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Ahmet Erkun
Ahmet Erkun

Ahmet Erkun

traveled in 74 countries Read more
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  • Fall & Winter 2024
    2The Wiener Staatsoper was built between 1861-1869 — Vienna, Austria.
    1The main staircase at the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.The main staircase at the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.At the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.The auditorium at the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.2At the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.Our seats are above what was once the imperial box ... Wiener Staatsoper — Vienna, Austria.Swan Lake at the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.Swan Lake at the State Opera House — Vienna, Austria.

    Vienna: Swan Lake @ the Staatsoper

    October 10, 2024 in Austria ⋅ 🌫 55 °F

    Around 6:00p, having rested our weary feet and feeling refreshed, we left the apartment for the Wiener Staatsoper [Vienna State Opera].

    Before leaving the US in September, I had checked the schedule of performances at the opera house. There was a different performance staged on each night of our time in Vienna. Some were already sold out; some only had “standing seats”; some were of no interest to us. Tonight’s ballet performance of Swan Lake, however, hit the sweet spot.

    I have tickets booked for the opera house tour later in the week, so I am not going to say much about the building itself in this footprint. And everyone knows the story of Swan Lake, or can look it up on the internet, so no need for a description of the storyline of the ballet either. Suffice to say that the Nureyev-choreographed ballet was beautifully performed … both by the dancers and the musicians.

    It was 10:15p by the time the performance was over … two intermissions adding to the overall length of the ballet. We got home around 10:45p, ready for a good night’s rest.

    Another busy day of sightseeing awaits us tomorrow.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    A delicious lunch ... at Schnitzelwirth — Vienna, Austria.

    Vienna Lunch: When in Wien …

    October 10, 2024 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    … of course you have to have Wiener schnitzel … at least once!

    It was nigh on 1:00p when we left Schloss Schönbrunn. We were both totally wiped out from all the walking and standing around while exploring the palace and the grounds. And we were hungry. Time for lunch. Having lived in Vienna for several years, Esin — Mui’s cousin — had suggested Schnitzelwirt as the place to go to sate our appetite for schnitzel.

    It took us another two-metro-line trip and a 20-minute walk to get to the restaurant. We’d been warned that there could be a queue waiting to be seated. Luckily, it was a short one. The schnitzels were worth the wait … and the order way too plentiful. We could have easily split a single order, which consisted of two plate-size schnitzels. We ate what we could, leaving just enough room in our tummies to share a crepe stuffed with vanilla ice cream. Have to have a sweet treat! We’ll get another meal out of the leftover schnitzels, so all’s good.

    Knowing that our plans for tonight would keep us up late, we decided to head back to the apartment to rest up for a bit.

    It was once again raining when we left Schnitzelwirt. Instead of walking to the metro station for the ride back home, we hopped on the #49 tram … which dropped us off not too far from the apartment. We were a little soggy by the time we unlocked the door … but none the worse for wear.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Completing the Grand Tour, we head outside to go onto the balcony ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.
    View from the front balcony ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.View of the palace from the pergola in the Privy Garden ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.1The palace and the Privy Garden ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The palace and the Privy Garden ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.One of the two Naiad Fountains in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Roman Ruins Fountain in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Roman Ruins Fountain ... the figures represent the gods of the Rivers Danube and Enns — Schönbrunn.Detail from the Roman Ruins Fountain in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Fair Spring Fountain in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Neptune Fountain at the top of the Great Parterre in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.The sculptural grouping of the Neptune Fountain features the great god and his cronies ... SchönbrunThe Neptune Fountain in the park ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The palace and the Great Parterre from behind the Neptune Fountain ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.The Gloriette ... crowned by an imperial eagle ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.View from the Gloriette ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Selfie from the Gloriette ... yes, it was windy ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Gloriette ... Roman armor with shields, standards, and lions ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.Gloriette ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The central fountain in the Orangery Garden dates back to the 16th century ... Schloss Schönbrunn.

