photos ISTANBUL & CESME
Showing posts with label istanbul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label istanbul. Show all posts
Turkish R&R
Rest, Recover, Relax...vacation at last!
As I walked down the gangway to board my flight in early June I was actually on the verge of tears. I was so absolutely overwhelmed with the relief of true freedom, at the idea of enjoying my family and friends from afar and celebrating in the union of two very special people.
Over the course of the next week and a half I fulfilled all of my intentions to breath deep, be surrounded by love and happiness, and to enjoy life at its very simplest.
Istanbul welcomed me with open arms as usual. I gathered myself and started off with a day manicuring with my grandmother, lunching with my aunt and grandfather, and topped it off with a perfect reunion of friends and an evening filled with laughter and anticipation of the adventures to come.
The next morning we were off to Cesme.
Together with friends from Turkey, London, Israel and New York I spent three days exploring the quaint vacation town on Turkey's west coast. One of my favorite areas is Alicati, an energetic neighborhood filled with cafes, restaurants, and boutiques within graciously renovated and picturesque ancient stone homes, stables and structures. Very reminiscent of Santorini, Alicati has a slightly more organic and local feel, particularly as we were there early in the season and it was relatively free of tourists.
The wedding was held in the Cesme Castle, a broad and statuesque building perched on Cesme's waterfront. The ceremony and celebrations were beautiful and, as with any Turkish wedding, extremely festive. Americans mixing with belly dancers, and Turks doing the twist...the bride and groom managed to create a truly fantastic representation of their respective cultures all within a breathtaking setting.
The party moved on to Kum Beach, which had just opened its doors for business, and we danced the night away under the stars until, exhausted, we all collapsed into the bus and headed to the hotel to pack for our upcoming yacht adventure...
With a six hour bus ride to recover, the twenty-two seafaring adventurers arrived in Fethiye, another coastal vacation town further south. We were met by the crew of our amazingly well-appointed boats (AC, hot water, six bedrooms with private bathrooms, flatscreens and DVD players, full audio system...), unloaded our bags, took off our shoes and watches and turned off our cellphones, all of which we would entirely forget about for the ensuing week.
Known as the Mavi Yolculuk (Blue Voyage, namely because of the stunning and crystal clear blue waters of the Mediterranean) renting gullets and cruising the coast between small port towns and islands is a very typical Turkish vacation in the summer. Without a doubt one of the most relaxing and reflective trips I've ever taken, I am still reveling in the sense of freedom and tranquility that a weeklong boat voyage allows.
A typical day on the boat is spent swimming, sunning, eating, playing cards, exploring small towns and visiting ruins, snorkeling, kayaking, and eating again...with the most difficult decision every day being which bathing suit bottom to wear and whether or not it is time to cool off in the water.
One of my favorite days started at 5am. When the motors started running my roommate and I grabbed my blanket and hauled ourselves to the top deck to watch the sunrise as we pulled out of our evening spot. After dozing off in the sun, by 7am it was already so strong we had to go below deck before resurfacing to find ourselves in one of the most stunning destinations of the trip: Butterfly Valley.
The day was spent hiking the valley and discovering its waterfalls, snorkeling, exploring caves, and ended with a spectacular hike on the nearby St. Nicholas Island to watch the sunset.
After six days unwinding in a similar manner each day, we returned to Fethiye for a fresh seafood feast and ultimately made our way to the airport to return to Istanbul: full, rejuvenated, and already nostalgic.
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As I walked down the gangway to board my flight in early June I was actually on the verge of tears. I was so absolutely overwhelmed with the relief of true freedom, at the idea of enjoying my family and friends from afar and celebrating in the union of two very special people.
Over the course of the next week and a half I fulfilled all of my intentions to breath deep, be surrounded by love and happiness, and to enjoy life at its very simplest.
Istanbul welcomed me with open arms as usual. I gathered myself and started off with a day manicuring with my grandmother, lunching with my aunt and grandfather, and topped it off with a perfect reunion of friends and an evening filled with laughter and anticipation of the adventures to come.
The next morning we were off to Cesme.
Together with friends from Turkey, London, Israel and New York I spent three days exploring the quaint vacation town on Turkey's west coast. One of my favorite areas is Alicati, an energetic neighborhood filled with cafes, restaurants, and boutiques within graciously renovated and picturesque ancient stone homes, stables and structures. Very reminiscent of Santorini, Alicati has a slightly more organic and local feel, particularly as we were there early in the season and it was relatively free of tourists.
The wedding was held in the Cesme Castle, a broad and statuesque building perched on Cesme's waterfront. The ceremony and celebrations were beautiful and, as with any Turkish wedding, extremely festive. Americans mixing with belly dancers, and Turks doing the twist...the bride and groom managed to create a truly fantastic representation of their respective cultures all within a breathtaking setting.
The party moved on to Kum Beach, which had just opened its doors for business, and we danced the night away under the stars until, exhausted, we all collapsed into the bus and headed to the hotel to pack for our upcoming yacht adventure...
