Staying in Venice and Istanbul

 Hello my friends.  Sorry I've not posted in a long time but I just returned home from Turkey this week.

My husband and I spent three weeks at our home in Turkey before the rest of the family joined us to continue the vacation.  I've come to the conclusion that our family "travels" as their hobby.  The photo above was taken at a wine tasting we enjoyed in Greece.

We enjoyed our time in the south of Turkey before venturing off for rest of the vacation.

Our first stop was Venice.  It was my third visit to this amazing city but this time I had the pleasure to stay three nights in this magical place.

My daughter rented two different apartments for the family and we stayed in this unique place where we had our own private courtyard.  It had been completely renovated and was very modern and comfortable but I missed the old world charm a bit. 

Venice is an interesting city.  The population now is around 55,000 residents; it used to be close to 175,000.  As the people have left, the homes have been bought up by investors who can rent them at a high rate of rent. Thereby, the average, younger Venetian cannot afford to live in Venice anymore.  It's a very sad case. Also, many Venetians are against the cruise ships coming into their city.  I totally agree with them.  Cruise ships can ruin the unique atmosphere of a place.

The apartment my daughter and her family stayed in was a perfectly styled Italian apartment with Venetian glass chandeliers.  It overlooked a canal and the light that came into the room was amazing.

Here's the beautiful hallway with the wood floors and a wall of framed handpainted watercolors.

I'm hoping to recreate one of these watercolors. . .

On our last night in Venice we had a family dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant.  It was in a square but there was a private courtyard behind.  We had spied this place a day earlier when the waiter told us about the menu.  The waiter from the restaurant next door saw us and told us "You don't want to eat there - it's owned by Pakistani's and is not Italian food".  My husband was shocked and told him "I'm Pakistani".  He isn't but that wasn't the point. Later that day, we went to lunch at this restaurant and it was the best Italian food I've ever had.  The owner is Italian but all the servers are from Bangladesh.  They were so kind to us and offered superb customer service.


  Hence, the last night in Venice we returned to the same place for dinner with all the family.  I didn't realize until later that Rome and surrounding areas of Italy has the second highest population of Bangladesh immigrants outside of London.  They are an integral part of Venice and I admire their ability to learn a new language and adjust to a different cullture.

We left Venice on a cruise and upon our return, we took a flight back to Istanbul.  I love this city, too.  

Again, my daughter had booked two different homes for us to stay in the area of Balat/Fener.  This area is off the Golden Horn and is the old Greek and Jewish part of the city.  Of course, now the demographics have changed.


At first look, the neighborhood can look a little rough in parts but it was quite charming and we felt safe too.  They were putting in new streets with beautiful pavers.
  

The home we stayed in was actually five floors; the bottom floor being a separate studio apartment.  It had been completed renovated to a classic style with beautiful period furnishings.

One of the unique features was this stunning, original wooden ceiling.

And, the stairwell continued to wind up each floor. Our Greek friend, Dmitra, joined us in Istanbul and told us about the Greek community of Turkey from the turn of the century who would have lived in these kind of homes.  They were well off merchants and other successful traders.  After World War I, many of them returned to Greece where they were thought of as a kind of aristocracy among the other Greeks.  Many  more left in the 1970's over the issues with Cyprus.  

The neighborhood is transitioning and becoming a very artsy area.  There were some lovely little cafes a few steps away where they served their style of "Turkish breakfast".

From the top floor balcony, we had a great view of Phanar Greek Othodox College.  It was built by an Ottoman Greek architect beginning in 1881.  The red tower is a well known landmark.

Also nearby, is the  Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I resides.  

It was an enjoyable time to be with the family.  However, it's always good to return home and get back to my routine.  Lilly was patiently waiting at the door for us when we arrived Tuesday night.

I hope you are enjoying your summer.  It's been unusually hot and humid here for this week but our normal, dry, hot weather is expected to return on Monday.

