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    • Türkiye 2023
      Day 7

      İzmir Culture & Arts Factory

      September 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

      This is how the "Factory" we visited today is described on the website ... "The İzmir Culture and Arts Factory is a new meeting place for residents and visitors of all ages and a new generation culture and art center that will shape the cultural and artistic landscape of the city."

      Meeting up with the family, we started our day with a leisurely walk to the "Factory." Those of us who have achieved the "magic age," were given free admission tickets ... the rest purchased their "MüzeKart," which might as well have been free since admission to the "Factory" alone is TL 200 (~$7.45) and the Türkiye-wide annual museum card (for Turkish nationals only) costs TL 60 (~$2.25).

      We started off with breakfast at the Simit Sarayı ... a café on the grounds. A selection of pastries and Turkish tea got us off to a good start and gave us the energy to wander several of the buildings to enjoy the exhibits.

      The "Factory," which opened in April 2023, is housed in the buildings that were re-purposed from what was once the Tekel Cigarette Factory. The 140-year-old facility is an important part of the city's industrial heritage and I was happy to see the grounds put to good use.

      Exhibits in the museum run the gamut from archaeological finds and ethnographical pieces to paintings and sculptures. There are several libraries housed in the buildings that we did not get to today, including the Turkic World Music Special Library. Cultural and art workshops are also held on a regular basis. And there is an open-air movie theater as well.

      With so much to see, methinks multiple visits may be required to do the place justice.      Read more

    • Türkiye 2023
      Day 7

      Celebrating İzmir's Liberation

      September 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

      The liberation happened 101 years ago ... and brought to an end the Turkish War of Independence. But the events of 9 September 1922 are an important part of the city's history and the day is still celebrated joyfully every year.

      With a new strain of the Coronavirus rearing its ugly head around the world, we opted to watch the aerial performances by "Solo Türk" (the single aircraft F16 demonstration) and the “Türk Yıldızları” (Turkish Stars) team demonstration from mom's terrace instead of joining the crowds on the waterfront as we did in 2017.      Read more

    • Türkiye 2023
      Day 31

      Annual Reunion

      October 3, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

      One of the annual get togethers Mui and I look forward to is dinner with his cousin Esin, and her husband, Cenap.

      We seem to always end up at Sakız, a restaurant on the waterfront near the Pasaport ferry landing, and always have a good time. Tonight was no exception.

      A few mezes (Turkish tapas) to share + a bottle of white wine for the ladies and a bottle of rakı for the gentlemen + lots of conversation and laughter = a festive reunion.      Read more

    • Türkiye 2023
      Day 3

      Got Where We Were Going

      September 5, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

      Two days of travel from the USA to Türkiye via Canada ended this evening when we arrived at the apartment we use as our home base in İzmir.

      We took off from IST in the rain … and wind. Not sure that either was the reason for the 30-minute delay, however. It seemed like garden variety rain to me … but who knows what the radar may have been showing.

      The droplets that obscured our vision as we rolled down the tarmac could not withstand the take-off speed of the aircraft. Thus we got a clear view of the coast as the plane climbed up to altitude. Through cloud banks we went … to be greeted by puffy clouds and blue skies once the aircraft leveled off.

      A 45-minute flight … and we still got a full blown meal. I abstained, but Mui accepted the tray … laden with all kinds of goodies, including a salad topped with beef brochettes and grilled tuna as the main course. Oh, and a tres leches cake for dessert. Of course, the cockpit announced that we were beginning the descent into ADB almost at the same moment that the tray was set in front of Mui. No leisurely meal this one.

      A beautiful sunset accompanied our landing at ADB … the tarmac damp from recent rains, but the sky otherwise clear and dry.

      Another 30 minutes to walk to baggage claim and grab our bags. And then we were in a cab, rolling towards Alsancak … the neighborhood where the apartment is located … and where my family lives.

      After dropping off the bags and refreshing ourselves, we walked the 10 minutes it takes to get to the condo building where my mom and my sister & brother-in-law live. A happy reunion ensued … with the bonus of having my brother there as well.

      Now to get a good night’s rest. I think we deserve it after a trip that was nearly 5,500 air miles long.      Read more

    • Two to TravelTürkiye & X TA 2022
      1
      1
      Day 20

      Türkiye: 2 Weeks in Summary

      October 17, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

      Here I am with the summary footprint I promised for our two weeks in Turkey.

      Honestly, I didn’t do much of anything. From the get go, this trip was intended simply as “family time” … to add on to the brief visit we made to Turkey in the spring. Our goal was to enjoy time with our families and leave the exploring to another time.