With a six hour bus ride to recover, the twenty-two seafaring adventurers arrived in Fethiye, another coastal vacation town further south. We were met by the crew of our amazingly well-appointed boats (AC, hot water, six bedrooms with private bathrooms, flatscreens and DVD players, full audio system...), unloaded our bags, took off our shoes and watches and turned off our cellphones, all of which we would entirely forget about for the ensuing week.
Known as the Mavi Yolculuk (Blue Voyage, namely because of the stunning and crystal clear blue waters of the Mediterranean) renting gullets and cruising the coast between small port towns and islands is a very typical Turkish vacation in the summer. Without a doubt one of the most relaxing and reflective trips I've ever taken, I am still reveling in the sense of freedom and tranquility that a weeklong boat voyage allows.
A typical day on the boat is spent swimming, sunning, eating, playing cards, exploring small towns and visiting ruins, snorkeling, kayaking, and eating again...with the most difficult decision every day being which bathing suit bottom to wear and whether or not it is time to cool off in the water.
One of my favorite days started at 5am. When the motors started running my roommate and I grabbed my blanket and hauled ourselves to the top deck to watch the sunrise as we pulled out of our evening spot. After dozing off in the sun, by 7am it was already so strong we had to go below deck before resurfacing to find ourselves in one of the most stunning destinations of the trip: Butterfly Valley.
The day was spent hiking the valley and discovering its waterfalls, snorkeling, exploring caves, and ended with a spectacular hike on the nearby St. Nicholas Island to watch the sunset.
After six days unwinding in a similar manner each day, we returned to Fethiye for a fresh seafood feast and ultimately made our way to the airport to return to Istanbul: full, rejuvenated, and already nostalgic.
A Turkish Delight
Istanbul, inspiring as always.
I can still smell the bazaar if I concentrate hard enough.
After some (albeit very little) arm twisting, I managed to convince my friend Shirley to come along for the ride. She joined me from Tel Aviv for 4 days and MY did we fill our time...
It was fantastic to be with family and friends for the first time in three months! Highlights included meeting Karel's new man, the most loveable Max, spending time with Shirley girl, and of course seeing my family - everyone from grandparents to cousins to their babies - and immensely enjoying their company and of course, the food.
Outside of people time, and with much thanks to Karel and Muriel for seeing to it, I did get around to seeing some new and exciting things Istanbul had to offer up...in the spirit of warming myself up for a blog on style, trends, and the new and exciting, I have reviewed them here.
Galata Moda
A temporary retail event showcasing Istanbul's best and brightest fashion designers. While I think the actual fashions available left a bit to be desired, the attendees were certainly fabulous. I found myself wanting to ask everyone where they got their clothes.
The event is set up around the old Galata Tower (built in 1300s) which is situated near the hip and happening Beyoğlu and Tünel districts in what was once a very Jewish neighborhood. My grandfather, in fact, spent much of his childhood nearby.
Several booths showcasing clothes, jewelry and other items were brightly lit and heavily visited...in the middle they set up a cafe and a radio station was broadcasting live. A very lively event that I think really showcased the young, fashionable set in an extremely favorable way.
Santral Istanbul
Afterwards, we hopped a taksi (no 'X' in Turkish, kids!) to a pretty abandoned area of town where they recently renovated an old electricity factory into an exhibition space. The furnaces, control room and large mechanical equipment have all been left in tact and are completely accessible to the public.
I went completely beserk in the control room. Aesthetically such an antique, yet modern and scientific space. As it was night, I didn't get great photographs, but Karel did do a little fashion shoot with me.
Much of the exhibition downstairs was oriented towards teaching children science, but that did not stop us from spending an hour playing with magnets, video cameras and listening to the 'rain' simulated by ball bearings.
It's a fantastic place, and I look forward to seeing it develop as a cultural center and public gathering space. Between the factory itself, the exhibits, the expansive surrounding outdoor space, the new Otto restaurant, and the adjacent university, the space has a lot of potential to shape future thoughts about what an art space should be.
Istinye Park
Generally speaking, this is another mega-mall, bringing a new home what few brands had not yet broken into Istanbul market yet (and of course all the regulars as well). Two distinct pieces that are unique to Istanbul shopping centers round it out nicely, however.
The first is the area on one far end that is dedicated to the high luxury brands. Above ground, these stores have an intimate cul-de-sac and street-level entrance, giving it a very Rodeo Drive feel. Each store also has a lower level, which coincides with the upper level of the mall, making them accessible in both environments.
On the other far end is the 'Istinye Bazaar' - an indoor marketplace styled after an oudoor market with stalls for fruits and vegetables, fish, a charcuterie, a butcher, a wine shop, etc. The environment is bustling as any outdoor market would be in Istanbul. One unique characteristic is the inclusion of a café/restaurant dedicated to each retailer. Patrons select their cut of meat or their fish, it is prepared on the spot, and they enjoy it literally within feet of the shop. A relatively new concept, it is refreshing to see the Turks taking to it so well...there was not an empty table in sight.
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