My best wishes to you,

Pat

Going to Guatemala on Holland America's Rotterdam

Happy weekend my dear friends.  I've been away on a short spring break vacation with my family.  I actually returned home last Monday but I thought it was time to update my blog.

On April 1st we sailed out of Tampa, Florida on Holland America's Rotterdam.  It was our first time sailing on Holland America and I must say, it's going to be one of my favorites.

Leaving the port in Tampa, I loved seeing these iconic homes along the shore all dressed up in their pastel colors.  

Our first port stop was Key West, Florida.  It had almost been 20 years since I'd been to Key West.  Last time I went there it was extremely hot, humid and uncomfortable in the heat of an August summer.  This time the weather was quite agreeable but I must say, the quaint town has been damaged by being a cruise port.  I saw the typical cruise shops you will find in any port city.  Loud music and lots of people.  We did take the conch train ride and ventured a little ways outside the main center.  I loved this home that is still wearing it's natural wood color.  It's now a home decor shop over 100 years old.

On the same street was this cafe/coffee shop dating from 1909.  It's amazing that it still is standing and still doing business.

At this same place, this sign was posted on the fence.  Imagine that  President Truman was here in 1946. I'm sure Key West was a charming seaside city back then.

Next up was Roatan, Honduras.  I'd been to Roatan before but never to Mahogony Bay. It was a private beach area for the cruise lines.  The beach was beautiful but crowded with 3 ships in port!

One place I'd never been before was Guatemala and I am in love with this country!  Such natural beauty.  We took a proper tour and drove over an hour through the lush, green countryside.  Our port was in San Tomas de Castilla which is an industrial port city.  But, once outside, it was beautiful.

Our destination was the Castillo de San Felipe de Lara which is on the Dulce River. 

The fortress dates from the early 17th century.  This property was added to the  UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. 

The canons are still mounted and aimed at the intruders which came via the Dulce River.

This is the inner courtyard of the fortress.

Upon entering the fortress, is was surrounded by a moat.  It was soon time to get back on board the bus and head back to the ship.  It was a most interesting ride back as we went through a little town where the people where making tamales, selling and buying fruits and vegetables and also selling ready made meals for the workers.  Our tour guide had light brown hair and blue eyes; his grandparents were Belgian and English!  He told us it was the Germans who developed the coffee industry in Guatemala and still today there are a large group of Guatemalans with German ancestry.  It was very quite interesting.  My dear son-in-law was born in Guatemala of Guatemalan and Spanish ancestry.  

We stopped at a port in Mexico where I had never been before; Costa Maya.  Here is a replica of a Mayan monument in the city square.  It's a small beach town with a thriving tourist industry.

We ventured off to a private beach club, Maya Chan, owned by Americans from San Diego, CA.  It was really quite lovely and excellent hospitality from our gracious hosts.  They had all kinds of nonmotorized watercraft at our disposal, and all inclusive food and drink.  The only glitch is that this part of the ocean has an abundance of sea grass but it was wonderful being out in the water and enjoying this beautiful, tranquil setting.

Many times I read where people say they will never take a cruise.  My family started cruising 20 years ago and we go at least once a year.  It makes it so much easier as a family since you know where you are going to sleep each night, you can eat whatever your heart desires at anytime, and there are so many activities to do. My little grandson who is 8, just completed his 12 cruise and my granddaughter who is 2 just finished her 4th!  It's a pleasant way to see the world.  As I mentioned above, I was really impressed by Holland America.  Guest Services printed out a list of the art that is onboard.  The above is in the center atrium of the ship.

This is a very poor photo I took of a 17th century Italian desk with all these little compartments.  The parquet design was amazing.

And, this is a lovely marble design in floor of one of the lounges on board.

There was a lovely mix of passengers on board; old, not too old, young and a few youngsters.  Just the right mix.  And I enjoyed the ambiance of the ship.  It was a lovely trip except for our flights.  We had chosen the discount airline Spirit Air and it turned out to be a disaster.  Long story short, our flight home was postponed, we spent an extra night in Tampa and arrived back home on Monday instead of Sunday!  But, all is well and everyone is back to their routine.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  My Saturday was spent at a Norwegian heritage fair where I made waffles!