    Vienna: Schloss Schönbrunn (Part II)

    October 10, 2024 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    The forecast today called for a cool to downright chilly day — especially when the wind was blowing and the sun was hiding. Periods of light rain, too.

    Well, wouldn’t you know it? The rain found us when we left the imperial and state apartments behind to stroll the grounds at Schloss Schönbrunn. The good news? By the time we were ready to climb up to the crest of Schönbrunn Hill, the sun was out and the rain had moved on … at least for a while.

    The palace grounds are quite extensive … just under .4 square miles. And like the palace, they are UNESCO-listed. The area referred to as the park was opened to the public in 1779. No admission charged then or now, it is a popular recreational space for both locals and visitors. Some of the gardens — such as the Privy Garden, the Maze, and the Orangery — require admission … in our case, included in the Classic Pass we had pre-booked. (Though today the Orangery seemed to be open to anyone who wished to enter … because it was undergoing some restoration work.)

    A mix of woodland, topiary, flowering shrubs, rare plants, and landscaped parterres make up the grounds … studded with statues and fountains. Alas, this time of the year, there weren’t many colorful flowers to delight us. As lovely as we found the grounds today, I can only imagine how spectacular they must be in the spring and summer.

    We began our stroll — the hoods of our rain jackets pulled up and our umbrellas open to keep the camera from getting wet — at the Kronprinzengarten [Crown Princes’s Garden] … more commonly referred to as the Privy Garden. Dating back to the 18th century, it served as a private retreat for the imperial family. On three sides is a pergola covered in Virginia creeper. Providing shade when the sun is shining, today it served to shield us from the rain. Between the palace and the viewing platform, landscaped parterres added an element of formality to the scene our eyes beheld.

    From this garden, we found the turnstile that got us into the park. We followed long, pebble-strewn dirt paths … meandering here and there to check out some of the statues and water features … small and large … the highlights of which for us were the Roman Ruins Fountain (once known as the Ruin of Carthage; built in 1778) and the Neptune Fountain (the crowning feature of the Great Parterre; commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa in the 1770s).

    From the Great Parterre we followed the zig-zag path up Schönbrunn Hill to the Gloriette, a colonnaded belvedere that was built in 1775.

    We thank the sun for gracing us with blue skies at this point as the view down towards the palace — with Vienna stretching far beyond it — was simply the crowning touch to our visit to Schloss Schönbrunn.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Welcome to Schloss Schönbrunn, the summer residence of the Habsburgs — Vienna, Austria.
    The Emperor's Audience Chamber ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Oversized paintings of Franz Joseph and Sisi hang in his study ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.Franz Joseph's bedroom ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Empress Sisi's dressing room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Empress Sisi's Salon was her reception room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Marie Antoinette Room served as the family dining room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Breakfast Cabinet ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Yellow Salon ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.One of the three Rosa Rooms ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Great Gallery ... amazing frescoes ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Ceiling detail from the Great Gallery ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Round Chinese Cabinet ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Hall of Ceremonies ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Vieux Laque Room is decorated with black lacquer panels ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, AustriaThe Napoleon Room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.The Porcelain Room was Maria Theresa's private writing room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.The Millions Room is where Maria Theresa granted private audiences ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna.The Gobelin Room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.Empress Maria Theresa's state bed in the Rich Room ... Schloss Schönbrunn — Vienna, Austria.

    Vienna: Schloss Schönbrunn (Part I)

    October 10, 2024 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Schloss Schönbrunn, the hunting-lodge-turned-imperial-residence of the Habsburgs, has “always been a place of interest to visitors, and the history of sightseeing at the palace did not merely start with the end of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918.” So explained one of the info panels at the palace.

