This past week, my Grade 7 and 8 students mounted a showcase of their artwork from the past semester. The theme of their art was nightmares and daydreams with each student creating a 2D work (paintings, drawings) and a 3D form (sculpture).
The content of the show was driven by inquiry, a major aspect of the MYP Visual Arts curriculum. Prioritizing student voice and choice assists with this goal – from the media my students create with, to the shared responsibility for the upkeep of our studio space, to preparation efforts surrounding the art exhibition.
In this case, I asked the students to choose how they would contribute to the showcase. We had a facilities team, art handlers, curators, and exhibition designers. They took their roles very seriously and had the showcase installed in under 30 minutes! One student rain around with a clipboard and my layout diagram, noting every display table and translating our needs to the Turkish speaking facilities staff. Awesome to see a 14 year old step up like that.
When it came to the actual artmaking, my students’ choice of media (artmaking materials) and their personal interpretations of the theme (dreams/nightmares) made this exhibition truly unique. It’s dark, expressive, and full of energy. I can see their growth as artists and the beautiful artwork speaks for itself.
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my first student showcase here in Istanbul. I will miss this crew but I’m already looking forward to meeting my next group for Semester 2 in a week.
Happy New Year! Hope that your 2023 is off to a good start, healthy and happy. I’ve just returned from a fantastic trip to the States. Wasn’t too hampered by the deep freeze in the northeast, spent lots of time walking in the woods with friends and family, really enjoyed cooking for my family. Made a quick trip to Vermont to meet a new little dude named Wyatt and saw some Christmas lights with my god kids at the Roger Williams Zoo. A perfect end to 2022, couldn’t have asked for more.
Moloko, for her part, was super lucky to have the company of two amazing catsitters, Mic and Sarah (thank you, TrustedHousesitters!). They kept me in the loop with daily proof-of-life photos and showered Mol with lots of love and attention. They also spoiled me with home cooked meals as I returned from the States and support as I took off again to explore a bit more of Turkey.
Embarking on my first solo travel in country, I chose Selçuk as my destination upon the recommendation of a friend. A quick one-hour flight from Istanbul to Izmir and a one-hour drive later, I arrived at my destination. The town of Selçuk is built around the ruins of the ancient Roman port of Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire (the largest being Rome). In its heyday (1st century BC), the city was home to a quarter of a million people.
Turkish Village Life
I opted to stay in an Airbnb in Çamlık, just down the road from Selçuk. Jockeying for my parking spot with tractors, village life proved perfect for a little R&R and a chance to beat my jet lag before school started. Extremely friendly villagers, roving gangs of chickens, and my hosts’ mop of a dog all welcomed me in. Life moves at a decidedly quieter pace in the village, with its inhabitants rarely getting going before mid-morning. I rose daily at 7:30am, however, as the neighborhood dog harmonized with the muezzin call from the local mosque.
Ancient Ephesus
As this was a solo trip, I had done a fair amount of research ahead of time, mapping out a detailed itinerary so I wouldn’t be caught without destination nor direction. A beautiful part of traveling alone is being able to switch gears immediately, often while en route. Weather and distance took me on a few unexpected adventures this trip but having no pressure of what I had to do was a lovely way to wind down after the winter holidays.
I started my tour of Ancient Ephesus at the Basilica of St. John. Sure-footed, I made my way up the hillside through the ruins. Vineyards and olive groves dotted the surrounding landscape, providing views similar to the landscapes of Tuscany. With a 360 degree view of the valley below, it is said that John wrote his gospel upon this very hilltop. Yes, John and Mary (Jesus’ mother) are said to have travelled to Ephesus between 30-45 AD, with John eventually dying in the city in 99 AD. Justinian erected a basilica onsite in the 6th century but, sadly, only ruins remain today as the church was destroyed by a major earthquake in the Middle Ages.
Making my way past checkpoints of local police, I next visited the site called “Efes”, or Ancient Ephesus itself. Aside from a tour group from China and a few Russian families, I had the place to myself. The weather was gorgeous and I was able to find a spot on the marble steps from which to sketch the Celsus Library (pictured above), a stunning facade against the blue sky of the day.