My best wishes to you,

Pat

Chinese Tea in a Tangerine via NYC

Hi everyone.  I hope your week is off to a great start. It's quiet around here after babysitting my little grandchildren last week.  As you may recall, my daughter Heidi went to New York City last week and brought me...

This little ball of Chinese pu-erh tea, all wrapped up in this pretty little package. 

 

 She bought it at McNulty's Tea and Coffee in NYC.  They have been in business since 1895 and have a huge array of coffees and tea.

The tea has been cured in a hollowed out tangerine.  As you can see, the peel is completely dried and the top of the tea has some dried peel too.  Inside, there is black tea without any additions.

I was excited to try it.  I warmed my vintage Japanese teapot and put in a spoonful of the tea, added the freshly boiled water and let it sit.  When I poured it into my Japanese teacup, I was amazed at the lovely, deep, golden red color.  The taste was heavenly.  Thank you Heidi!

Speaking of Heidi, she will be hosting our Thanksgiving this year as she has done every year since 2008.  She's already printed out her menus as shown above.  I will be bringing some pre dinner snacks of Scottish sausage rolls along with some giant stuffed olives I found at World Market.  It's our family tradition to play Monopoly each Thanksgiving evening.  It will be a fun, family day.

Heidi sent me a copy of this menu from The Plaza Hotel in NYC from 1899.  Look at those prices! 

 

She and my son-in-law went to The Plaza to enjoy drinks one afternoon.  Don't you just love the traditional decor?  It's my favorite style!

Heidi's favorite movie from childhood is Home Alone Lost in New York.  I think she has every scene in that movie memorized.  She tells me this is the Plaza hotel lobby where Kevin asks where the swimming pool is located.  

Thanksgiving will soon be here and then the holiday season will be in full swing.  We're hoping to get our Christmas tree on Saturday but in the meantime, we're suppose to high record high temps in the high 80's on Thanksgiving day!

Have a wonderful day everyone and thank you for stopping by.

My best wishes to you,

Pat

Needlepoint and Turkiye

Greetings my friends. I hope your day is going well.  I'm sitting out on the balcony enjoying the clouds moving past and the sounds of thunder.  It poured rain earlier today.  I love rain and clouds...

I also love needlepoint.  I discovered this amazing craft two years ago.  My dear friend Nadia, who is an expert at this craft, helped me to get started.

This is my latest piece I completed.  It's a kit from England called Evening Light Westminster. It was so bumpy and skewed when completed but it came out perfect after being framed.

Here's my collection so far.

This is the second piece I made.  It's an iconic scene called The Angelus.

And, here is my very first piece of needlepoint that I made.  Although the wool wasn't great quality. I think the depth of this piece is the best. It's a pastoral scene.

Would you believe I had all three of these pieces custom framed for less than $50.00?  Yes! I had them framed in Turkey.

We discovered a huge art store a couple of years ago.  We bought some paintings along with these hand painted decor items.  As you can see, they're my favorite gold, faux French design.  If I could, my whole household would be like this!

The framed needlepoint pictures are staying in Turkey, adding decor to our home, little by little.

My OCD doesn't allow me to sit down and rest unless I'm working on something; i.e., knitting, crocheting, needlepoint.  On my last shopping day in Turkey, I stumbled across a wonderful yarn shop. Oh my, was I in heaven!  They also had lots of European needlepoint canvases.  There was one I wanted to buy but will wait until next time as I have a large canvas waiting to be started.

My secret wish is that I wish I could do embroidery/crewel work.  I'm fascinated by antique needlework pieces.  There was an advertisement in a needlework magazine I subscribe to. It was for a ten day needlework tour in England. I'd love to go to this but my skills are zero...and the cost was a little too much at £8,000+...maybe one day.

Thank you dear friends for visiting today.

With my best wishes,

Pat