    At first, only nobility, envoys from other countries, and high-ranking foreigners got to glimpse what was inside the estate. Then came the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873 and Emperor Franz Joseph opened parts of the palace to the public. Tours were conducted of the premises … but the private apartments of the imperial family were strictly off-limits. That was then and things have changed since. These days, visitors stream in by the hundreds — if not thousands — to roam the estate and check out the private apartments. The main grounds are free; admission is charged to go inside the buildings and some of the gardens.

    Today it was our turn to wander the halls of the 1,441-room-estate — OK, so we got to see only 40 of the said rooms during our Grand Tour — and stroll through the grounds to our heart’s content … the rain that plagued us for a while notwithstanding.

    The ‘five-stop, two-metro-line trip’ from our AirBNB to Schloss Schönbrunn took a mere 15 minutes or so … putting us at our destination with time to spare for exterior photos before it was time for our DIY/audioguide tour. We had booked the very first time slot of the day — 8:30a — to avoid the worst of the crowds. Very smart move as it turns out. There were just three other couples when we scanned our tickets and began exploring the palace. It did get more crowded as the morning wore on, but it was nothing like the crowds we saw waiting in the lobby when we left at 12:30p.

    The history of Schönbrunn can be traced back to the Middle Ages. But don’t worry, I am not going to bore you with all that. Nor am I going to delve deep into the history of the estate through the centuries. Anyone interested can find volumes of such information on the internet. Suffice to say that it was 1569 when Schönbrunn came into the hands of the Habsburgs, who ruled Austria — and a number of other countries on and off — from 1282 to 1918.

    Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring” … in reference to the artesian well that provided water to the court. The palace served as the summer residence to many members of the imperial family, including such notable names as Empress Maria Theresa … she received the estate as a wedding gift; and Franz Joseph, the longest reigning Emperor of Austria, and his wife … Sisi as Empress Elizabeth was more commonly known.

    And on that note, let’s take a photo-walk through some of the rooms of Schloss Schönbrunn … a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    The metro station sign answers the question of where we are headed — Vienna, Austria.

    Busy Sightseeing in Vienna

    October 10, 2024 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    The good news is that we had a great day in Vienna today.

    The bad news is that if today is any indication, I won’t be doing much writing. Simply no spare time to go through photos to share in the footprints. So, don’t worry if you don’t see any posts until we get back to Türkiye. It just means that we are “living the moment” and enjoying our trip.

    In the meantime, I left you all hanging with what our plans were for today. I thought I would at least answer that question. The picture attached to this post says it all.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    On the train into the city — Vienna, Austria.
    Our AirBNB base for four nights — Vienna, Austria.Mui's ready to relax ... but first we have to run our errands and fill the larder — Vienna, Austria.

    Vienna, Austria: Arrived & Settled In

    October 9, 2024 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    An uneventful flight brought us from ADB to VIE.

    We were the only international flight arriving at VIE when we landed early at 12:45p local time. Immigration formalities were easy peasy … plenty of agents on hand to process those of us who did not qualify to use the biometric entry gates.

    Next up … purchasing train tickets and 7-day transportation passes — the former to get us into the city today; the latter to get us around the city. We found the counter in the arrival halls and made our purchase in no time at all. Then it was just a matter of making our way to the Flughafen Wien Station and boarding the next train into the city a few minutes later. Transferring to the U6 (brown) metro line, a short ride put us less than 5 minutes walking distance to the AirBNB apartment that will be our base for four nights.

    Once we were settled in, we headed out to the Billa Plus supermarket … kitty corner from the apartment. We now have our breakfast fixings and some light snacks for evening meals … plan to have our main meal mid-day somewhere convenient to whatever sightseeing plans we have on the calendar that day.

    We’re taking it easy tonight. Tomorrow we have timed-entry tickets bright and early to visit … well, you just have to wait to find out what’s on our agenda for our first full day in Vienna.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Aircraft being readied to receive us ... at ADB — İzmir, Türkiye.

    Our Chariot Awaits

    October 9, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Our aircraft is at Gate 232, being prepared for the ADB-VIE flight.

