I apologize for not having written lately. I just haven't had time. But I do have a quick question for Turkish restaurant owners . . . Do you have any idea what a "Cover Charge" is? I will tell you. It is typically used to cover live entertainment. I somewhat get that in tourist locations,... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Troy
Day 2 of our trip to Çanakkale started with a trip from Bursa to Troy. Although I had read that Troy wasn't much to see, I was really looking forward to it. I tried hard to remember which high school teacher had forced me to read Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey to no avail. On this... Continue Reading →
The Ottoman Empire
Did I get your attention? Sorry, this post is not about the actual empire. Rather, it is about my idea for a new business should I ever move back to the States. The business will be called, "The Ottoman Kumpir." "What is Kumpir?" Glad you asked. Kumpir is a stuffed potato, similar to the beloved... Continue Reading →
Bursa and Inegöl
Yet another holiday recently gave us the opportunity for a long weekend trip. We decided to visit Bursa and the region of Çanakkale. We drove from Ankara, and the first stop was İnegöl. We only stopped briefly for lunch as it is known for its İnegöl Köfte. I got a real kick out of the newspaper on top... Continue Reading →
A Day in the Life
A day in the life of anyone can bring with it the good, the bad, and the ugly. A typical day for most adults is probably something like this: Get up. Go to work. Grab a quick lunch. Work some more. Head home. Eat dinner. Go to bed. Of course, there's room for a little... Continue Reading →
A Question for Matt
Matt Krause has begun his 1305 km walk across Turkey. I think this is just amazing, and I told many people about his goals and why he is doing it. Interestingly, everyone asked me the same question. So I passed it on to Matt. Some of Terry's readers asked, "How will Matt deal with the... Continue Reading →
Did you Know? and a Photo of the Day
Did you know that in Turkey, you can go to the local bakery (bread baker, not the pastry maker) and buy a ball of dough? Then you can use it for your own yummy creations. Yesterday I made strombolis! Obviously, I am no expert. But they sure were yummy! I sauteed red peppers, onions, and... Continue Reading →
Where are you from?
When I meet a Turk for the first time, they inevitably will ask me where I am from. This is not the case for most Europeans. They always know from my [insert adjective] accent that I am American. Most Turks though aren't trained in distinguishing the English speaker's accents as easily (not that there aren't... Continue Reading →
Photos and Question of the Day
Below are photos from my husband's birthday breakfast, back in March. Just kidding Hon, I know it was April. Anyway, I came across these photos today and upon further inspection, there is one dish I know I baked, but I have no idea what it is! Do you? And yes, I baked a cake. ... Continue Reading →
We don’t do gloves!
Sometimes I am greatly amazed by little things in Turkey's healthcare system. Like the fancy machines. You name it. Turks have it. Lots of lights and shiny metals. And the pharmacies. Sure, you need a prescription for some things, but there's a lot of good stuff you can get without it. Not to sound like... Continue Reading →
Discovering Creativity – and a Recipe: CHIPOTLE TURKEY TACOS WITH CHARRED CORN SALSA
People often tell me that I am a creative person. I can't disagree with that. I love many things that one would traditionally call creative, music, arts, etc. But I don't agree that a person is only considered creative if they participate in these fields. I mean, if you really like to work on cars... Continue Reading →
This Man Will Walk 1305 Miles Across Turkey | Turkish Travel Blog
This is a must read story of an American man who is about to set off across Turkey - on foot! I really wanted to tell them about how people are just the same. Living in Turkey had reminded me of this but human nature forces us to focus on the differences. It makes us... Continue Reading →
Masala Cafe Revisited
There's been a lot of discussion here in Ankara since I wrote my first post about Masala Cafe. That was April 2010, shortly after my arrival to this great city. As you may recall, (or can see from that review), I loved the restaurant! The restaurant is located in my neighborhood, so I frequented it... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Ankara 