It must be quite apparent from my effusive travelogues that I leave a piece of my heart in most every place I visit. And given a chance I would return to every one of them……almost. Sadly, the inverse relationship between time and my ever lengthening bucket list makes return trips impractical. Compiling a hypothetical list for the ‘Top Destinations […]
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Y is for Yali. No, not that mythical creature from Hindu mythology, but the gorgeous waterfront mansions lining the banks of the Bosphorus! Derived from the Greek Yialos, meaning seashore, these 17th century mansions whose architectural styles can only be termed ‘eclectic’ were intended as summer abodes for the Turkish bourgeoisie, whose numbers swelled with the extension of the Ottoman […]
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Out beyond ideas of wrongdoingand rightdoing, there is a field.I’ll meet you there.When the soul lies down in that grassthe world is too full to talk about.~ Rumi Every time I read Rumi, I am filled with regret that I cannot read it in the original Persian, for I know how much is lost in […]
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This excerpt from the Book of Revelations, clearly cites what early Christians thought of the fabulous Altar of Zeus, on which Antipas was sentenced to death, when he refused to declare that the Roman emperor was “Lord and God.” “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘I know your works, and where you dwell…where […]
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After a long day of sightseeing, we rest our aching feet at a little cafe in the shadow of the Yeni Camii, the not so new ‘new mosque‘. This 16th century edifice underscores the fact that ‘new’ is relative here! We watch resident Stamboulis go about their daily lives as we sip Çay from little glass tumblers set over […]
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It was suffocatingly still. And silent. We started walking up a wide road, lined with what looked like crumbling little cottages. The asphalt seemed out of place, the heat bouncing off it in waves and enveloping us in a disquieting haze. Peering into a doorway, spooked by my own shadow, it was evident these structures were never […]
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Part of the joy of being in Istanbul apart from the beauty of its geography and its monuments is its food. And on our second trip – the first being an escorted tour that barely left us any time in the city – we were determined to explore its amazing culinary delights. Our first few […]
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A disastrous campaign to secure the Dardenelles, a brave defense, a bloody conflict, and months of fruitless stalemate. The battle of Gallipoli at Anzac Cove, was one of the worst debacles of world war I, from start to finish, with a total of 130,784 dead and 261,554 wounded from both sides. The poignant Lone Pine cemetery and memorial, […]
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There are some secret places on this earth that man has been forced to create, not to enjoy, but to be able to survive. To escape harsh elements, but mostly, as a refuge from tyranny and persecution. Because he was perceived to be different. Or just because he did not happen to pray to the ‘right’ […]
Read MoreThe plan was to walk up to the Galata Tower with our friends, stop for a snack at one of the little cafes in this newly gentrified neighbourhood and then take a cab across town to the uber cool Ulus29 for dinner. When we spotted a stage being readied for a concert right beside the […]
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Also called the Sultan Ahmet mosque and built across from the Hagia Sofia, the exquisite Blue Mosque in Istanbul is the only mosque other than the Masjid al Haram in Mecca that has six minarets. Most visitors enter from the North. But if you take the west entrance you will be rewarded by the sight […]
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Going to Cappadocia, Turky? A breathtaking balloon ride over the surreal landscape and its fairy chimneys is a must do.
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The Urge To Wander 