Curetes Street (above center), is bookended by the Hercules Gate at the top and the Celsus Library below. The street reminded me of Pompeii, and even parts of the Roman Forum. Turkey, however, allows tourists to get much closer to the ruins. In fact, some people even climb on them which makes this former museum educator scream on the inside. Happily, a number of local cats were posed and ready for their close up as they reposed in the sun. The facade of the Temple of Hadrian (above left) stands about halfway down Curetes Street. The foundation features Greek writing, a reminder that though the Romans built the city, the local population wrote and spoke Greek.
Renting a car gave me great flexibility and I spent one afternoon in Şirince, a hillside town known for it’s wine and markets. I enjoyed the vibe and was happy to do a little shopping before making my way down the switchbacks back to Selçuk.
Making the most of wine country, I enjoyed dinner at Mayadan Restaurant, a local vineyard with gorgeous views and delicious wine. Like many wineries in Turkey, you can also stay overnight with cottages and a luxurious hotel both available. Guests can sip local wine while enjoying gorgeous sunset views as the sun slips behind the olive groves.
Had some fun learning about Turkish rugs while in Selçuk. Geometric patterns are the local custom. Practice dictates that a double knot is tied onto each warp or vertical string, creating a super strong rug. I bought a kilim rug runner (lower right). Kilim = flat weave, while pile = tufted. The shop wrapped my rug up so tight that I was able to fit it in my backpack for the flight home. I also learned about contemporary uses for historic Turkish textiles. For instance, motorcycles in Turkey often sport the goat hair saddlebags which were originally designed for camel transport. The waterproof goat hair protected the contents of the bags from the camel’s sweat, just as it protects the motorcycle rider’s items from the elements today.
As is often true of touristy areas, there are some sights that don’t measure up to expectation for one reason or another. In this case, I found the port of Kuşadası to be choked with people, cars, and cruise ships (though Pigeon Island proved a cool walk). Mary’s House was a bit of a letdown (there’s no proof Mary and John lived there – Rick Steves uses “alleged” to describe the site). If I were to recommend this trip to others, I would suggest a one night stay at Ayasoluk Hotel in Selçuk (lovely view and staff) followed by a stay at the vineyard in Çamlık.
For me, my stay in the Turkish village was really the icing on the cake. Welcomed by my hosts and treated to food and local wine in their home, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I felt very safe the entire time I was traveling. Back in Istanbul, I’ve been reunited with Moloko and have returned to a full time school schedule. Next week begins Semester 2 which means that I’m halfway through my first year teaching in Turkey. I’m looking forward to hosting visitors this spring and have a few new countries on the horizon – notably Georgia and Greece. Stay tuned!
Forgive the pun – as a teacher with two weeks left of school, my sanity is hanging by a thread! It’s hard to believe but 2022 is rapidly drawing to a close. Holiday parties abound and the weather here has shifted to grey skies with a near constant mist of rain. Reminds me of the fall I spent in Oregon. I’m excited to be headed back to Massachusetts very soon to see family and friends. My first fall in Turkey is nearly in the books.
Heading back to the States is always exciting. Spending time with loved ones, hiking familiar trails, and cozying up to watch the Pats all sound pretty great right about now. It’s also a great excuse to share treasures from my travels with the folks back home. And when you live in Turkey, there’s only one place to shop for literally anything you could ever dream of – Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
My friend Michele offered to show me around the marketplace this past Saturday morning. She’s lived here for ten years and knows the Bazaar like the back of her hand. I could not recreate our route if I tried! That’s Michele leading the way into the Eminönü marketplace in her yellow jacket. I’m sure you’d never guess that she, too, is an art teacher 😉 Birds of a feather.
The skies threatened as made our way through the continually narrowing streets. Turkish delights beckoned at every stall with each vendor selling their special mix of options. Piles of spices lined the aisles as well. Keep in mind, we’re not in the actual Grand Bazaar nor the Spice Bazaar – this is the stuff on the outside, ripe for the picking.
Small shops hawked everything you could possibly think of. There was the guy sharpening knives behind his little pushcart and a man attempting to carry bags and bags of rice on his shoulders down the cobblestone alleyways. Vendors called out cheerfully in English, easily identifying me as an American (I was with an Aussie and a Kiwi, odd man out). Must have been my Eddie Bauer raincoat (lol).
Multiple shops were overflowing with Christmas gear. Considering that 99% of Turkish people consider themselves to be Muslim, this was a bit unexpected. But we happily snapped up some glasses for the photo booth at the holiday party next weekend.
