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| Pope Benedict (the sun came out just before he did) |
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| Part of the crowd in St. Peter's Piazza on Christmas morning |
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| view from the hotel room |
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
More Roma
Buon Natale en Roma
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| Midnight mass on Christmas Eve at Santa Maria Maggiore |
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| view of Santa Maria from our hotel, the Mecenate Palace |
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| heading to St. Peter's for the Pope's Christmas morning message |
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| waiting for il Papa |
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| Via Merulana Christmas lights |
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Busy Saturday
Yesterday Sim spent several hours with Tyler working on the "Ale Project." When he was home for Thanksgiving, Sim consulted with the guys at Ithaca Beer and brought back barley malt, hops, and a book. Tyler has made beer before, so yesterday they mixed it up, cooked it in the very large pot Sim procured for 10 lira in Eminonou, and they now have 5 gallons working. They hope it might be ready for New Year's.
I met up with Sim and we went to Molly's Cafe for a reading by my RC friends. Mostly poetry, some songs, a lot of fun. After the reading a bunch of us went to a Thai restaurant nearby, then to a Beyoglu club where our friend and colleague Jake was playing with his band. The temperature was very mild and it was clear, so it was delightful to walk around.
At the club, did some dancing and had a lot of fun. We again tried to get a bus from Taksim (the metro to Kabatas closes well before midnight), and I know we were in the right bus shelter, but after waiting awhile and witnessing a young woman barfing right next to us, we opted for a cab.
Today was rainy and we slept late. Did the Times crossword, made a stew, which wew just finished. Sim's in heaven because he's got the Giants game on our TV, a glass of raki, and he's got Cooper and Jake on Sype at Coop's to talk it through.
I met up with Sim and we went to Molly's Cafe for a reading by my RC friends. Mostly poetry, some songs, a lot of fun. After the reading a bunch of us went to a Thai restaurant nearby, then to a Beyoglu club where our friend and colleague Jake was playing with his band. The temperature was very mild and it was clear, so it was delightful to walk around.
At the club, did some dancing and had a lot of fun. We again tried to get a bus from Taksim (the metro to Kabatas closes well before midnight), and I know we were in the right bus shelter, but after waiting awhile and witnessing a young woman barfing right next to us, we opted for a cab.
Today was rainy and we slept late. Did the Times crossword, made a stew, which wew just finished. Sim's in heaven because he's got the Giants game on our TV, a glass of raki, and he's got Cooper and Jake on Sype at Coop's to talk it through.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas Spirit
Last evening the temperature was back to springlike mildness, but today there were lots of snow flurries, which excited the kids (and some of the adults) and further contributed to the Christmas spirit.
Next Wednesday our Christmas/ New Year's Party program looks like this:
Program
5:30 pm
- Bonfire and wagon rides with Santa– Rodney Wagner Maze
- Fireplace and drinks for adults – Faculty Parlor
6:30 pm
- Drinks – Faculty Parlor for Adults
- Santa / presents – Marble Hall
- Children's games – Marble Hall
7:30 pm
- Dinner in Cafeteria
9:00-10:00 pm
- Marble Hall
- Christmas carols and Dance
- Coffee and cookies
Hard to believe this is a school with a 98% Muslim student body.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
At home
 the dining room   |
| My Christmas tree |
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Bebek |
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| Wearing the apron Julie gave me last Christmas |
More out and about
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| My favorite mosque, Rustempasa, near the Spice Bazaar |
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| Old lady selling bags |
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| Lucy and Coop at Rustempasa with the Izmit tiles |
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| At dinner in Beyoglu |
out and about in Istanbul pics
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| cat helping herself to the cat food on sale in Eminonou |
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| Lovely mosque in Uskudar on the Asian side |
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Coop and the rug he didn't buy at Adnan & Hasan, our rug guys in the bazaar |
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Just the Highlights
It's been awhile. That's the result of being wildly busy. So here's the notables: Had our first overnight visitors, Cooper from Ithaca and Lucy from Bristol, England. They arrived from London at about 1:00 last Tuesday morning. We were up until after 2:00. I, of course, went to work the next day at 8. They did sightseeing, led by Sim on his practice round. They did close to home stuff, the weekly market and shops in Arnavutkoy, then walking to Ortakoy and Besiktas. Sim cooked a great fish dinner for us at home. Not too late that night, but by Wednesday afternoon it was starting to catch up with me. Still, since Thursday I don't have a class until 10am, I met them in Beyoglu, down from Taksim Square. They had done many of the major tourist stops: the Blue Mosque, the bazaars, and my favorite mosque, Rustempasha.
