Friday, December 31, 2010

Project 365 December 2010

The topic was pretty loose this month, Happy and/or Red.  There are pictures of some of my favourite things, friends, Toronto, Christmas etc.

My favourites
Dec 24 - my niece laughing


Dec 25 -family


Dec 31 - my DH

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Toronto Thursday

CN Tower dressed in it's holiday finery. Taken leaving the office with Blackberry.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Wednesday's Words

Go over to locked out's blog to read about 10 Writing Exercises I can't live without. I especially liked the garbage can idea.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Monday's Child - Egypt

Taken from our tour van on the way to see the Pyramids. She has heer sleeping baby on her lap while working on her donkey.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

Monday's Child - Athens

Kids wander the street playing for money. We later saw him on his cellphone - looking for his next gig?


This little guy was playing in the Acropolis area and then was moved off by the police.


Spotted this little girl as we were having coffee

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Wednesday's Words



A billboard in a shop window in Istanbul.
The four scenarios read:

Neighbor who calls the police every time
Third world dictator's ass
Banker with a bonus of 1,000,000 euros' ass
Nightclub bouncer's ass

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Project 365 - November 2010

The theme was Remembrance but some of the photos are stretching the point a little! Oh well, it is MY project!
Most times I use my Blackberry for these daily photos so the quality is not always the best.
Yes, Nov 27 is not a new photo but it was our wedding anniversary and I was remembering those in the photo that are no longer with us.
Since we were in Greece and Istanbul for some of the month I picked a photo of something "old" for each day.
I thnk my favourite(s) are the lamp by the sidewalk waiting for a new home and the memory Lane signpost here in Toronto.



Remember when you'd get books of matches in every restaurant?? Here's a photo of my collection. I was able to add one from our trip to Greece!!

There's also the "unremembered" umbrella on the bus, my mother's carving fork, the clock tower at the Summerhill LCBO which was once a train station.


Recipes to Try - spaghetti and mozzarella stuffed meatballs

Found this recipe over at Big Mama's Home Kitchen and it looks really good!

Recipes to Try - Using the Bread Machine



Honey Lemon Bread

Friday, December 10, 2010

Tuesday Nov 23 (Day 9 of Gate 1 Tour) Istanbul

We start the day with a visit to the Beylerbeyi Sarayı, a "small" Istanbul summer palace overlooking the Bosphorus from its Asian shore.






We couldn't take any pictures inside but it was amazing. I think it is one of the most beautiful and ornate palaces I have ever visited. The chandeliers were magnificent! I did find some pictures online.





Sneaking a photo through the doors.



Built on orders of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876), it's a delightful, if ornate, imperial residence with a fountain in the main salon, the usual sumptuous chambers, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, Sèvres and Chinese vases, and pleasant gardens.
The palace looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus, photo taken yesterday from river cruise,



Its two bathing pavilions, one for the harem (women's only) and the other for the selamlik (men's only), can best be seen.
Quite foggy as we started out.




One of the most attractive rooms is the reception hall, which has a pool and fountain. Running water was popular in Ottoman houses for its pleasant sound and cooling effect in the heat.

Egyptian reed matting is used on the floor as a form of insulation. The crystal chandeliers are mostly French Baccarat and the carpets are from Hereke.
The palace was often used as a guest house for visiting royalty. Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and other worthies enjoyed its comforts.

Sultan Abdulhamid II was deposed by the Young Turks in 1909, and spent the last years of his life (1913-1918) under house arrest at Beylerbeyi.
Much of the furniture in the palace was made by the sultan himself, who was an accomplished cabinet-maker.





It is not as foggy now as we crossed the Bosphorus Bridge to the Asian side.





On the other side we are taken to Camlica Hill.  The views from Büyük Çamlica are truly amazing, with a panoramic vista of all of Istanbul’s main waterways, the Bosphorus Bridge, the historic Eminonu Peninsula, the Princes’ Islands and even Mount Uludag near Bursa.

Obviously the views are very good.








This sightseeing is thirsty business. Time for a tea break on Camlica Hill. This tearoom was just beautiful.










Time to head back to Europe.


We're stuck in traffic on our way to lunch so we amuse ourselves taking pictures.






Lunch
The restaurant was selected by the tour guide and our meal was included in the tour price. It was excellent, service was friendly and helpful.


 I found a recipe for these cheese rolls.

 Fish


Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.







Then it's time to head to the Grand Bazaar.






Oh, if only, I had room in our luggage to shop! I did buy a couple of cushion covers.




Then it was a quick stop at a leather factory at the group's (not ours) request. However, the prices were high and none of our group bought anything.

It was time to say good bye to the group as we were all leaving at different times the next day.

The 4 of us went out for a quick bite and just as we got seated for a drink the rain and wind started.
We then went for a quick bite around the corner from the hotel and to bed for our long trip home.