Possibly my favorite corner in the market contained all the paper goods and handmade paper stores one could ever need. I had a lot of fun picking out souvenirs for folks back home and it brought back good memories of shopping hanji in Namdaemun.
There were entire stores filled with only boxes, twine, and wrapping materials. Michele really took our tour to the next level when she brought us to the jewelry market. 6+ floors of shops dedicated to glass pieces, silver pendents, and strings-on-strings of beads.
This was peak sensory overload, as you might imagine. Michele adopted mosaics as her COVID handicraft and, with options like these, I can certainly see why.
There is an entire floor dedicated to yarn, probably a dozen shops in total. Macrame materials, cotton yarn, wool, organic yarn. If you name it, it exists on the upper level of the marketplace.
As Jenn knows, I’m not a huge fan of shopping as a past time so I tried to take this all in as sightseeing. It became harder to do as the morning wore on and the streets began to fill with people. Below is a moment of respite I found above the crowds, the landscape echoing the dusty rose palette of nearly everything here in Istanbul. There is beauty in the breakdown.
Please keep in mind that at no time did we actually enter the Grand Bazaar itself. That adventure will have to wait for another day. But this overload of color, texture, and noise was enough to brighten up this grey December morning which began with this view of the Bosphorus.
Some of you have asked, is life in Istanbul really as wonderful as it seems? The answer is not so black and white. Excursions like this one to the bazaar are not my everyday life, but they are within reach with the help of others. It would be possible to filter this blog like any other type of social media – often with rose-colored glasses. Be assured – I do see red when frustrations appear and they certainly do appear, just as they would in daily life anywhere. It’s an experiment in extremes at times. Expat life isn’t always easy and seemingly simple tasks can prove wildly challenging in a foreign language. But there’s a lot of beauty in this life, too. As someone recently reflected, you can let these things get to you or let them pass. Truly depends on the day but that’s my task as I begin to settle in to my home-for-now.
Thank you for following along with my journey! I hope to welcome many of you in person to this wild and wacky place in the coming years. As you can see, Moloko has launched a visitor campaign of her own, modeling the comfort and snuggle opportunities afforded by the guest room, now open for business.
As 2023 approaches, I want to wish you the best, wherever this holiday season may find you. Whether with relatives or chosen family or both, I hope this December brings you all the blessings of the season and, perhaps, renewed hope for the year to come. Please take care and I’ll catch you on the flip side!
It has been another eventful week here in Turkey. On Tuesday morning, just after 4am, I awoke to my bed shaking and my Thai chimes ringing in the living room. My chimes were slamming against the wall so it only took about two seconds to realize we were having an earthquake.
Thankfully I had been warned about earthquakes when I first arrived so I was prepared. I paid a carpenter to “earthquake-proof” my apartment, drilling into the concrete bedroom walls to prevent the heavy wardrobes from tipping over. I purchased a stockpile of water (enough for three days was the recommendation) to keep in my apartment, should I be stuck inside. I also packed a “go-bag”, a practice I had put into place during some of the more tense moments in Moscow, when I had to anticipate possibly leaving the country suddenly. The items below are part of the contents of my go-bag.
Thankfully, this earthquake was fairly benign. Centered 250 km due east in Duzce, it registered a 6.0 but was thankfully shallow. While that region experienced a number of aftershocks in the hours and days which followed, life went on as usual here. The chatter on my morning bus ride to school was more excited than usual. Most of my students seem to have slept through it, according to my informal classroom polls. Unlike the bombing the week prior, my school didn’t feel the need to issue any community statement. CNN didn’t even carry the story due to a lack of injuries (thankfully) compared to a fatal Indonesian earthquake only days before. And though my toaster has twice blown the electricity in my entire apartment, there were no further issues following this event. Here’s hoping that this is the last exciting event for a while. Pictured below, a slightly shell-shocked kitten in the early morning hours, not thrilled to have experienced her first earthquake.
On a lighter note, World Cup fever has gripped our community. With 60+ countries represented in our student body, the kids are passionate about watching the matches and talking constant smack in class. We’re streaming Iran vs. Wales in study hall and national jerseys are worn with pride daily. Football is life in Europe and Turkey is no exception. The last time I enjoyed the World Cup in Europe was at TASIS when we let the campers stay up to watch Spain beat the Netherlands in 2010. Waka waka.