    Looks like an on time departure might be in the cards for us 🤞🏻

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    On the way to the airport via IZBAN ... Alsancak Garı, İzmir , Türkiye.

    On Our Way to ADB

    October 9, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We are on the way to the airport for our flight to Vienna.

    Traffic is horrible during the morning rush hour. So, we took a cab from the apartment to the Alsancak Tren Garı [train terminal]. And then hopped on the light rail — IZBAN — to the airport.

    While we had to pay for the taxi ($2.92), the ride on IZBAN is free for us — benefit of age 😁. Convenient and free … the best of both worlds!    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    The hanging zipcube ... in packing/hanging mode. Mui still has a few compartments to fill.
    The hanging zipcube ... compressed and ready to go. (Max size in this mode ... 13"x9"x5.5")

    Packing Day & Hanging Zipcubes

    October 8, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    We’re off to Vienna, Austria tomorrow for a pre-cruise stay before we embark Viking’s Longship Rinda on the 13th.

    What does that mean?

    Packing! Ugh!!!!

    River cruises carry an inherent risk. If the water level is too low, the cruise can be disrupted. Similarly, if the water level is too high, the cruise can also be disrupted.

    More often than not, the disruption is in the form of having to be bused between ports. If you’re lucky, you embark another vessel at the port to which you are bused and cruise merrily down the river again. If you are unlucky, you may have to be bused between multiple ports, overnighting on different ships or hotels in between.

    In any event, being bused essentially means having to pack/unpack your bags … as many times as necessary.

    To ease the chore of having to pack/unpack — should it become necessary to do so — we purchased a couple of Biaggi Hangmates Hanging Zipcubes on sale … in lieu of investing in new luggage with built-in shelves. We’ll hang the de-compressed zipcubes in the closet in our cabin and keep our clothes nice and tidy on the shelves. If it becomes necessary to re-pack for a bus transfer, we’ll just compress the zipcubes, place them in our bags, collect our toiletries, and voilà … we’ll be ready to go.

    I was able to pack all the clothing I am taking on the river cruise — two week’s worth of mix & match outfits, smalls, socks, and what have you — on the shelves and easily compress them into the built in cube. If I worked at it, I could probably get three weeks worth of clothes into the cube.

    Technically, if we didn’t have walking boots, cold-weather and rain gear, toiletries, and electronics and camera accoutrements, we could just carry the cubes onto the airplane, and then de-compress and hang them when we get to our destination. But since we do have that extra stuff, we are traveling with a small suitcase each. The cube sits in the bottom of the bag; and the top half holds all the other stuff (which we will pull out of the bag as necessary). Of course, we have small carry-on bags as well for electronics, meds, and such … stuff that we would never put in checked bags.

    Though it might not seem so to some readers, we are traveling quite light for this cruise … definitely much lighter than usual. We just need to put last minute items in our bags tomorrow morning and then we’re off.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Happy Hour with Esin & Cenap ... Kadınlar Plajı — Kuşadası, Aydın.
    View of Kadınlar Plajı from Mui's room — Kuşadası, Aydın.Sunset @ Kadınlar Plajı — Kuşadası, Aydın.Kadınlar Plajı — Kuşadası, Aydın.Along the waterfront promenade in the city center — Kuşadası, Aydın.One of the three ships in port today — Kuşadası, Aydın.Kuşadası, Aydın.Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) — Kuşadası, Aydın.Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) — Kuşadası, Aydın.Kuşadası, Aydın.Waterfront promenade in the city — Kuşadası, Aydın.Some of the marble statues along the waterfront promenade — Kuşadası, Aydın.Men playing Okey (similar to Rummy) at a coffee house — Kuşadası, Aydın.Kuşadası, Aydın.Downtown street in Kuşadası, Aydın.Painted steps in downtown Kuşadası, Aydın.Cats & Fish ... downtown Kuşadası, Aydın.Lunch with friends from high school — Kuşadası, Aydın.Scenes from the swim meet @ Kadınlar Plajı — Kuşadası, Aydın.Celebration dinner after the swim meet @ Kadınlar Plajı — Kuşadası, Aydın.

