cigar Archives - Page 24 of 25

Ecuador South America

Otavalo

Last night after blogging i went back to La Ronda. The street was even livelier last night. There were street musicians and performers and all of the restaurants and bars were filling with happy people. In the doorways women had skillets of unidentifiable meat and fish and bubbling cauldrons from which they were ladling cups of soup and hot drinks. (Really, they were proper cauldrons.) I had a glass of hot blackberry juice (which was sweet and tart and tasty) and I walked in the crowd. There didn´t seem to be many tourists there. It is only two blocks, but it is a great place to spend an evening.

Two little girls, about 5 years old walked around selling cigarettes from wicker baskets. It is amazing, all of the children who are out at night by themselves, working. Some of them seem very happy, but others look so tired and and sad. I saw a very little boy carrying a bag of potatos that was almost as big as he was. It is kind of tragic, really.

It is interesting, a number of people here have told me that the historic centre, where my hotel is, is dangerous after dark, but I have had the opposite experience. At night the streets are busy, with people and traffic everywhere. At no time did i feel even slightly uneasy.

This morning i left my hotel at 6am and took a taxi to the bus station north of town. From there i caught a bus to Otavalo. The ride was about 2.5 hours and cost $2. At first the bus wound through dry-looking mountains, but they soon gave way to lush farmlands surrounded by towering green mountains, the tops of which were obscured by mist.

I reached Otavalo and proceeded to make my way to the market – supposedly the largest in South America.

It is fantastic! There is an animal market where they sell pigs and cows and chickens and then there is the other market where they sell everything. Blocks and blocks of arts, crafts, hats, clothing, spices, fresh produce, an endless assortment of legumes and corn, and many stalls selling an array of food. There were at least a dozen enormous roasted pigs. Strolling vendors sold more food. I had a huge slice of watermelon and a small bag of mixed beans in a salsa type sauce. The prices for everything were reasonable, but bargaining is mandatory.

I must admit, i bought a lot of stuff; almost none of it for me. In fact i had to buy another bag to put all of purchases in.

I caught the bus back from Otavalo and then had dinner and a cigar on the plaza infront of the San Francisco monastery. Now i am back at the hotel and i am in for the evening. My flight to Houston is at 6-30 tomorrow morning. I have a long layover in Houston and i plan to go into the city, so i may blog about that if the mood strikes me.

Oh, a word about cigars. I brought some with me, enough for one a day, and i am glad i did, because i have seen only one cigar store here. It sold only Cubans and the prices were at least as high as in Canada, so i didn´t buy any.

So, that´s about it for Ecuador. It has been a marvellous trip. I must return someday and visit the Galapagos, but that is another trip for another time.
Buenas noches.
d

Ecuador South America

Return From the Jungle

Thursday morning I woke up at 5am and caught a canoe at 5:30, which took me back to the Rio Napo where a motorized canoe made the 2.5 hour journey back to the port of Coca. The air was cool and thick with wet fog. Once there we caught a pickup truck back to the airport. It was pretty squishy in the cab, so I volunteered to ride in the back with the luggage as we wound our way through the lively and dirty streets of Coca.

Arriving back in Quito, i returned to my hotel where i had a much-needed hot shower. Soon i was back out on the street.

What a change from the Quito of Sunday! The whole city is alive and bustling. Where there had been only closed doors before were now hold in the wall bodegas and boutiques, restaurants and bars. Women on the streets walked around selling everything from pencils and toothbrushes to baskets of fresh fruit and cups of hot soup. I am totally enjoying Quito. It is so lively.

I spent about an hour and a half looking for a store that sold disposable cameras and then I visited the Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus, Ecuador´s most Ornate Church. It is very lovely.

After the church I had a delicious lunch at a restaurant located underneath the San Francisco monastery. It was so cozy with low, arched ceiling carved from stone and local art on the walls. I had lunch and then a coca tea and a cigar on the square.

