor store in Tucson, Summit Hut, no fewer than three times to find the best shoe. I even bought a pair and tried them out at home for a day; when they weren’t quite right, the kind folks at Summit Hut let me return them.

The ones I finally ended up deciding on (shout out to Jess for her patience and GREAT recommendation!) were Lowa S-Curve Mesh WS.

My Lowas even ran in Olympic Stadium. Bamf!

Although they’re not waterproof, they dried very quickly so even hiking on the rainy Isle of Skye was no problemo. They got me half-way up (and down) Mount Olympus, and despite all their wear are still as comfy as ever. Because of the mesh, they’re also really easy to pack into my suitcase, and have excellent traction for all kinds of terrain. Win!

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