    Mui’s Weekend in Kuşadası

    October 6, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Kuşadası, often thought to be a municipality of the Province of İzmir — because neighboring Selçuk is indeed a municipality of İzmir — actually is part of the Province of Aydın. What was a small beach town when I was growing up, is now a big city … popular with tourists for its beaches, and also because of its proximity to the ruins of Ephesus, a city of antiquity.

    Mui and I have both spent quite a bit of time in Kuşadası … both as children and as adults. This time, however, he went off on his own for a two-night getaway.

    Actually, I take that back. He went with his cousin Esin and her husband, Cenap. His purpose for the trip was two-fold — to cheer on Esin, Cenap, and Murat, who were participating in a swim meet on the 5th; and to visit with some friends from high school who happen to be vacationing in Kuşadası. As a bonus, he managed to take a dip or two at Kadınlar Plajı, the beach fronting the hotel and the site of the swim meet. He also did a bit of sightseeing in the city center, taking photos for this footprint as he strolled along the waterfront.

    From what I can tell, a good time was had by all!

    P.S. Kadınlar Plajı translates as Women’s Beach. Tradition has it that this is the beach in the story of Ulysses where, distracted by Sirens, seafarers ran aground. Hence the name.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Gull at sunset ... Alsancak — İzmir, Türkiye.

    Gull @ Sunset

    October 6, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Colorful sunset from mom’s terrace …

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Notification of longship change from Kadlin to Rinda.
    From the Daughter of Nobility to a Goddess we will go.

    Kadlin to Rinda

    October 5, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    In the period between September 11-17, Storm Boris brought torrential rains and strong winds to Central Europe. At least 24 people died as a result of the storm. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in some places along the River Danube. Heavy flooding resulted in quite a bit of devastation in cities large and small along the river … Vienna and Budapest amongst them. River traffic — both passenger and cargo — came to a halt.

    During the storm, and in its aftermath, river boats and ships — such as the Viking longship we were scheduled to embark next week — had to seek safe shelter where they could because they were unable to pass under bridges along the Danube or were stranded because canal locks were inoperable.

    All that has since passed. River traffic is now plying the waters of the Danube; water levels have gone down and flooding has ceased; work is ongoing to erase the ravages wrought by the storm.

    But because the river cruise ships were unable to get where they were supposed to go, it became necessary to cancel some cruises, reschedule some ports, and swap ships.

    Thankfully, we have not been impacted by a cancelation or rescheduling. But we will no longer be sailing the Longship Kadlin … the “Daughter of a Norse Nobleman.” Instead, on 13 October, we will be embarking the Longship Rinda …. the “Norse Goddess of the Frozen Earth.”

    Rinda is a sister ship that is an exact twin of the Kadlin. Thus, as the notification email we received from Viking states, “… all other aspects of your trip, including your stateroom selection, itinerary, and any extensions you may have booked with us, will remain the same.”

    Now we keep our fingers crossed that all goes smoothly once we embark upon our Danube cruise.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    1Breakfast outing ... the three siblings and mom ... at P'an-Ku — Alsancak, İzmir.
    Deniz checking out the pancake breakfast platter ... at P'an-Ku — Alsancak, İzmir.2Pancake breakfast platter for three ... at P'an-Ku — Alsancak, İzmir.Avocado toast for sharing ... at P'an-Ku — Alsancak, İzmir.

    Breakfast @ P’an-Ku

    October 5, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    With Mui and Murat both in Kuşadası today — the former to meet up with friends from high school; the latter to participate in a swim meet — I took the rest of the family out for breakfast.

    On Aylin’s suggestion — she knows all the best places — we went to P’an-Ku … a pancake place just a few streets over from mom’s apartment building. She definitely did not steer us wrong!