After lunch i tackled the Basilica de Voto National, an enormous church which looks like an old gothic creation, but was actually built in the 20thC. The cool things about this church is that you can climb right up the bell tower – on the outside. Fist you go up many stairs to the top of the interiors, then you cross a rickety wooded bridge through the church´s attic. At the other end, you climb a tall ladder (virtually in the dark) which takes you up and outside. From there there are 3 metal ladders up to the top. I am not afraid of heights, but i must admit that i thought twice before making the climb. The ladders looked flimsy and even though they had handrails, a fall would mean certain death. To make matters worse, it was raining, so they were slippery. Casting caution aside, i made the climb and was rewarded with spectacular views over the city.

I then walked to the Plaza del Teatro and had a glass of wine and a cigar with two lovely women from Arizona.

After that pleasant interlude, i walked down to the street La Ronda. On Sunday it had been a ghost town, but now it was lined with stores selling crafts and cafes selling alcohol, coffee and hot chocolate. I selected one of the many restaurants and had a delicious bowl of potato-corn-avocado soup, served with tortilla chips.

After dinner, i was walking back to my hotel when i hear wonderful Spanish music coming from an alleyway. I followed the music and found that in what was a space between two buildings, a stage had been set up and there was a performance of traditional Ecuadorian dances. I sat and watched for about a half an hour. The music, dances and costumes were incredible. And it was free; just there for the enjoyment of the public.

Back at my hotel, i slept soundly; a perfect end to a great day.
d

Ecuador South America

Welcome to the Jungle: Day Two

I woke up at 5am and had coffee while watching the sunrise over the lagoon. It is so incredibly peaceful, just watching flocks of birds swoop over the water and the odd indigenous jungle resident silently sailing by on a dugout canoe.

I had breakfast (toast, yogurt and fruit) and then a very serene canoe ride down the river to a clay bank where dozens of parrots gather to eat the clay, which helps them digest certain fruits. We then went for a walk through the jungle and encountered a cocoa tree. I ate quite a bit of the fruit – basically, you suck this sweet white goo off of the bitter seeds. It was good.

We then went to the home of an indigenous family. They lived in this two room hut on stilts. The littlest girl (about 4 maybe) had a pet baby monkey – only 1 month old – the monkey sat on her head. She let me hold it and it clung to my chest. So adorable.

We walked a bit more and then learned how to shoot a blow gun. Our indigenous guide put a papaya on a stick and that was our target. I didn´t hit it, but i came close.

As our stroll continued, we encountered a large troupe of squirrel monkeys playing in the trees. They leapt from branch to branch and then they sat and watched us watching them. On this walk we learned about the various medicinal plants in the jungle. Plants that aid in healing a variety of ailments. We samples many of them. One tree has thick red sap, called Dragon´s Blood. It is good for a number of things, including helping to soothe itchy mosquito bites, which I was relieved to discover. We also ate the bark from one tree which is bitter with quinine, which I hopefully will not need, as i have been taking my malaria pills daily.

Now, I should say that on every trip I have at least one great fall, usually I step off a side walk and fall into the street. My great Ecuadorian fall happened this day. We were boarding our canoe, which involved walking along the length of another dugout canoe. I was first, so i had to walk right down to the end of the canoe. I was almost there when i lost my balance and fell, partly into the Amazon river. I was fine, sadly, my camera was not. The memory card survived (thank god) but the camera has not. Thankfully a kind girl at the lodge let me use her extra camera (which was compatible with my memory stick) for the rest of my adventures in Amazonia.

After a delicious lunch of avocado, beans, soup and fruit, i lay outside, overlooking the water and read and enjoyed a cigar.

Later that night, after dinner, we went on a late canoe ride. It was completely black and I could see an amazing array of stars and constellations. We saw caymans looking at us with their red eyes and saw bats fishing. Very cool.

That evening, as on every evening, we sat around in the common area and chatted. Most of the people there were quite delightful and the staff was excellent, including Pepe, the bartender, who made me some fruity cocktail. (I figured i should have at least one.)

