Every weekend in Yıldız Park in Beşiktaş, brides come to have their photos taken amidst the greenery of the park. It is so fun to see the variety of head coverings and dresses. This bride's beauty stopped me cold.
Today the citizens of Turkey find out if their Olympic bid for the 2020 Olympics will be awarded to them. I wish all Turkish citizens "Iyi şanslar!" on their bid. Turkey would be the first Muslim country to ever be awarded the Olympic Games. As a country with a young, growing population, it would be a terrific fit. Yes, there would be all kinds of problems to be solved, such as smooth traffic flow, but I believe Turkey is up to the task!
I saw the man first.
He was in a long royal purple tunic with white pants.
A cult member, surely, I thought.
Then I rounded the corner
and saw another man in the same dress.
Ha! A cult convention.
Then I came up against the limits of my knowledge.
It couldn't be a cult.
There were so many of them.
Not just men. Whole families.
And so many beautiful women.
Her sandals.
Those "I Dream of Jeannie" sandals!
Happy.
Joyous.
Crackling with energy.
I laughed at myself, recognizing my own American parochialness.
Don't we always compare new information to our old information?
I understood instantly these were a people I had never seen or met before.
One
exquisitely dressed woman
after another
poured out of the hotel.
"Where are you from?" I asked.
"Pakistan, he said. "We are here for a wedding."
The island of Jamaica
sent spectacular sunshine.
"Are you from Pakistan too?"
I asked a gorgeous young woman
dressed differently than the others.
"No, I'm from Jamaica." she said.
"Of course you are!" I thought,
marveling at Istanbul's constant ability
to make the ordinary encounter extraordinary.
I'm sure Jamaicans at Pakistani weddings are a common sight,
don't you think?
I love experiences that heighten the senses. It was with great anticipation that I accepted an invitation to dine at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill. It's not everyday that one is invited to dine where sultans did, in an Ottoman palace setting, no less.
Earlier this year, I had had my first hammam in Istanbul at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. Knowing the excellence that the Kempinski Hotel group brought to the operation of their properties, I knew that dinner at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski would be just as divine.
Every city has its famous street food. Istanbul is no different. I don't know how I made it three years without ever tasting one of Istanbul's famous waffles, but somehow I had. It was time to rectify that.
My friend Barb and I had met Internations friends for an afternoon exploring Istanbul's haunted mansion and first art museum in a working office. After we finished, it was time for a treat. We adjourned to Barb's neighborhood, Bebek, and got in line for waffles (except the girl who was fasting for Ramazan - what discipline!).
There is always a line.
Waffles are beloved in Istanbul.
I admired this Turkish Dad
out making a memory
with his kids.
We were right behind them
in line.
A waffle maker has to be
even more patient than
a Subway sandwich artist,
because there are even more toppings!
First goes on the base cream.
Here are some of your choices:
Nutella, Hazelnut, Dark Chocolate,
Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate,
Caramel, Strawberry, Pistachio,
Banana, and Coconut.
I chose Pistachio and White Chocolate.
Then there is all the fruit.
I chose bananas, cherries,
strawberries, and kiwi.
That was pretty tame
given all of the
candied and fresh options.
One last sprinkling
of chopped pistachios.
What I didn't expect
was how warm it would be.
I thought it would have lost its warmth
by the time he assembled it all, but no.
One delicious warm, gooey bite after another.
I am not waiting three more years to have another.
After enjoying a beautiful meal in the Borusan Contemporary museum café, and going up to the 10th floor to see the beautiful view of the Bosphorus from the very top turret in Istanbul's haunted mansion, it was time to explore the art in Turkey's very first office art museum.
One of the few Istanbul-specific photography pieces.
The Hagia Sophia in snow.
The wishing tree Staff and the public left their wishes.
I didn't even notice the white "profile"
when I saw this neon art up close.
It was only when I got home and
saw this photo taken from across the room
that I saw it was more than abstract.
"21 Books"
by a Korean artist
The quality of building materials
was an unending delight.
I marveled at the precise heft of this door.
Love this blue.
How children must want to run their hands
continually over this piece
just to explore the symmetry, color, and sound of it.
All this art makes one feel like a child!
We waved goodbye to the museum guides through the "haunted" grillwork.
Perili Köşk at dusk. "Goodbye Haunted Mansion! You were an absolute delight."
Imagine opening up your work office to random people every weekend. I found this to be a very generous act by Borusan Holding Co.
Thank you for sharing your gorgeous art with the public. To the folks at Borusan Contemporary, I say, "your generosity is yet another example of why Turkish hospitality is the best in the world."
I'm an American expatriate bursting with enthusiasm to GET OUT AND EXPERIENCE OUR GLOBE!
Here's what the Wall Street Journal said about my blog:
"EMPTY NEST EXPAT saw her youngest daughter leaving for college as the opening of a window of opportunity to see the world—one that might only last for a decade or so before her kids start their own families.
Parents looking for inspiration to help them see their empty nest as a ticket to pursue new dreams would do well to start here...Her blog makes a fun read for anyone looking for reassurance that change can be a wonderful thing..."
The London Telegraph said "Empty Nest Expat is one of the top places to go for expat advice and resources."
Daily Sabah newspaper in Istanbul named 'Empty Nest Expat' an Ultimate Expat Blog in Turkey!
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