      With my family all living in İzmir, it was easy for me to spend time with them. Mui had to go further afield for his family time … to Eskişehir … a province in Central Turkey. The dates for his trip were specifically selected so that he could join school buddies for a dinner reunion that he found out had been planned in Ankara … a short train ride from Eskişehir. The bonus of that little segue … his nephew, who lives in Samsun, a province in the Black Sea Region, drove down for a day while Mui was in Ankara. Thus, with a quick 4-day jaunt, Mui managed to kill several birds with one stone … so to speak.

      As is always the case when we’re in Turkey, there was a lot of food involved in our family get togethers. Breakfast … brunch … lunch … afternoon tea … dinner. Sometimes at home. Sometimes at a favorite eatery. Sometimes in the city. Sometimes in nearby districts. We even managed to squeeze in a dinner that has become a tradition with Mui’s cousin and her husband.

      I know, I know. This summary does not do justice to the delightful time we spent with family and friends during this whirlwind trip. But … at least I got a snippet posted. Hopefully, the included photos will make up for the dearth of words and you can see from our smiles what a great time we had.      Read more

    • Türkiye 2023
      Day 5

      Free Transportation

      September 7, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

      Par for the course, since arriving in İzmir Tuesday evening we have been spending most of our time with family ... at my mom's condo. When we are not there, we are settling into our home base a few blocks away and running errands all over the city.

      One of those errands took us downtown this morning to pick up an "İzmirim Card." This is a contactless smart card that can be used to pay fares for all means of public transport in the city, including buses, trams, metro, and ferries.

      I've had one of these cards for years. What made the one we picked up today special is that because I have reached that "magic age," I no longer have to pay to ride public transportation in İzmir. No need to top off the card or worry about whether there's enough money for a ride anymore. Just tap and go. 😁      Read more

    • Türkiye 2023
      3
      Day 45

      Lunch @ Basta La Pasta

      October 17, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

      With Deniz leaving Türkiye tomorrow, the three siblings and Mui took mom to an Italian café for lunch.

      Basta la Pasta is small — maybe 6 or 7 tables. The menu is simple — a variety of fettuccine dishes and two or three other pastas, including lasagna.

      Delicious … and we all enjoyed the preparation of fettuccine in the Parmesan wheel.      Read more

    • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022
      1
      Day 49

      Murals Around İzmir

      May 6, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

      Longtime readers all know of my love of murals. The medium doesn't matter ... paint, tile, mosaic. So, of course, when I came across a few as we wandered around the city yesterday and today, I had to photograph them.Read more

    • EuroCrossing & Türkiye 2022
      Day 49

      İzmir Tradition: Lokma Dökmek

      May 6, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

      Lokma is a pastry made with leavened dough. The dough is shaped either like a ball or a doughnut and deep fried. Then, it is soaked in simple syrup just long enough to coat the exterior. It is often garnished with cinnamon before serving.

      The name lokma literally translates as a bite or a morsel. When shaped like a ball, they are just that … a bite-sized sweet treat.

      It is possible to find a “lokmacı” (lokma maker) where one can enjoy this sweet treat. But that’s not how we came to be eating lokma today.

      You see, there is a tradition in Turkey called “lokma dökmek.” The literal translation is “dropping lokma” … from dropping bits of the dough into boiling hot oil to fry it. This is done by the family of a deceased person to honor his/her memory. Large quantities are made on the street, often in front of mosques, and the fresh, still-warm lokma is distributed to neighbors and passersby. It’s not uncommon for people to queue up to receive a plate and recite a prayer for the soul of the deceased after they eat the lokma. Though traditionally this is done forty days after someone has passed, it might also be done on the anniversary of the death of the deceased.

      The lokma that was “dropped” today was at the request of the young man who owns the neighborhood bakkal (mini market) … in honor of the anniversary of his mother’s death      Read more

    • TravelerIzmir
      Day 2

      2. Day Izmir VIII

      August 8, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

      Afterwards, we were finished, but we really wanted to see the Artemis Temple, which was one of the 7 wonders of the world in ancient times. Unfortunately, only one column of the temple still stands, which was quite disappointing. Somehow, we were relieved because we were finally going home. Selcuk has to be mentioned again, it is a beautiful little town with trees growing everywhere. We saw everything from oranges, lemons and pomegranates to grapes, and all this in the middle of the town on the main roads.

      When we arrived back in Alsancak/Izmir, we decided to eat on the promenade in a restaurant called Magro. The ambience was nice, the view of the sea excellent, the staff nice and the soup and salad were well done. Unfortunately, the steak and manti were not good. It's complaining at a high level, but in Turkey you can eat much better for less money. Our recommendation is to have a drink and a light meal there. Otherwise go somewhere else ;)      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    İzmir, Izmir, إزمير, Измир, Σμύρνη, Izmiro, Esmirna, איזמיר, IZM, Smirne, イズミル, იზმირი, Izmiras, Izmira, TRIZM, 伊兹密尔

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