Je veux un cafรฉ, s’il vous plaรฎt.
I don’t have a knack for learning languages. In high school, I took five years of Spanish, which served me well in grad school. In college, I took three years of Japanese, which, well, hasn’t helped much, other than being able to understand bits and pieces when we were in Japan a couple of years
Dondurma (Ice Cream)!
My children have come to equate touring with ice cream. (Did I offer them too many bribes when they were younger? ) Needless to say, they consumed lots and lots of ice cream in Turkey. Around Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, street vendors sell dondurma, a “taffy-like” ice cream. Dondurma’s sticky elasticity makes it possible for
Photo Friday – Sky-High
Photo taken from a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey on 2 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries), and the
Listening Update
Last week, I asked for music listening ideas and was bombarded with wonderful suggestions! Thanks to all who contributed! I have listed to some Avett Brothers, Spoon and Vampire Weekend this week. However, I am faced with a couple of issues. Maybe my brain is too simple or I’m too crazed, but WHEN do I
Decatur Farmer’s Market
Each Monday, I hope to review and update our ever evolving 101 Things List. I’ve added a bunch of new things and linked to my entry about our trip to the US Space & Rocket Center. Another item from the list that we managed to enjoy this past week was a trip to the Decatur
star wars: the exhibit
Inspired by a good friend, the girls and I created an ever-evolving 101 things list to try to make sure that we are doing some interesting and new activities on a fairly regular basis (instead of falling into a boring routine). Instead of staying home and washing the dining room windows and cleaning out the
Selcuk Market
Luckily, we arrived in Selcuk, Turkey early enough on Saturday that we were able to get to the market before everyone closed up for the week. I love street markets like these; you never know what you are going to find! Sure lots of fresh produce, eggs, cheese, meat, but also boxes of lids, piles
Photo Friday – Summer Fun
Photo taken at a convenience store in Selcuk on 9 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries), and the submissions are due by
Reading about Turkey
When preparing for a trip, I always like to read. Not just the travel books, but historical books, historical fiction, travel narratives, fiction, just about anything I can get my hands on. For my own future reference, of for yours, here is a list of some of the books I read or skimmed before our
Opening My Ears
Yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster of a day for me. For a long while now, I’ve been struggling with my contribution to the “kindie rock” community. In a blog post yesterday over on gooney bird kids, I announced that I am stepping back from gbk and taking a hiatus to do some brainstorming
A New 101 Things List
For a couple years, I worked on a 101 things in 1001 days list for myself A good friend has started dedicating a day a week to adventures with herlittle boy, and, while our schedules don’t quite permit that, I thought listing out things we want to do might be fun and useful. The list
Robbie’s Return
Randy might love LA, but we love XM, Kids Place Live in particular. We find the hosts to be amazing folks, who love what they do and love the kids they “meet”. While Mindy is Chloe’s BFF+.5, Chloe has had a crush on Robbie Schaefer for a long time. Robbie’s a funny, sweet, talented guy
Tightrope Walking
Chloe’s week at Circus Camp involved lots of tightrope walking, literally and figuratively (see Circus, or is that Drama, Camp). Despite the drama, Chloe did have a great time and looks forward to going again next year and maybe even taking aerial lessons as she gets older and stronger.
Turkish Evil Eyes
Top: Magnets for sale in the Spice Market, Istanbul Bottom: Evil Eyes in Cappadocia From the Wikipedia entry for “Evil eye”: Known as nazar (Turkish: nazar boncugu or nazarlik), this talisman is most frequently seen in Turkey, found in or on houses and vehicles or worn as beads. Apart from seeing evil eye talismans for
Photo Friday – Summer Fun
Photo taken at a street vendor kiosk outside of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul on 11 Jul 2010. Yes, I realize that it is not Friday, but Thursday. However, I’ve decided to begin submitting my weekly contribution to the Photo Friday contest (not that my photos are in the same league with the other entries),
Heading Home – Day 20
It came too fast — time to return home from Turkey. I woke early and got started on organizing and packing. After the girls finished their packing, we all headed up to our final breakfast in Turkey. We retraced our steps of two days ago – walk to the funicular, take the funicular, ride the
Around Istanbul โ Day 19
After a big breakfast in the hotel breakfast room, we headed out to Sultanahmet Square via funicular and tram. Our first destination was the Basilica Cistern (in Turkish it is called the “Sunken Palace”), which we found after consulting three different maps. In on our travels in Turkey, Camille was considered a child in most
Selcuk to Istanbul โ Day 18
After a great, cool night’s sleep, we had some breakfast, then worked on getting packed and the house cleaned up. For a break, we headed down to the Isabey Mosque at the bottom of our hill. We explored the courtyard, the we were invited to enter the mosque by non other than the imam himself!
Around Selcuk โ Day 17
It was strange to wake up in such a big house with only the four of us there. After breakfast, we headed out for a ride to Sirince. Riding in the “minibus” was a whole lot different when sitting in the front seat. Plus, I think anyone that saw us thought us to be stupid
Aqua Fantasy โ Day 16
We had a slow morning in Selcuk. After a big breakfast made from huge double-yolked eggs, my parents and sister packed and visited the Isa Bey Mosque, just down the street. Rob and the girls headed out for the day to the nearby waterpark, Aqua Fantasyland. After the driver came to get Suze and my
GBK Gwyneth
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