Piggy-backing on all that national pride, my school celebrated International Day on Saturday. A flag parade was announced and a lot of delicious food was served. Students who don’t normally engage were happy to help their parents out at their national booths. The event, like the World Cup, spurred a lot of conversation entry points with my students, and I heard about family moves to Turkey from Ethiopia, Morocco, and Iran in recent days. The majority of my students are very privileged to have made this jump and be attending a private international school.
Capping off International Day, I watched a new film on Netflix called The Swimmers. Premiering just this weekend, the film details the harrowing journey of two sisters from Damascus, Syria, through Istanbul and onto mainland Europe (Greece) by boat. We hear about refugees arriving on Greek islands in the news, Ai Weiwei creates art installations from the hundreds of thousands of life preservers abandoned on the beaches, but to observe this film, based on the true story of Olympian Yusra Mardini (Rio 2016), is wild. The pics below are my own taken from Ai Weiwei’s installation in Copenhagen in 2017.
“It could never happen here”, a phrase uttered all too often in this tumultuous world should be a warning to us all. As a US citizen, with only two countries bordering my own and vast oceans protecting me from international invasions, I will admit to being very naive of my privilege. This movie breaks down those walls, painting a picture to how quickly people can be forced into refugee situations and in my own backyard here in Turkey.
Today I’m headed down to Fatih, the neighborhood which encompasses Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. It’s hard to believe but I’m on the hunt for Christmas presents, my flight home being less than three weeks away. Always fun to share the treats of a new place with those back home. As always, thanks for reading and I wish you all a safe and healthy start to December.
Greetings from Istanbul. The mood is decidedly despondent after yesterday’s tragic events. If you have not yet heard, there was an explosion on a very popular shopping street downtown. Six people were killed and nearly 80 others wounded. It was a picture perfect fall day with shoppers and families out enjoying the surprising November warmth. The events of yesterday brought back the not-so-distant memory of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Another glorious day ripped apart by an act of senseless violence.
Before this terrible event unfolded, I took a little weekend adventure on the other side of the Bosphorus Strait. Istanbul is one of the only cities in the world that spans two continents and I hadn’t yet made it to the Asian side. With that in mind, I made a last minute AirBnB booking and Googled ferry departures.
There is a ferry terminal is located just off my main bus line, making for an easy transit. The ferry ride itself cost all of 80 cents and I was treated to a few stops on opposing sides of the canal before we moved into the open channel of the Bosphorus.
The Bosphorus Strait is over two miles wide at parts, giving the illusion of the open ocean at times. There was light chop on the water as the seagulls drafted our wake. Wooden benches lined the top deck and vendors rolled through, deftly brandishing tea in traditional glass cups, their sea legs the result of thousands of crossings over their lifetime.
We steamed for Kadıköy, a popular port neighborhood once home to prehistoric settlements of civilization. Today it’s a hot spot for nightlife, hipsters, and rich retirees – though they have mostly moved over to Moda, the calmer neighbor to the south. I found my sixth floor walk up and set up to enjoy the sunset from the rooftop.
I could hear the roar of the crowd from the football (soccer) stadium just over the hill. Day drinkers were hitting their stride and restaurants were beginning to set up on the streets below.
Kadikoy has a vibe all its own – very free spirited and relaxed. I checked out a record store and a few bookshops before meeting up with some friends from school who took a water taxi over from downtown. The restaurant scene appears to be pretty fabulous in Kadıköy, where you can find anything from Italian to Ottoman.
On Sunday, I awoke early to explore the neighborhood of Moda. With the bars only recently shuttered, I had the sunrise all to myself. Just me and the sea gulls.
Walking the perimeter of Moda, I met many a cat living in the rocks of the breakwater and watched the massive tankers on maneuvers out in the strait. Making my way back to Kadikoy’s ferry terminal, I boarded a boat bound for Karikoy to meet friends for brunch.
The morning couldn’t have been more glorious and my sweater was plenty warm despite the mid-November date. The gulls bobbed and weaved, occasionally flying between the posts on top deck while matching course and speed.
We sailed past the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, each lit up by single beams of sunlight as if on a movie set. I reveled in Istanbul’s beauty, on full display against the backdrop of a true blue autumn sky.
After docking, I made my way up to Galata Tower to enjoyed brunch with some new friends. We happily swapped stories of our respective weekends and enjoyed yet another delicious Turkish breakfast.