    Yummy food!    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    2"Carpet Fields" by H. İçel (Türkiye) — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye.
    "Colorful Textiles" by T.H. Zaw (Myanmar) — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye."Mr Dee" by A. Timodhevskii (Russia) — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye."Samaj of Holi" by A.K. Ronnie (France) — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye."Working in the Patterns" by P.P.T. Paing (Myanmar) — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye.

    Colors

    September 28, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Mui and I went for a walk with mom today.

    Our steps took us to Kültürpark (Culture Park) … a green space established in the heart of the District of Alsancak in 1936. It’s just a short distance from mom’s apartment. Pleasant weather … lack of crowds … a very nice outing.

    Before turning back to retrace our steps, we took a break at İzmir Sanat Kafe (İzmir Art Café), a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike. Cheese toasties; lemon cheesecake; tea and cold beverages … and people watching, of course.

    Just as we were about to leave, I spotted a casual, outdoor art exhibit … featuring some of the winning photos from “Colors,” an International photography contest. As you can tell from the attached images, the contest was aptly named.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    With Moyra & Don in Portland, OR (1982).
    With Moyra in Austin, TX (2015).With Moyra in Kemeraltı (2024) — İzmir, Türkiye.Mui joins Moyra and me in a selfie in Kemeraltı (2024) — İzmir, Türkiye.Ayşa Boşnak Börekçisi ... our lunch spot in Kemeraltı — İzmir, Türkiye.Yummy food at Ayşa Boşnak Börekçisi ... our lunch spot in Kemeraltı — İzmir, Türkiye.

    It’s A Small World

    September 24, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Moyra and I have been friends since our junior high days at the American Collegiate Institute in İzmir.

    She returned to the US for high school, while I remained in Türkiye until after Mui and I got married and made the permanent move to the US in 1982.

    Despite distances — near and far — we managed to continue our friendship … first via snail mail … then via email. When social media made an appearance, staying in touch became easier. We also got together in person a couple of times in the US … first in Portland, Oregon … then in Austin, Texas.

    Moyra didn’t know that we would be in İzmir in September this year. Nor did we know that her travel plans included a bit of time in İzmir around the same dates.

    Then we saw her Facebook post … sharing photos from her outings around Izmir. The rest, you could say, is history. We exchanged a few messages and made plans to have lunch today at Ayşa, a restaurant in the Kemeraltı District.

    It didn’t matter that our last in-person get together was in 2015. Our camaraderie was renewed the instant we saw each other at the designated meeting point for today’s luncheon date … and continued with chatter, laughter, and good food during lunch.

    This get together definitely falls under the “it’s a small world” category.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Family Dinner — İzmir, Türkiye.
    The two "anniversary couples" — İzmir, Türkiye.A joint cutting of the anniversary cake — İzmir, Türkiye.

    Fam Dinner & Anniversary x2

    September 20, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Hard to believe it's been a week since I last wrote and just under two weeks since we arrived in Izmir.

    Mui has been out and about a few times with Deniz ... mostly to run errands. I have been spending time with mom.

    Aylin and Murat arrived home from Greece on the 18th, so we're now at our usual accommodations. We'll move back to their apartment for a week ... when they leave for their Montenegro trip on the 23rd.

    We had a fun family dinner at mom's tonight. We also belatedly celebrated two anniversaries as both Aylin & Murat and Serenay & Hakan were in Chios on the actual dates earlier this week.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    The clock tower, which dates back to 1901, is İzmir's iconic symbol - Konak, İzmir.
    During an after-errands coffee break, Mui shows off Deniz's new İzmirim Kart — Alsancak, İzmir.1Lunch time! ... Kadınbudu (fried beef patties) — Alsancak, İzmir.

    BIL Outing

    September 13, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    While I was busy with mom today, the BILs [brothers in law] went out for errands and food.