It was this day that as I finished my shower I noticed the large gecko on the ceiling of my bathroom.

That night i slept fine. Earplugs make a huge difference. A number of women at the lodge though admitted that they took Zanax (i don´t know if that is how it is spelled) every night before bed. I was happy with ear plugs.

I will write about day three and catch up to the present day tomorrow morning.
Adios, amigos.

North America USA

Christmas in New York

Greetings from New York! I have never blogged about New York before because I wouldn’t know where to begin or end and a post on a website seems inadequate to capture the many charms of this city. I would need a novel or an opera. Christmas in New York, however, is a moment in time capable and worthy of description.

I am pleased to report that there was snow on Christmas Eve; not falling from the sky, but piled up along sidewalks and balanced on top of mail boxes. I arrived to find a pleasant nip of winter in the air – the sort of brisk chill that is invigorating and fresh, worthy of mittens, not balaclavas.

I set out on my search for Christmas splendor in Union Square where the annual Christmas market was in full swing, with artists and jewelers and craftspeople selling their wares from red and white stalls decorated with pine tree garlands. I didn’t buy anything, but I spend about an hour strolling around. I had a pleasant chat with the world’s greatest sock puppet portrait artist, Marty, of whom I am a great fan and then I enjoyed a small cigar as I walked onward in the winter sunshine.

Later I found myself in Times Square, having decided to pick up my theatre tickets ahead of time. Times Square looks the same at Christmas as it does at every other time of year, but it feels Christmassy nevertheless. After all both Times Square and Christmas are all about colored, blinking lights and insatiable consumerism. I collected my tickets for my upcoming shows (Billy Eliot, Hair, and A Little Night Music) and meandered over to 5th and 42nd to have a cigar at Nat Sherman.

The fellows at Nat’s welcomed me warmly and I enjoyed a 75th Anniversary non-Cuban Montecristo Robusto in their Johnson Club Lounge, where I chatted about the injustice of the anti-smoking regulations with some local guys. The cigar lacked complexity, but it was fairly strong, well-constructed and tasty.

After my cigar, I dashed over the Grand Central to have a cocktail with my friend Dave. Grand Central Station was buzzing with Christmas travelers boarding trains with bouquets of flowers, giant wreathes, bottles of wine and shiny, wrapped presents. We sat at one of the bars, overlooking the station and taking in the light show on the ceiling, which was cool in a 1970s sort of way. Eventually we boarded one of the trains north to Chappaqua for Christmas dinner with friends (sadly, not the Clintons).

On Christmas day I was insistent that we take in all of the typical Christmas sights. We took the subway to Columbus Circle and walked along the south border of Central Park to 5th Avenue; as we approached, you could actually feel the Christmas spirit intensify. The streets were overflowing with people (almost all tourists) gawking at the impressive decorations and waiting in line for horse-drawn carriage rides.

The decorations on 5th Avenue are impressive. Every building is tarted up with lights and elaborate displays. The window displays at Bergdorf’s were amazing; each window is a self-contained world of magic. They had sort of an Alice in Wonderland Theme – not especially Christmasy, but very cool. The Cartier building is wrapped in a massive red ribbon and bow made entirely of glittering scarlet lights.

As I said, 5th Avenue was thick with tourists, which meant that is was also crawling with those wanting to profit from them. There were about a half-dozen guys on every block selling fake designer purses, watches and sunglasses. There were stalls selling souvenirs and winter accessories food vendors selling pretzels and knishes and then there was my favorite: the three card monte guys and the guys who play that game with the three cups and the ball. It is fascinating to watch these guys, because they always draw a small crowd of interested onlookers, planning to profit from what seems like an easy game. My favorite part is watching the one plant in the crowd – the guy who bets $40, $60, $100 and always makes a profit by picking the right card or cup. Of course this guy is in on the con. Quickly others in the crowd, inspired by the easy with which the plant is winning his money, start placing bets with less success. For me, the entertainment is free.