My thoughts are with the loved ones of those lost yesterday. Those who commit acts of terror wish to sow fear, to fracture relations and turn us against one another. But they will not keep me from exploring this city which I am growing to know, this culture I am only beginning to understand.
Sofia rises with the sun – as do I – and a good cup of coffee is on offer early. I had my pick between Urban Embassy Specialty Coffee and The Expressionist Coffee Company. After enjoying a latte and watching the trams run past, I got on with my favorite way to explore a new city – a graffiti art tour.
Since I travel on a budget, I love AirBnB Experiences because they put you in touch with local guides who are passionate about their city’s history and culture. I also find other like-minded who interested in similar topics. Sometimes we even all go out for a beer afterwards. Graffiti art tours can take you to unusual parts of town or even to the back of the Sofia Opera House (below).
Sofia is covered in graffiti, and though this art form is not appreciated by everyone, it is so embedded in the fabric of the city that it stands as an example of tolerance and a voice of the people. The city was blanketed in the stuff which included a lot of political messages and large murals created by talented artists such as Bozko (above) and Mary Ann Loo (below).
I had also signed up for a Communist History Tour but couldn’t convince myself to concentrate for another few hours. Instead, I opted for The Red Flat, a family apartment preserved from the Communist Era (mid-80s, in this case). It was particularly cool to compare to other flats of the time from Moscow. This Bulgarian family had a father who worked overseas and were privy to a commissary stocked with special novelties (ie. Johnnie Walker Red Label) as result. Visitors can grab tour tickets for The Red Flat at GIFTED, a fantastic shop which supports local Bulgarian artists and poets. Горичката (“House of Flowers”), an artist collective nearby, is also not to be missed.
It was fun to find stores with Russian products, like the condensed milk below (for which my sweet kitten is named). Blueberries are also popular (haven’t seen those anywhere outside the States before) and, of course, Bulgaria is proud of its own honey (a common export of eastern Europe). One slight bummer was how prevalent cigarette smoke is in Sofia. I was pretty surprised to find 420-friendly stores around the city as well (ie. weed dispensaries). The times, they are a-changin’.
The highlight of my time in Bulgaria, however, was getting up into the mountains. I took a day trip up to the Rila Monastery, about a 2-hour drive from downtown. The ribbed decor represents the colors of the Bulgarian flag – red, white, and deep green (reads as black) and the monastery was founded over 1,000 years ago.
Wish I had stayed the night (book a room for $15USD/night) but I enjoyed a few hours soaking in the gorgeous frescoes and mosaics inside the church. How those paintings stay so well preserved while open to the elements is beyond me.
The foliage was beginning to pop and I had some time to paint up on the mountain. A babbling brook ran alongside the monastery walls.
Off the main vestibule, stained glass provided a beautiful moment for peace and reflection.
The stunning inner chamber reminded me of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg and it was comforting to be surrounded by Orthodox churches and onion domes once again.
All too soon it time to say goodbye to Sofia. Made in Blue was a great spot to sketch and spend my last few hours in the city before heading to the train. Such a kind staff! The farm-to-table movement has definitely arrived in Bulgaria and I was so appreciative of all the delicious and fresh offerings. Amazing how different a food scene can be, only 500 kilometers and a border away.
Sofia certainly ranks among my favorite cities ever visited. Easy to explore with plenty to do and very friendly locals – I couldn’t have asked for more. Now it’s back to Istanbul to enjoy the Biennale and autumn in Turkey. Hard to believe the winter holidays are only five weeks away. Loving this sunshine!
Back in early September, as I began to brainstorm fall break destinations, Bulgaria sat firmly atop my list. I’d long heard that Sofia, the capital city, would be my kind of town – slightly rough around the edges with a good art scene, cafe culture, and plenty of green space. Bulgaria borders Turkey, Greece, and Romania, all colorful countries in their own right. I knew it was a former Communist Bloc state and the purported home of Viktor Krum. My new neighbor to the north beckoned and I accepted.
Having been landlocked in South Korea and restricted from exiting Russia by rail, I was eager to find a train which ran in between Istanbul and Sofia. Following a thin trail of websites, travel blogs and YouTube vlogs, I discovered the Sofia Express. The overnight journey would take roughly 12 hours and I was warned to bring my own food – there would be no dining car. There are two ways to purchase tickets for the Sofia Express and both involved in-person purchases at train station ticket windows. For anyone interested, you can find the details at the end of this blog.