    This year, Deniz reached that ‘magic age’ when public transportation in İzmir has become free for him. So, he used the İzmirim Kart app last night to apply for the transit card that will guarantee that he doesn’t get charged for rides on conveyances operated by the municipality … be they on the bus, the metro, or the ferry.

    Mui joined him this morning to go to the municipality office in Konak, the city center, to pick up the card. While they were at it, they also dined out for lunch 😄    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Deniz and Mui sending cheers to Murat! — İzmir, 🇹🇷.

    Cheers!

    September 12, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

    While we were at dinner last night with Mui’s cousins, my brother (Deniz) arrived in İzmir. Like us, he lives in the USA, but has been traveling in Europe for a couple of weeks before joining us here.

    The brothers-in-law enjoyed a pre-dinner Chivas before … sending this photo to the other brother-in-law, Murat, to show him what he is missing while he is in Greece.

    I’m sure there will be a similar photo with the three of them after Aylin & Murat return home next week.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    The grandkids of Naimoş ... and honorary members through marriage 😁 — Alsancak ... İzmir, Türkiye 🇹🇷

    Reunion of the Cousins

    September 11, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    We’ve been in İzmir a few days now.

    Adjusted to the 9-hour time difference from Colorado. Established our daily routine … at least for now … that will change when we move to our usual digs after Aylin & Murat return home from their trip to the Greek Islands and Montenegro.

    Haven’t done anything exciting in the way of sightseeing yet … but there are plans to do so. In the meantime, we have had a couple of dinners out.

    Tuesday night, we went out with my Mom and Mui’s sister, Işıl … visiting from Eskişehir. We didn’t go far … just to a favorite restaurant that happens to be next door to mom’s apartment building. Forgot to take a photo … oops. But the food was good … as was the company. And a good time was had by all.

    Last night, we joined Mui’s cousins for a reunion dinner.

    The cousins have a WhatsApp group called “Naimoş’un Torunları” (Grandkids of Naimoş … named for their maternal grandmother, Naime). They’re in touch thru text messages, shared photos, and such. There have also been a couple of reunion dinners over the years with a cousin here … a cousin there. This was the first time, however, that all five of the cousins have managed to get together in one place. It was a fun-filled evening with lots of family anecdotes, laughter, and chatter. And toasts to family members no longer with us.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Flying over Aliağa on our way to ADB.

    Arrived in İzmir

    September 9, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    Our 7:00p flight from İstanbul to İzmir had a slight delay but was otherwise uneventful. Just 45 minutes or so from wheels up to wheels down and we were on the ground at ADB.

    By 9:00p, having collected our luggage, we were on our way into the city.

    We had a short reunion with mom before heading downstairs to Aylin & Murat’s place to get settled in and call it a night.

    Breakfast at mom’s tomorrow. In the meantime, a comfy bed and a good night’s rest is what we have on our minds.

    [for those unfamiliar with the family dynamics … Aylin is my sister; Murat is my brother-in-law]    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Hello İstanbul, Türkiye.

    Welcome to IST

    September 9, 2024 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Have landed in İstanbul … one more flight to go to reach our destination later today.

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    DEN's unique terminal design — Denver, CO.
    TK202 being prepped for departure @ DEN — Denver, CO.

    At DEN

    September 8, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    With bags packed yesterday, and a flight departure not until this evening, we had a relaxing start to our travel day.

    The car service picked us up on time. No traffic to hinder our progress … we arrived at DEN at 2:30p … well ahead of schedule.

    The Turkish Airlines (THY) check-in counter was already open with no one queued up … the TSA Pre✔️line was long, but moving steadily. All good omens for our travel day.

    We whiled away a couple of hours at the United Club before coming to our gate. The A350 aircraft that will be taking us across the Atlantic to İstanbul is being prepped. Boarding to commence in 20 minutes.

    Ready to get this trip rolling.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    A bit of early prep for the sake of convenience.

    Xmas in September?

    September 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    No. Not celebrating Christmas in September.

    Just doing a little early prep work.