I crossed the street and went to the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, which was filled with the pious and the curious. The music was beautiful, but the crowds were a bit too much to bear, so I did not stay too long.

Finally, the Mecca of New York Christmas cheer: Rockefeller Centre. The centre is decorated with illuminated snowflakes, angels blowing gilded trumpets, towering toy soldiers and, of course, the massive Christmas tree. It is all very lovely. I had hoped to go ice-skating, but as with my previous trip to Christmas New York, the line is ridiculously long. If you have your heart set on skating at the Rockefeller rink, I recommend getting there as soon as it opens.

On the streets surrounding Rockefeller centre are dozens of people dressed up as Santa, Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer, Hello Kitty, the Grinch, et cetera. For a dollar you can have your picture taken with them. I think these people are just entrepreneurs who rent costumes and take to the streets in the hope of making a buck. Not a bad idea, really. I saw one child staring up with utter bafflement at group of costumed characters composed of two Elmos and two Cookie Monsters. The poor kid must have thought he was seeing double.

Boxing Day was a day of theatre. I saw “Hair”, which was joyous. Every member of the cast had an amazing voice. The best part was at the end when they sang “Let the Sun Shine In”, they invited people to join them on the stage to dance and sing along. I bolted down from the mezzanine and clapped and sang and danced on the stage with all of the hippies. It was awesome. In the evening, I saw a performance of “A Little Night Music”, starring Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was a wonderful production and I loved it. In between the two shows I enjoyed a cigar at Nat Sherman’s where I also attempted to dry out from the unrelenting rain outside.

Today I plan to go to the MOMA and the rest of the day is a mystery. The snow and rain are both gone, the sun is shining, and my flight is not until 9:45pm, so almost anything is possible. It is the 27th and there are still the faintest wisps of Christmas still in the air.

Europe Luxembourg

I’ve Got a Lovely Bicycle

I awoke this morning feeling a million times better (still a bit sniffly, but much better).

After breakfast, I took a stroll through the weekly farmers market at the Place de Guillaume II, where they had a lovely array of fruits and flowers. Sadly, I was stuffed from breakfast, so I didn’t try anything.

I then did something shocking….I rented a bicycle! They have those bike that lock up automatically and you rent them for like €1/hour and you can return it to any station in the city. I rode it cautiously at first, only on the sidewalks, but then I was riding in traffic without a care – and also without a helmet. It was liberating to be so reckless. I must say though that people here (and likewise in Paris and Amsterdam) ride bicycles differently than they do in Vancouver. First of all they are better dressed – men in suits and women in dresses. People in Vancouver slap on the reflective spandex just to commute to work. Second, people in Europe don’t ride their bike like maniacs. In Vancouver people are dodging in and out of traffic, always racing. Here everyone seems to ride at a leisurely pace, perhaps so they don’t get sweaty in their fine clothes. Anyway, it was fantastic.

I ended my ride at the train station, where I caught a train to Clervaux, in the middle of the picturesque Ardennes, which makes up Northern Luxembourg. It took 50 minutes to get there. Clervaux is slightly larger than Esch-Sur-Sure, but not by much. It seemed especially sleepy. All the stores seemed to be closed, I didn’t see anyone driving or doing much of anything really, except sipping coffee and walking slowly. It was quite lovely. Everyone there seemed to speak either German or Luxembourgish, not English or French.

I went to Clervaux Castle to see the Family of Man exhibit. The Family of Man is a photography exhibit but together in the 1950s at the Met in New York. It showcases photos of people from around the work taken by a wide-ranging group of photographers. The idea was to show people from everywhere engaging in similar activities to show how people are are fundamentally alike. (Since it is from the 1950s, I suppose it is a reaction to WWII and the Cold War). It is very sentimental, but effective and I quite enjoyed it. I had also planned to visit a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Ardennes, but discovered that from October to May it is only open Sundays.