Fall break arrived and I boarded the Sofia Express at Istanbul’s Halkalı railway station for a 8:40pm departure. I had opted to purchase a full sleeper cabin for myself for security reasons and the cost totaled to $128 for the roundtrip journey. Pulling down the seats to create my bed, I made up the lower bunk as we got underway. Sailing past my school on the outskirts of town, we headed due west towards Bulgaria.
The Bulgaria-Turkish border intersects at the town of Edirne, which just narrowly skirts the edge of eastern Greece. Disembarking at the first border crossing, you are stamped out of Turkey by passport control around 1am. After settling back into your train berth about an hour later, the train rolls on for few kilometers and then begin the knocks from the Bulgarian border guards. These guys kindly take your passport away to stamp it and return it to you about an hour later. The whole procedure takes nearly three hours in total – not a smooth night of sleep, I’m afraid. But it could have been – the cabin beds were comfortable (for someone of my shorter stature) and very clean. The private sink and tiny fridge were nice features as well.
After a few hours of sleep, I awoke to the golden glow of the Bulgarian countryside. Mountains wrapped in orange ringed the edge of my horizon and fall was in full effect. We rolled past harvested fields but otherwise there was little trace of humanity beyond our train tracks.
As we approached a number of small towns on the outskirts of Sofia, the homes reminded me of the dachas (country homes) outside of Moscow. The graffiti soon appeared, tags upon tags blanketing bridges and the side of the tracks. Cyrillic text took me right back to Russia.
We rolled into Sofia’s Central Station around 10am and I set off on foot for downtown. Having no Bulgarian lev (local currency) and hours until my AirBnB was available, I made the most of the fairly flat walk, soaking in the beautiful foliage among the classical buildings.
With no visa required for Americans, my travel preparations consisted of downloading the Google map of Sofia (a helpful thing to do when you don’t have wifi). I make sure to bookmark local cafes, bookstores, and art shops. These spots are great not only for my own hobbies but also for getting recommendations from friendly shopkeepers. My Sofia bookmarks included: Altruist (cafe with a patio out back), Slanchogled Sofia (art store), and The Elephant Bookstore (English titles). At the latter, the owner recommended The Little Things (pictured below), a sweet courtyard cafe where I found a cup of tea and lunch to get my trip started right.
Sold by the views of St. George’s Orthodox Church, my AirBnb was located in a residential neighborhood just off a main thoroughfare. The graffiti that blankets the city can give off an initially nefarious vibe, but I quickly realized that this was a cozy spot, with residents walking their dogs in the evenings and a wine bar just around the corner. I awakened to the ringing of church bells each morning.
I met up with my friend Linda soon after checking in. A Canadian who is married to a Bulgarian, Linda has lived in Sofia for over 20 years. Our paths have crossed at a number of conferences over the years and we caught up over dinner and drinks, having not seen each other since before the pandemic began. She approved of the walking tours I had lined up and recommended a bunch of great restaurants to check out. Nothing like advice from a local!
I’m going to stop here for now. I really loved Sofia and there’s just too much to share in one post. Thanks for reading and look for Part 2 in a few days 🙂
Purchasing Tickets for the Sofia Express in Istanbul:
Option 1: Go to Halkalı railway station, which is located 17 km from the city center on the Marmaray train line. Halkalı is the departure station for the Sofia Express. You can buy tickets from the ticket window at the top of the escalator.
Option 2: Sirkeci Railway Station or İstanbul Garı (located in Istanbul’s Fatih neighborhood). Directions told me to go to Ticket Window #4. I never saw Ticket Window #4 but I did find the ticket window labelled “International Trains” and was helped by a kind cashier who spoke plenty of English. My paper tickets in hand, I emerged victorious into Fatih and took my bus back to the ‘burbs.
Advice for the journey: Try to get to sleep soon after departure as you’ll be awake at the border from approximately 1am – 4am. Prepare for cabin knocks from border guards, line-ups at passport windows, and generally no attempt to make haste whatsoever. Both trains arrived 1-2 hours late, in my experience, so be careful when booking connections at your destination. Do bring your own food and some extra toilet paper wouldn’t hurt.
