I was somewhat reluctant, but it had to be done. One evening, I was walking with a friend in the residential area of Acibadem, when we saw this tiny food joint. Initially, we just wanted to take a look at the somewhat unusual shape of this local delicacy – intestines of sheep, stuffed with a…
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Memories from Bulgaria
Bulgaria of days gone by. Grocery-hunting and cordiality. And more…
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Fisherman – Song translation
This is a DIY translation of a song I love, performed by the Italian singer Pierangelo Bertoli. Italian is a beautiful language and the original is incredible, but my translation was seriously lacking in poetic value, so there are some minimal additions here and there in the text, which I hope are in keeping with…
Read MoreOriginal Turkish traffic control ideas…
Istanbul traffic is infamous, all over the world and oh, my, there are a few good reasons for this. Having lived in the city for 6 months now, I have just about learnt not to expect that vehicles will stop at red lights. I am still learning that the pavement is not reserved for pedestrians…
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Seagulls, ferries
Wonder how you’ll get around Istanbul? Ferries are a great way to travel. Feed the seagulls from the top deck and learn about the Istanbul travel card.
Read MoreYesterday’s news
Istanbul woke up today with one word on its collective lips. Election. These were elections for local government officials. Yesterday, I popped into a local school around the corner, in Acibadem, which was turned into a polling station, to get a feeling of what was happening. The turnout seemed high and people were queueing patiently.…
Read MorePişmaniye in the making
Pişmaniye is the Turkish equivalent of cotton candy and is made of flour and sugar. Here, a group of men demonstrate the traditional way of making pişmaniye at a market near Sirkeci train station.
Read MoreLost in translation – Turkish greetings
Last year, I visited a dear friend, who happens to be Turkish, in Aachen, Germany. He shared what I thought was an interesting observation. The Turkish phrase Kolay gelsin!, which can be roughly translated as May it come easy! did not have a German equivalent. He’d spent hours on the Internet, looking for one; to…
Read MoreToilets in Istanbul
I think everyone would agree that one indicator of your familiarity with any given city is your knowledge of the local toilet map. Best and worst toilets – ones to look for and ones to avoid, easily accessible ones, heated toilet seats – armed with this – oh, so essential! – knowledge you will be…
Read MoreThe change
Hello and welcome to my blog. Here, I would like to share some experiences and stories with you. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you desperately needed a change? A place where you led a comfortable life, but were deeply craving for more excitement, worthwhile experiences, an escape from the routine? Several…
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Purple Travel Path 