After a coffee, I returned to Luxembourg City…and to my bicycle. This time, I rode down a crazy, windy hill to the Petrusse Valley and to Grund. I rode the length of the valley and back again. There were any cars on the path I was on, so I could ride as fast as I liked. At one point, which stopped on the bike, some Japanese tourists took photos of me. I suppose I shall end up in someone’s photo album in Kyoto as an example of a LuxembOurg commuter.

I then visited the National Museum of History and Art. It has 2 floors of contemporary Luxemburgish art, including an exhibit by an artist called Foni Tissen, whose work I quite liked. The other floors were devoted to renaissance and medieval works, of which I have seen better collections, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. (Wow, that sounds snobbish!) The lower two floors were all ancient history stuff – Translation: rooms of clay pots and bits of clay pots and bits of metal that once formed part of something useful.

I had falafel for dinner. I had planned to go for something fancier, but it was 6:00 and I was hungry. I am never in Europe long enough to get on to their eating schedule. All the restaurants close or stop serving food between like 3 and 8pm here and, well, I get too hungry for dinner at eight.

I had a cigar at the hotel bar and then went out for a stroll.

It is so warm here today; even this evening i didn’t need a jacket.

The city is very busy tonight. The restaurants and bars are literally overflowing – people milling about outside with their drinks in excited groups. One street even rolled out a red carpet that stretched for several blocks and all of the shops were serving champagne to people on the street. I wanted to mingle there, but it was a very well-heeled crowd and I did not fit in.

I must say that the men here are all very well dressed in nice suits. It looks like a whole city of lawyers and investment bankers, and it probably is.

Tomorrow i head to Echternach in the area known as “little Switzerland”, where i shall be staying the night.
Gutt Nuecht.

Europe Luxembourg

Moien

Moien. (That is hello in Luxembourgish.)
After blogging last night, I had a cigar in the hotel bar which doing a crossword and enjoying a glass of wine. It was a perfect way to end the day.
What is not perfect is that I woke up sick! Sore throat and sniffles. That’s what I get for going 48 hours without sleep and spending 14 hours on airplanes.
This morning I sampled the many delights at the hotel’s breakfast. The only thing missing from the array of treats was dessert.
I am off to explore.
Addi. (that’s goodbye)

Europe Luxembourg

Luxembourg

I have arrived in Luxembourg!

The flights (Vancouver to Toronto, Toronto to Zurich, and Zurich to Luxembourg City) were all very pleasant. There were no hassles, no irritations, just many hours of relaxation.
I arrived in Luxembourg City at 9 or 10 this morning. (Note: Luxembourg is 9 hours ahead of Vancouver Time). The only problem was…my bag decided to take a later flight. No problem though, as the airline delivered it to my hotel about 10 hours later.

A few comments about Luxembourg generally. Most people have been perplexed or even irritated by my decision to come here on vacation, as they wondered why I wouldn’t go somewhere else. All i can say is that I knew shamefully little about this diminutive country, but some preliminary investigation intrigued me.

For your own edification, here are some useful facts:
-Yes, it is a country.
-Yes, there really is a language called “Luxembourgish”.
-The country is 2586 km2 and has a population of 486,006.
-It had the highest per capita GDP in the world, has a near 100% literacy rate and makes most of its money in banking.
-It is 90% Roman Catholic (which explains the constant church bells.)
-The National Dish is called Gaardebounen smoked pork neck served with broad beans, potatos, and bacon.
-They make wine and chocolate and some odd looking liqueurs.
-It is one of the most forested countries in Europe and is home to deer, wolves, wild boar and an impressive collection of birds.
-They have two flags.
-It is the only Grand Duchy in the world. (I don’t know why this is a big deal, but they are very proud of it.)

First impressions: Luxembourg is very green with a patchwork farmland and puffy forests visible from the airplane. The were so many shades of green and gold and “yellow ocher” in the trees that it resembled a Bob Ross painting.