Autumn is beginning to make its way to Turkey. Chilly mornings and windy days signal the changing of the guard. We had our first rainy day on Saturday and it was much appreciated – required respite after all my busy travel of late.
Sunrise over Gölet Şelale (Şelale Park)
As I often do on Saturday mornings, I made my way to our nearby Pazartürk, our vibrant neighborhood bazaar. As the skies overhead threatened, I ducked under the garage doors of the warehouse and was immediately engulfed in the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.
You can really appreciate the change of seasons at a local market. Turkey, much like Korea, only offers seasonal produce. Once the strawberries are gone, they are gone until next summer. Granted, the growing season is longer here than in Korea and then in certainly Russia, so I’m still able to find an avocado or two.
Mandalina – a tart Turkish tangerine (green when ripe)
Plums are no longer on offer but apples are, much like in the States. After a summer off, lemons are coming back around while watermelon is on its way out. Pomegranate is ripe for the taking with, as we found out in Daylan, a growing season from August to November. Peaches (thankfully) still abound and soon will give way to dried apricots (my favorite).
Pomegranate – Turkey’s pride and joy, red and ripe from the tree
Mushrooms and walnuts have never looked better but peas have passed. Broccoli can be found occasionally but is mostly finished. Chestnuts are just getting started and soon Istiklal Street will be teeming with vendors, roasting the nuts as the tram runs past.
Walnuts – vendors always toss in a few extra for free after they’ve weighed your bag
Sadly I’ll have to wait until next summer for my beloved artichoke but thankfully the all time Turkish delight, eggplant, is just gearing up for its run. What would a mezze be without eggplant?!
A mezze platter with yogurt, eggplant, peppers, and grape leaves above. Fried borek and charcoal roasted bread below.
Thankfully, my new favorite – grilled olives – seem to be available year round. Love the colors!
After an afternoon of napping with the cat, I walked to the local supermarket (Migros) for the essentials I couldn’t find at the marketplace. Peanut butter is available and so is a myriad of chai in this tea-rich country. Green tea with ginger and lemon is my latest find.
Çay = tea (pronounced “chai”)
I’m always amused by the t-shirts with English text available for sale at the supermarket. The shirts may not boast the grammatical challenges as they often do in parts of Asia but the random sayings are just as puzzling.
That one took a weird turn…
This weekend capped off with a trip downtown and lunch with a few lovely new friends. With a view of the Bosphorus and sunshine to boot, we enjoyed borek, mezze, and – of course – baklava for dessert.
Lunch gifted by my very thoughtful coworker from Innovation Charter, Scott, and his wife.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this little food tour. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to the delicious delicacies that Turkey has to offer. Have a great week, everyone!
This past weekend, I had the chance to attend a conference in Florence, Italy (rough life, I know). I’m member of the Global Art Teachers Exchange (GATE), a group of art teachers who put on workshops for each other. Makes for amazing professional development as teacher conferences don’t often serve subjects outside the core subjects. We’d planned on meeting in Florence for 2020 but COVID of course intervened. Here it is 2022 – two schools and two countries later for me – and it finally came to be.
The exchange was a reunion for my art teacher friends, most of whom are scattered all over Europe. I’ve known the group since 2017 when we first met in Luxembourg. Aberdeen followed in 2018 and London in 2019. For the past three years we’ve taken part in a monthly sketchbook exchange, and that’s what we’re doing in the picture above.
It goes without saying that Florence is an extraordinary city. The gelato is superb and the pasta is even better. My colleagues Saleshni and Michele joined me (Australian, both) and we flew into Bologna, direct from Istanbul. We stayed at a gorgeous villa up in the hills behind town, a spot called Bagno di Rivoli. Chilly mornings with beautiful views – no complaints here.
Our first day was spent enjoying the galleries downtown, including a wonderful exhibition of Olafur Eliasson’s work at the Palazzo Strozzi. Danish-Icelandic, his contemporary installations include light and other natural elements such as water and wind. At the Palazzo, he projected light and sound using the Renaissance architecture of the building, transforming the historic space using contemporary materials. The results were powerful and eye-catching.
