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Usually I’m dead against announcing too many of my plans or hopes or dreams too far in advance. I am certainly not a fan of trying to make a resolution that is going to be hard to keep and make me feel bad. You see, I’m a bit competitive…even with myself. Luckily, I think I can make an exception on never making New Year’s resolutions for this Boots n’ All Indie Travel Challenge, because, well, I will travel. It’s what I love and what I do.
Places I want to go this year: Budapest to enjoy the thermal baths [...] Continue reading 2012 New Year’s Resolutions – Indie Travel Challenge #1 
Our weekend in Bursa would not have been complete if we had not tried the dish that was made famous there, Iskender Kebab. Everyone has heard of Döner Kebab, juicy tidbits of meat layered on a vertical spit. Typically in Turkey, your choices are et (beef) or tavuk (chicken), sometimes the “et” could be a mixture of lamb and beef, which is my favorite. Well, the story goes that Efendi Iskender (Sir Alexander) back in 1867 wasn’t happy with the fact that some customers were getting choicier pieces of meat since the roast on the spit was horizontal. He [...] Continue reading Turkish Food – Iskender Kebab 
Now see….if I could just draw or paint or even have one teensy bit of art talent in my chubby fingers, I wouldn’t have to use this effect. Whaddaya think? 
I visited Bursa, a smallish city on the western coast of Turkey. I had been there a number of years ago and remembered it as a dusty little city with not a whole lot of charm, so needless to say I haven’t been clamouring to get there before now. Oh, how things have changed. The first thing we noticed, was how wide the streets were and how orderly and clean the cityscape was. We live in the capital city of Ankara,which albeit modern, doesn’t seem to have as much orderliness to it. We parked right in the downtown area [...] Continue reading Bursa – The City of Relaxation 
Photo Art Day! Wow, I was right when I thought I would be pushing my comfort zone with this theme day. This is an example of taking a gorgeous shot no matter where you are. For this portrait of Duchess I was visiting my sister in the U.S. The original shot is great, and playing with it I found many more ways to make it great. I spent way too much time on Duchess, but as you can see, she enjoyed it! 
In the marketplace in Mardin, Turkey this little boy sports his “mustache.” No matter where you go in Turkey, they will undoubtedly be drinking ayran. Ayran is a yogurt drink that is slightly salty. It harkens back to the days of the Turkic tribes and has been consumed for centuries. I’m not a big fan of it, but I wish I were. No other liquid refreshment is served with such pizazz. In many restaurants it will come in a large bowl shaped cup and served with a spoon so that you can dip into the whipped up concoction. It [...] Continue reading Ayran…Be Refreshed! 
After our jaunt into Bavaria, we wanted to head due west to the city of Trier and the Mosel river. We used to live near this city, and it holds a special place in our hearts. We also have friends in the area, so of course, wanted to go visit them while we were in the country. We had to stop half way, just for sanity’s sake, so we chose the little-known town of Maulbronn. There is not much there except for this awesome UNESCO World Heritage monastery which is over 850 years old. As all religious sites seem [...] Continue reading A Quiet Maulbronn Afternoon 
After we had our fill of castles and Bavarian beer, we took a quick side trip to Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is only about an hour’s drive from Munich. The only problem with the road is that there are trucks, trucks, and more trucks. The border, thankfully, doesn’t require stopping, but it can still get backed up. One thing that drivers have to remember when going there is that there is an annual road tax. Most of the petrol stations between Munich and Salzburg sell the tax in vending machines and give you a sticker to prove that you’ve paid. [...] Continue reading Climbing to the Top in Salzburg |
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