While walking to lunch with Erika and our new friend Catherine in Selçuk, Turkey, there came behind us the sound of honking car horns and music. At first, I thought it was young people garnering attention like I see so often at home, but as the procession came closer, I saw a boy dressed all…
Admittedly, I knew very little about Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish). The United States played a negligible role in that particular theater during World War I, so our history doesn’t pay it much mind. Most of what I know about its significance comes from the popular Australian ballad, And the band played Waltzing Matilda. The song is…
On Friday, we went to a bath house to experience a Turkish bath. There is no bath, per se, at least in the Western understanding. Rather, the term refers to the way one is washed and massaged by an attendant from head to toe. We were a bit nervous. We had looked at several, but…
Today was our first full day in Pamukkale, Turkey. The name means “cotton castle” and it is famous for its travertine cliffs into which Romans, and others, built baths. For centuries, the Pamukkale waters have been seen as a therapeutic treatment for various ills and people migrate here from around the world to bath in…
There was some sort of celebration today that involved military displays with cannon fire. These girls danced wonderfully, for whatever the purpose, and shook their shoulders like nobody’s business!
Our hotel breakfast options are much different than typical American fare. Olives, cucumbers, feta, and Turkish tea are standard. Yet another reminder of how accustomed we become to routine. Below are images of breakfast at Ottoman Hotel Cağaloğlu.
One of my favorite things about living in Morocco so far is the strong thrifting/reuse culture. While one can certainly buy new clothes, household items, appliances and furniture, it’s just as easy to find used items, and much of the time the used items are better quality, perfectly functional, and cost much less than buying new.…