I caught the bus into the city, which cost €1.5 and took about 10 minutes. The city is quaint and beautiful. It looks more like a ‘real” city than, say Tallinn, but it is very charming. There are many squares lined with the requisite cafes and cobblestone streets leading to churches and museums. Winding though the middle of the city is a narrow and deep ravine, which is reachable either by steep stairs or an elevator. At the bottom of the ravine is a serene forested park area along the banks of a river (scarcely, more than a trickle, really, but that call it a river.) The park is so beautiful and is full of bird song and that delightful smell that i shall simply call ”forresty”.

I am staying at the Hotel Grand Cravat which is lousy with “faded elegance” (to borrow from a previous post). The common areas are lovely, but my room is nothing special; it is however, very clean and stocked with all the amenities. The lack of charm in my room however is more than remedied by the hotel bar which is exceedingly gentlemanly and civilized, with leather chairs, stately draperies and painting of men in doublets and impressive moustaches. The best part? It is cigar friendly! Apparently you can smoke in any bar or cafe as long as they are not serving food. Huzzah!

Anyway, I spent the day exploring and becoming comfortable navigating around the circuitous streets. As it is Sunday today, all the of the shops were closed, but the churches and cafes were busy. I will not list every place I visited, but there were a couple of churches, some squares and I walked through the Petrusse Valley (the aforementioned ravine). I also visited the Bock Casemates, which are 17 km of tunnels carved into the rock walls of the ravine, built in the 17th C for defensive purposes. Betty Lou, you would have been both claustrophobic and suffering from vertigo. I, however, enjoyed it.

I also visited the Museum of the History of the City of Luxembourg because they had a fascinating exhibit on murder and manslaughter. It was gruesome and academic and partly interactive. They even had a jar of prisoners’ fingers! It thought it was neat.

I had Indian food for dinner (thank god for curry or I would surely starve in Europe).
More observations: There are many happy looking dogs of medium to large sizes. It is very clean. Although there are 3 national languages, most people I overhear are speaking French. I am relying on French with the odd mis-pronounced word of Luxembourgish thrown in for effect. People are serious but very nice. Bicycles are everywhere (no helmets, of course.)
Like I said, it was a quiet Sunday, so I will get a better sense of things tomorrow.
d

Europe Portugal Spain

Boa Noite

We are back in Lisbon.

Valença, Portugal on right; Spain on left & Minho River in between
Valença was delightful. Our hotel was located within the walls of the 12thC (or thereabout) fortress on a hilltop overlooking the Minho River and surrounding valley, which was…well, breathtaking comes to mind. Green, rolling hills, mountains, vineyards and the fortress itself, complete with cannons (pointed towards Spain).

Within the fortress walls were many shops which, curiously, all seemed to sell linens. There were also a couple of cafes and Portuguese restaurants. (If i never see another olive again, it may be too soon.) And of course there were a few small churches. On our first day there we explored this area. On the second day we went to Spain.

Spain lies just across the river and is accessible by means of a bridge built in 1886 and designed by Gustave Eiffel himself. It took us just less than 15 minutes to make the journey. The town on the other side is Tui. Don´t ask me how to pronounce it. At first glance it is a depressing roadside town, best glimpsed from a passing car, but if one heads towards the river there is a beautiful little town, 5 or 6 hundred years old and centred around a large cathedral. We walked through the steeply winding streets and had a coffee. (You can smoke inside there, something that is not possible in Portugal.) After about 5 hours of blind exploration, we returned home, had dinner and watched the sky darken from our hotel room.

Today we took the train back to Lisbon; a pleasant journey that took about 6 hours. We spent out last evening having dinner and taking one final walk around the castle.

We have an early and long trip home tomorrow via Frankfurt and Calgary (two cities not often mentioned together).
We will be in Vancouver Sunday evening.
d & b

Europe Portugal

Rio Douro

Let us assure you that we are not suffering when it comes to breakfast. All of our hotels have had excellent breakfast offerings (complete with dessert), and the hotel in Porto has been no exception. Oh yeah, and the food is free, which is quite remarkable, when you consider how inexpensive these lodgings are (relative to North America).

