Jan 30th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Ali found me lingering on the corner of Christopher St. and Seventh Ave. S. in the West Village. Before I recently moved out of the neighborhood I'd spent eight years hailing cabs in this very spot. But no ride was probably ever as unusual (or short) as this one.
He laughed when he heard my request. That I wanted him to take me to lunch; to take me the place where he goes. I reminded him ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Turkey posts
Culinary Cab Confessions: New York City edition
Jan 30th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Ali found me lingering on the corner of Christopher St. and Seventh Ave. S. in the West Village. Before I recently moved out of the neighborhood I'd spent eight years hailing cabs in this very spot. But no ride was probably ever as unusual (or short) as this one.
He laughed when he heard my request. That I wanted him to take me to lunch; to take me the place where he goes. I reminded him ...Daily Secret offers insider intel for Istanbul, Athens, Shanghai and more
Jan 7th, 2012 at 12:00PM: Last month, I went to a designer-clothing pop-up sale in the back of a restaurant, scored an invite to an exclusive party with Champagne and gourmet truffles, and got the manager's private phone number of a hot new nightlife spot. I'm not famous or especially well-connected, I'm just a subscriber to DailySecret.com. Daily Secret is website and email newsletter that delivers insider intel for ...Photo of the Day: Smoked Turkish cheese
Jan 5th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
It used to be a common expression to say that someone "smoked like a Turk," and I can confirm after living in Istanbul for nearly two years, Turks still love their smoking. Even after the indoor smoking ban of 2009, cigarettes and nargile (water pipes) are very common here. This portrait by Flickr user MichaelAV captures two of the Turks' other loves: çay (see the tiny tea glass on the ...Belarus internet ban targets foreign websites
Jan 5th, 2012 at 10:30AM: A new internet ban in the former Soviet country Belarus will make the usage or browsing of many foreign websites illegal and punishable by a fine of up to $125. The Library of Congress reports that all Belarusian companies and entrepreneurs will be required to use only locally-hosted websites for conducting business, sales, or exchanging emails. Additionally, e-commerce websites without a local ...Luxury Vacation Guide 2012: Istanbul
Jan 4th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Travel like a modern sultan with design-conscious hotels, bespoke shopping, and high-end dining at the crossroads of two continents: Istanbul, Turkey.
In 2010, Istanbul made headlines in every travel magazine and newspaper as it was home to one of the European Capitals of Culture. The influx of cash and visitors meant dozens of new hotels, art galleries, museums, and world-class ...New Georgia border crossing provides a whimsical welcome
Dec 26th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Customs checkpoints tend to be dreary, depressing places.
A rare exception is the new Georgia border crossing with Turkey, located right at the crossroads between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. There, German architect Jürgen Mayer H. recently unveiled a modern, state-of-the-art border crossing that rises from the shores of the Black Sea in a white, whimsical squiggle. How's that for a ...Mutlu Yillar (Happy Holidays) from Turkey
Dec 25th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Christmas Day has arrived, and here in Istanbul, it's just another Sunday but you could be fooled by all the festive decorations. Much of the city is festooned with colorful lights and ornamented trees, but with a Turkish twist. Most of the population is Muslim, while unlike in more conservative countries, many families will roast turkeys, decorate trees, and exchange gifts on New Year's Eve. ...Boutique hotel in Turkey allows guests to sleep in caves and meander through underground tunnels
Dec 12th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
Located in the center of Cappadocia, Turkey, on the site of an ancient monastery, there is the Argos in Cappadocia, a historical and experiential boutique hotel. The remains of the historical structures, tunnels, and caves have been restored and turned it into a unique accommodation for travelers.
The views from the hotel look like a mix between a fairy tale and a sci-fi film, overlooking ...10 best destinations to take a hot air balloon ride
Nov 30th, 2011 at 3:00PM: When traveling, it's always fun to explore a city from a new perspective. And, what better point of view than from the sky? These ten air balloon destinations will not only immerse you in beautiful scenery, but will also give you access to hidden treasures you may not have seen from the ground.