We had a great fish dinner overlooking the mob scene that is Beyoglu, even on a Wednesday night. Thursday we had another memorable dinner at our favorite spot in Arnavutkoy, Abracadabra. Just mezes (starters) but a great variety of original and tasty ones.
Sim and I have been wanting to go to Kadikoy on the Asian side, and Cooper had read an article in the New Yoirker about a restaurant there, so we headed over by ferry on Friday night. The downside was that after days of warm and fair weather, the more typical December wind and rain had arrived. Also Coop had a cold. But we found the restaurant and enjoyed it quite a lot. Kadikoy is a happening place and we definitely will go back, especially in fairer weather. Another problem: I assumed the ferries back to Besiktas would run late. But no. We just missed the last one at 9:15 and ended up with a long and expensive cab ride home.
The winter weather has remained. Saturday occasional snow and ice pellets. Sim and I bused to Ortakoy and did a bit of shopping and had some lunch (I was craving midye tava, fried mussels, which Sim buys regularly on the street when he's doing errands and shopping.) We got pretty wet, especially our feet. At home we turned on the heat for the first time.
Been going to yoga class twice a week. Lisa, wife of an art teacher, is the best yoga teacher I've had. The classes are in the school's dance studio, so it's a 2 minute walk over there for me. There are usually only 4 -6 people and I enjoy it thoroughly. This Sunday after yoga, Maura took me to her hair salon. I desperately needed a trim. I asked for only an inch or so off, but Bilal advised cutting more like 4 inches and he was so right. Had a pedicure too. Bilal is the owner, but he's got a big staff, shampooing, blowdrying, doing nails, bringing coffee. It's all very efficient and I love the job they did. I'll be going back for color.
We've swung into the Christmas season. Big tree in the office of Tulu, the headmaster's admin assistant. There's decorations and carols being played in stores. We see trees in the windows of homes.
My students say they're New Year's trees. Ambrose, my officemate, has continued his good vibes function and brought in stockings and a mini-tree and yesterday a fabulous homemade pumpkin pie.
Next week there will be a couple of Chrsitmas parties. We have Christmas Eve day off and so Sim and I will take off in the morning for......................................Roma. I decided I needed to be somewhere Christmasy. We have a nice hotel near Santa Maria Maggiore, where I think we'll go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. There won't be much open and limited public transportation, but we'll walk and look and eat for 2 days and nights. That's the plan.
We had a great fish dinner overlooking the mob scene that is Beyoglu, even on a Wednesday night. Thursday we had another memorable dinner at our favorite spot in Arnavutkoy, Abracadabra. Just mezes (starters) but a great variety of original and tasty ones.
Sim and I have been wanting to go to Kadikoy on the Asian side, and Cooper had read an article in the New Yoirker about a restaurant there, so we headed over by ferry on Friday night. The downside was that after days of warm and fair weather, the more typical December wind and rain had arrived. Also Coop had a cold. But we found the restaurant and enjoyed it quite a lot. Kadikoy is a happening place and we definitely will go back, especially in fairer weather. Another problem: I assumed the ferries back to Besiktas would run late. But no. We just missed the last one at 9:15 and ended up with a long and expensive cab ride home.
The winter weather has remained. Saturday occasional snow and ice pellets. Sim and I bused to Ortakoy and did a bit of shopping and had some lunch (I was craving midye tava, fried mussels, which Sim buys regularly on the street when he's doing errands and shopping.) We got pretty wet, especially our feet. At home we turned on the heat for the first time.
Been going to yoga class twice a week. Lisa, wife of an art teacher, is the best yoga teacher I've had. The classes are in the school's dance studio, so it's a 2 minute walk over there for me. There are usually only 4 -6 people and I enjoy it thoroughly. This Sunday after yoga, Maura took me to her hair salon. I desperately needed a trim. I asked for only an inch or so off, but Bilal advised cutting more like 4 inches and he was so right. Had a pedicure too. Bilal is the owner, but he's got a big staff, shampooing, blowdrying, doing nails, bringing coffee. It's all very efficient and I love the job they did. I'll be going back for color.
We've swung into the Christmas season. Big tree in the office of Tulu, the headmaster's admin assistant. There's decorations and carols being played in stores. We see trees in the windows of homes.
My students say they're New Year's trees. Ambrose, my officemate, has continued his good vibes function and brought in stockings and a mini-tree and yesterday a fabulous homemade pumpkin pie.
Next week there will be a couple of Chrsitmas parties. We have Christmas Eve day off and so Sim and I will take off in the morning for......................................Roma. I decided I needed to be somewhere Christmasy. We have a nice hotel near Santa Maria Maggiore, where I think we'll go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. There won't be much open and limited public transportation, but we'll walk and look and eat for 2 days and nights. That's the plan.
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