    You see, we don't return home until mid-December. So, we figured that we would put up the tree and a few decorations before we left on our trip.

    This way, we can begin enjoying the holiday cheer immediately upon returning home. Plus, there will be that much less decorating to do in December.    Read more

  • Fall & Winter 2024
    Hotel for 12/15 ... flight for 12/16. Now checked off the to-do list.

    MIA-DEN Logistics ✓

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    After many months of checking for a reasonably-priced flight to return us to Colorado Springs at the end of our fall-winter trip, today we made a decision and took the plunge.

    Since the fares on 15 December — the day we disembark NCL's Encore in Miami — were higher than we wanted to pay, Mui agreed to postpone his 12/16 appointment. Thus allowing us to book award tickets on the 16th instead ... on the 8:00a non-stop flight on United ... for a very reasonable number of miles.

    True, flying out on the 16th means having to stay overnight in Miami on the 15th. But we knew that we could do so for less than the cost of the airfare we'd have to shell out to fly out on disembarkation day. So, we now have a hotel reservation near the Miami Airport ... booked through United's hotel portal.

    Both the airfare and the hotel are fully refundable. If we find a better deal, we can cancel and rebook. In the meantime, it's nice to have these logistics checked off the to-do list.    Read more

  • Life in Colorado
    A shimmering curtain of lights — Colorado Springs, CO.

    In the Aftermath …

    August 18, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We didn’t get much rain when the afternoon monsoonal front came through. At least not in our immediate vicinity.

    We did, however, get rewarded with a bit of color. Not a rainbow as we know it. More like a shimmering curtain of color.Read more

  • Life in Colorado
    Hosting the Sercels for dinner — Colorado Springs, CO.
    Hosting the Sercels for dinner — Colorado Springs, CO.Hosting the Sercels for dinner — Colorado Springs, CO.Hosting the Sercels for dinner — Colorado Springs, CO.Hosting the Sercels for dinner — Colorado Springs, CO.

    A Good Time Had By All

    August 16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Tonight we hosted the Sercels for dinner at our place.

    We met Pat & Jon on the 2022 world voyage … when we joined Oceania’s Insignia for its European crossing segment from Miami to Athens.

    We were supposed to have been on this voyage, setting off from Los Angeles when the ship began the 180-day adventure. But concerns over how the lingering effects of COVID-19 might impact the itinerary had caused us to move our booking to 2023.

    The original itinerary for 2022 was indeed turned on its head because not all of the ports were yet sure they wanted to accept cruise ships. When the revised itinerary called for a spring crossing to Europe instead, we decided to hop on Insignia when it reached Miami to get ourselves to Europe for an early family visit.

    We were having breakfast at the Terrace Café on the first day at sea. Mui was wearing a ball cap with “Colorado Springs” emblazoned across the front. On his way to his own table, Jon noticed the hat and approached to introduce himself to a couple of fellow-Springers. And the rest, as they say, is history.

    With that backstory, moving on to today.

    The weather cooperated with comfy temps, no wet stuff from the daily monsoonal rains, and a lessening of the wind that had made it impossible to place the tablecloth on the deck table earlier in the day. Appetizers and drinks al fresco … with the bonus of good conversation. Perfect. Mui’s hummus and the Brie on crackers were a success!

    We moved indoors to the dining room for dinner. On the menu tonight … piyaz (Turkish bean salad); zeytinyağlı enginar (stuffed artichokes cooked in olive oil); grilled lamb kabobs and shish köfte (meat pattie) … with a side of rice.

    As for dessert — continuing the kabob theme, Mui prepared fruit skewers. But of course, he couldn’t be satisfied with that alone, so he also served orange and chocolate possets … garnished with raspberries.

    If the conversation, laughter, and length of time we sat at the table is any indication, a good time was had by all tonight.

    Here’s to repeating the experience again … when we happen to all be in Colorado Springs and not traveling somewhere around the world 😄    Read more

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