The Pyrenees, Spain
The Pyrenees is a mountain range that forms a divider between Spain and ...Photo of the day - Toronto turkey
Nov 24th, 2011 at 6:00PM:
It's Thanksgiving today in America, and thus time for the obligatory turkey-related photo. Our friends over at Matador called our attention to this turkey-shaped building in Canada, of all places. The University of Toronto's John P. Robarts research library was designed to look like a peacock, but bears more of a resemblance to tonight's main course. The concrete and vaguely Soviet structure was ...Knocked up abroad: international travel with a baby
Nov 15th, 2011 at 10:30AM: This is the third in Knocked Up Abroad's guide to traveling with a baby. Before you go, see tips on planning travel and flying with a baby.
So you've decided to travel abroad with your new family addition, well done! You've chosen the best baby-friendly destination, packed light, and even survived the long flight. Now that you're on the ground, possibly recovering from jet lag and hopefully ...Frommer's reveals top destinations for 2012
Oct 25th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
What destination are you dreaming of for 2012? The staff at Frommer's have just unveiled their list of top travel destinations for the coming year. Included in the list is a little something for everyone: large metropolises, secluded beach towns, colorful riverside villas, and more.
But Frommer's didn't just rely on their expert editors and author's for this years list--they also polled ...Knocked up abroad: applying for a baby's passport
Oct 24th, 2011 at 9:00AM: As my new baby girl was born in a foreign country, getting a passport was a necessity for her to even return home to America. Though Vera was born in Turkey, she's an American citizen by virtue of her parents' citizenship and entitled to a US passport. For Americans born outside the country, the US consulate issues a Report of Birth Abroad that acts as an official birth certificate and proof of US ...Tourism push threatens Turkey's ancient sites
Oct 18th, 2011 at 5:00PM: The age-old battle pitting historical preservation against tourism infrastructure development is coming to a fever pitch in Turkey. In an effort to increase tourism, which is set to earn Turkey $21 billion in 2011, the Turkish government recently transferred some archeological excavation permits from non-Turkish to Turkish universities. This unprecedented move, according to The Art Newspaper, is ...Göbekli Tepe: the ancient temple that changed our view of the beginning of civilization
Oct 18th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
On a dusty hilltop in southwestern Turkey is an ancient temple that shouldn't exist.
In 9,000 BC, people set up a series of round buildings decorated with giant "T"-shaped pillars carved with pictures of animals and humans. The buildings are 10-30 meters in diameter with a taller pair of pillars in the center and smaller ones at regular intervals around the circumference. The pillars range ...Serial public art around the world
Oct 17th, 2011 at 4:30PM:
Public art exhibitions featuring a common sculpture that is multiplied and then embellished by various artists have been popping up in cities worldwide since 1998. Artistic director Walter Knapp first came up with the idea and convinced artists to dot Zurich, Switzerland with a collection of artfully-decorated lions. Within a year, Chicago businessman Peter Hanig had taken the idea and ran ...Expat fusion cuisine: combining foreign foods with favorites from home
Oct 14th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Part of the fun of traveling is trying new and exotic foods. Many travelers try to eat only locally and eschew the familiar, though eating at American chain restaurants abroad can be its own experience. But when you make a foreign country your home, you have to adapt your tastes and cooking to what's available locally while craving your favorites from home. I'm lucky enough to live in Istanbul ...Photo of the day - morning coffee in Thailand
Oct 13th, 2011 at 6:30PM:
How do you take your coffee? Flickr user LadyExpat posted this lovely setup from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Coffee is a thing beloved around the world and served differently everywhere. Turkey may be famous for its dense and tiny cups of coffee, but tulip-shaped glasses of tea and ready made Nescafe are more popular with locals and the muddy stuff is served more as digestif. In Italy, don't even ...Bathing with strangers: what to expect at a Turkish hammam
Sep 27th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
In Turkey, one of the quickest ways to break the ice is to get naked in a room full of strangers. I'm talking, of course, about visiting the hammam. The hammam, or Turkish bath, has been around since the ancient Romans ruled much of Anatolia, and flourished during the Ottoman Empire, when baths were built in almost every city to address both public hygiene as well as provide a place for ...Photo of the day - Rural Mailboxes
Sep 22nd, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Living abroad, one of the things I miss most about the US is mail. Sure, much of it is junk nowadays, but nothing beats the thrill of getting a new magazine, letter from a friend or a postcard in the mail. In Turkey, getting a package or letter from overseas can be a maddening (and expensive) experience dealing with customs and I miss the everyday ritual of checking the mailbox. When I first ...