So, after eating, we went walking in the sunshine, which was lovely – particularly considering we awoke to rain. We visited the imposing Se Cathedral and numerous other churches, which are always wonderful. We never tire of them, and apparently nor do the Portuguese, as there always seems to be a mass underway. We are not yet converts.

We strolled across the impressive bridge spanning the Douro – i forget the name of the bridge, there are 5 of them, but only one is impressive. The bridge was designed by an unnamed assistant to Gustave Eiffel.

Having worked up an appetite, we had the most glorious long lunch on the river front, sitting in the sunshine, snacking on olives, and seafood (Betty Lou) and smoking a cigar (me) all the while being serenaded by a lively duo on the accordion & guitar. It was perfect.

Not wanting to leave the river, we took an hour long cruise down the river.
We capped off the evening with hot chocolate and truffles at a super stylish and beautiful hotel, like something out of Wallpaper magazine. Very glamorous.

Today we were sort of out of things to do. We visited a few more churches and took a tour of the Palacio de Bolsa, which was once the stock exchange and commercial centre. It was very beautiful.

After a decadent afternoon nap we were on our way to tea when we stumbled across a group of university students dressed in their black suits & capes playing Portuguese music on the street (accordions, various stringed instruments, drums, etc). Very delightful. Even without anything planned we always manage to find entertainment and delights.
We will be catching an early morning train to Valença do Minho, the last stop as we wander north.
d & b

Europe Turkey

Chicken from the Sky

Good morning, all.
It it 8am on Thursday morning and i am at the hotel, using their computer while they set up another delicious breakfast. I really am very happy with this place. It is delightful and everyone here is so nice.

Ok, so when i last wrote i was heading off in search of food and nargile. I found both. I had dinner by myself but then moved to a different place (one i had been to before or my favorite little street) for smoking. I immediately sat with a group of 3 South Africans (living in London); a woman, her husband and his brother, all about my age. We had a grand time and spent about 4 hours there just hanging out. We then went to a rooftop patio on top of a hostel. It had the most delightful breeze (probably a good view as well, but it was dark). It was terrific. We then went for a bit of a walk before i returned home at 1am.

The next morning i went to Topkapi Palace, which is a palace, but definitely a Turkish one; not at all like the European ones, except that it was lavish. The best part of the Harem, which was decadently decorated. The only downside was that it was a bit crowded with annoying tour groups, although there were far less that at Versailles.

I then enjoyed a coffee in an attempt to wake up, but it didn’t work, so i went “home” for a nap instead. In the afternoon i walked across the Galata Bridge to the North shore of Istanbul which is quite hilly. I went up the Galate Tower, a medieval structure which afforded excellent views of the city, but wasn’t really worth the 10 Lira charge. I meandered my way over to the Istanbul Modern Art Museum (hey, the acronym for that is “imam”. Weird.). I really enjoyed the museum. It is a new institution and is indeed quite modern. I must admit, however that the installation piece by European artists were on the whole better than the paintings by Turkish artists, but even those had their merits. There was this amazing installation called “False Ceiling” which was all done with books, which i loved.

I made the long walk bank to Sultanahmet (the area where i am staying), stopping for baklava on the way). I had dinner and smoked the nargile for about 4 hours, by myself this time.

Today i plan to take a cruise on the ferry up the Bosphorous.

Oh, yesterday when i was sitting outside enjoying my coffee something fell from the sky and nearly hit me. What was it? A chicken’s head! I gasped in horror. The waiter removed it for me, chuckling at my disgust. I assume it was either a cat or a bird that dropped it and that it was not some sort of weather phenomenon, but it was disturbing nevertheless.

One more thing, if you plan on coming to Istanbul and you smoke cigars, bring them with you. I ran out and i can’t find so much as a cigarillo here.

Wandering North

Tag: cigar

Otavalo

Return From the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle: Day Two

Christmas in New York

I’ve Got a Lovely Bicycle

Moien

Luxembourg

Boa Noite

Rio Douro

Chicken from the Sky