After the musuem, we did some made some art in the streets near the Ponte Vecchio. I had making something out of nothing in my friend Ryan’s sketchbook, creating a collage of all white items sourced from a single street corner. A Hertz receipt, ticket stub, and a couple of stickers all dropped from the pockets of tourists in the five minutes we sat on the sidewalk nearby. One man’s trash…
Back at the International School of Florence, we soaked in the view and made more art. The stunning views from their school cafeteria paint a truly Tuscan scene including two castles on the hillsides surrounding. I took a watercolor painting workshop and a cyanotype printing class. Both were loads of fun.
Making the most of our time, my colleague Michele and I climbed both the Duomo dome and the bell tower. 450 steps apiece! The sunset views from the dome were worth it.
Nothing like sunset and gelato at the Ponte Vecchio. Florence is stunner for sure.
Back home in Istanbul for the next few weeks. Hard to believe I’ve already been here for two months. Now we’re into the nitty gritty of the school year with parent/teacher/student conference next week. Soon enough it will be fall break and I am headed to Sofia, Bulgaria. My adventure on an overnight train awaits!
*Final plug: if you’re reading this in your inbox, I recommend clicking here, turquoisechronicles.com, for the best formatting and images 🙂
In Turkish, the name means “fish trap”. With the Mediterranean lapping at its Turkish shores, the beachside town of Dalyan proved to be the best spot to start exploring all that Turkey has to offer. As a chaperone on this Grade 7 trip, I was pretty stoked to be along for this four day adventure.
Our flight from Istanbul International Airport to Dalaman was just over an hour. Having surrendered their passports and phones to us at the airport, my students were extra talkative. After 2.5 years of pandemic schooling – the majority of which were 100% distance learning by Turkish government decree – their enthusiasm was at a fever pitch.
After touching down, we stopped at a gorgeous Turkish restaurant nestled in the reeds of a quiet fishing village. The vibe was pure vacationland and the breeze was gorgeous. Evil eye trees decorated the outdoor restaurant. The food was simply delicious (a mezze course followed by grilled vegetables and meat options). My students loved watching the fish and crabs below. We even saw a turtle feeding.
After lunch, our Turkish tour guide took us to Turtle Beach where we visited the Dekamer Sea Turtle Research, Rescue, and Rehabilitation Center. Turtles are brought there from all over the Mediterranean, the vast majority having been injured by boat propeller strikes. The center does a lot with just a little. The only of its kind in Turkey, the center is responsible for nursing many sea turtles back to good health. My students and I were moved by the efforts, not only surrounding rehab, but also protecting local nesting grounds and conducting scientific research. If you’re interested in sponsoring these efforts or volunteering at the center in the future, please click here. Support is needed to continue this truly important work. Boat owners – cage your rotors!
Most regions of Turkey have their own speciality, from chestnuts to honey to baklava. Dalyan is known for its pomegranates. Our time there included a trip to a local pomegranate farm. We met the workers in the fields who showed us how to properly cut a pomegranate from a tree (they hang like apples). The farmer discussed the economics of the journey from tree to table. We learned that it takes four years from planting a tree until it is able to yield fruit. That tree can then produce for 20 years. We ate the deliciously rupe pomegranates right there in the fields and there is hope of turning this portion of the trip into a service project in the future, especially during the harvest months of August through November.
One of our afternoons was spent hiking up to and swimming under a waterfall. We enjoyed fish at a restaurant straddling the mountain stream. The students loved the rope swings and were eager to jump into the refreshingly chilly water.
One full day of the trip was spent on the open water. Our group of 50 boarded two local boat charters, each equipped with a roof deck/viewing platform, a sizable galley, and BBQ cookers on the stern. As we wound our way through the marsh out to the open ocean of the Mediterranean, we passed Lycian rock tombs (The Tombs of Kaunos) created in 400BC. These exquisite carvings towered over the delta below, a reminder of just how long man has walked this region of the world.
On the boat, we hopped from cove to cove, reveling in the bright and clear turquoise waters. You could see straight down to sand and rocks over 15 feet below. The guides organized challenges and games for the kids, mostly carried out on paddle boards, as we floated along in the salty Mediterranean. Food never tastes as good as it does on the ocean! The kids had a blast jumping from the roof deck in deeper waters and we kept the Spotify playlists going all day.
Another activity local to Dalyan is mud baths, which I would love to check out next visit. Super chill and a guaranteed good time, I could definitely see returning to Dalyan with friends and family in the future. For now, I’m resting up for my next adventure – an art teacher conference in Florence later this week. More to follow!
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