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.
istanbul 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 ...More Istanbul shopping and dining secrets from Daily Secret
Jan 14th, 2012 at 2:00PM: Last week, Gadling included Istanbul in our picks for 2012 luxury travel, and introduced you to Daily Secret, a web-based "guide service" offering insider intel to 12 cities, including Istanbul. We got so many more great Istanbul secrets from editor Laura Wells (many with special discounts and exclusive access), we're posting them for Gadling readers to add to their itineraries. Happy shopping ...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 ...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. ...10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana
Dec 13th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
When I found cheap airfare from Istanbul to Ljubljana, I didn't find many other travelers who'd been there or even say for sure which country it's in. The tiny of country of Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and its capital city isn't known for much other than being difficult to spell and pronounce (say "lyoob-lyAH-nah"). After spending a few days there last month, I quickly fell ...Early Christian art on display at the Onassis Cultural Center, NYC
Dec 8th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
It's often called the Dark Ages, a time when barbarian hordes overran Rome and that great civilization's art, culture, and learning disappeared. A time when there were no great achievements.
It's a misnomer.
Rome did not fall in the fifth century with the usurpation of the last emperor in Rome in 476. To the east, at the new capital of Constantinople, modern Istanbul, the Eastern Roman ...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 ...Knocked up abroad: flying with a baby
Oct 31st, 2011 at 10:00AM: This is the second in the Knocked Up Abroad series on travel with a baby. Read more here about planning a trip with baby, from choosing a baby-friendly destination to booking an apartment rental.
Before traveling with my baby for the first time, I was very nervous and apprehensive. Not about the baby, but about the other passengers. I've flown many times and know full well of The Look that ...Photo of the Day - Barcelona jamon
Oct 27th, 2011 at 6:00PM:
The humble ham and cheese sandwich is a basic staple of the travel diet. In nearly every country I've traveled to, I can count on finding a cheap and tasty toasted ham and cheese at a snack bar or cafe while exploring a new city. With a nice glass of local wine or a cold beer, this simple sandwich can be sublime. The Spanish, however, have made ham an art form, noted by this display in Barcelona ...Knocked up abroad: planning travel with a baby
Oct 25th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Let's get this out of the way: you can travel with a baby. Many new parents feel that once they have a child, their travel days are over, but many parents will tell you that the first six months are the easiest time to travel with a baby. Is it easy? Not exactly, but with enough planning and the right attitude, it's not as hard as you might think. Is it selfish? Probably, but so is most travel. ...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 ...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 ...Interesting indoor spaces around the world
Oct 4th, 2011 at 5:00PM: I love the outdoors, to the extent that I tend to bypass or overlook exceptional indoor spaces when I'm traveling or recounting a great trip. Fortunately, Lonely Planet author/former Gadling contributor Leif Pettersen's recent list on LP's website has reminded me that---as many a grandmother has said---beauty is on the inside.
Pettersen says only in recent years has he developed a special ...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 ...Ramazan pide: a Turkish tradition
Aug 14th, 2011 at 12:00PM: We're halfway through the month of Ramadan (called Ramazan in Turkish), an important time for religious Muslims but also a time of many celebrations. Turkey is a largely secular country, thanks to founder Ataturk, who brought the country out of the Ottoman Empire into the modern world 90 years ago, and many Turks do not observe the fasting but do enjoy many of the traditions associated with ...Photo of the day - Broom lady in Thailand
Aug 12th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
The nice lady in the photo above is selling brooms in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The photographer, Flickr user LadyExpat, explains that most broom sellers ride bikes, but this lady seemed to prefer to walk. Here in Istanbul, all manner of products are sold on the street, from carts and off the backs of men hawking fruit, corn, and brooms as well. I've yet to buy a broom on the street and wonder who ...The world's most disputed antiquities: a top 5 list
Aug 3rd, 2011 at 1:00PM:
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Tuesday that it would return 19 Egyptian antiquities that have lived at the museum for most of the last century. These artifacts, excavated from the 14th century B.C. tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut), include a sphinx bracelet, a small bronze dog, and a broad collar with beads, among other bits and pieces. Zahi Hawass, the former Secretary ...
