Exploring the culture, history, and cuisine of Turkey through the eyes of not-just-another-tourist
Progress. A forward or onward movement. Merriam-Webster. But sometimes progress can mean taking steps back. Last night, I decided I would make a simple dinner, spaghetti, a meal my husband used to make for himself quite frequently when we were apart. Boil water. Add pasta. Open jar of sauce. Dump on top. Easy right? Not... Continue Reading →
Today, I will attempt to buckle down and really start learning the Turkish language. I have been in Ankara almost a full year. So far, I find it pretty easy to get around without knowing the language. It seems there are many Turks who know a little English. When I am at a complete standstill, I always... Continue Reading →
I recently had the opportunity to meet two new, warm, and friendly faces here in Ankara. They invited me to dinner at one of their favorite spots, minkaa, a restaurant located on 415.Cad., close to the United Nations building. The story is that minkaa is named after the traditional clay pots usually used to cook... Continue Reading →
Last week, our friends at Turkish Muse posted a story entitled, "10 Things I've Learned About Flying in Turkey." This inspired me to share some of my traveling tips on booking flights with you. I am a seasoned traveller. My first flight, at the tender age of 7, was to Germany. Since then I have... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, my husband and I were headed back home from a lovely weekend at a thermal spa. Patalya Thermal Hotel is nestled in the mountains of a national park, about an hour's drive from downtown Ankara. We were rather relaxed. We had taken advantage of the thermal pools, saunas, and baths. I even had an aroma... Continue Reading →
CerModern - a local art gallery, among other things, is supported by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (Türkiye Seyahat Acentaları Birliği). The beautifully restored building, resting peacefully beside rustling train tracks, was previously a repair shop for railroad cars. It is now considered an example of “contemporary museum architecture.” In its 11,500 square meters, CerModern... Continue Reading →
I was going to write a post about Dogville - a shelter here in Ankara that is in desperate need of your help. Looks like my Ankara BFF beat me to it. Please read her post and help out any way you can! Thanks! This man loves dogs. Any dog. My husband is as burly... Continue Reading →
Turks are very different from Americans in the sense that they have a completely different perspective of personal space. Turks are always walking into you, no matter how wide the sidewalk. They ask personal questions about the way you look, your weight, and your health. They generally don't follow traffic rules, so your lane... Continue Reading →
I have mentioned before that wordpress - the site that hosts this blog - allows one to view search terms my readers googled when they stumbled upon my blog. Every day there is at least one search for Louis XIV furniture. Sometimes it's Louis XVI. Every day I see Club Ali Bey in Manavgat. The Chevy... Continue Reading →
UPDATE 7/24/2012 - Sadly, Lemontree closed a couple of months ago. Thanks to Steve and his crew for the great food and good times! And good luck with your new gig! Apparently, there's another new kid in town, the crepe cafe known as "Lemontree." To be fair, owners Steven and Filiz have been around town... Continue Reading →
Last night I saw a Turkish musical entitled, "Seslerle Anadolu" or "Voice of Anatolia" performed at Leyla Gencer Sahnesi. It was really beautifully done and I highly recommend seeing the show if you get a chance. Seserle Anadolu is a compilation of traditional Turkish songs, dance, poems and stories that cover varying periods of Anatolian history. The... Continue Reading →
Last week, a group of friends fell into a conversation about death, the afterlife, and reincarnation. One of the older women expressed her fear of dying. She said it was not so much because of her age, but rather, because she enjoys life so much! She is very active politically, socially, and so forth. She... Continue Reading →
Wednesday was Date Night - dinner and a show. I got all dolled up and had my hair done. Unfortunately, I am still not able to communicate clearly with the hairdressers here. I wanted the hair blown out with a bit of a soft curl towards the bottom. I came out looking like Shirley Temple.... Continue Reading →
Musings of a Philadelphia lawyer - who married a Turk, quit her day job, and set out for adventure!
-by Terry Henson Kaymak
Adventures in Ankara 