A snowy afternoon in Budapest

I haven't been in Budapest for a long time, so last week's road trip was a very pleasant surprise. The city is filled with cool bars and restaurants. From high-end places to hip bars with industrial/vintage styled interiors (like Spiler, shown in the photos below), there's something for every taste.

Discoveries and delights

The last post from Istanbul. Honestly, this whole trip was just scratching the surface because there's way too much things to do in this city. Maybe a year would be enough to get to know Istanbul a little better... Hm... I can still hear those ravishing jazz clubs calling my name... 

P.S. For all you music lovers who would like to know more about Istanbul's diverse music scene, I highly recommend a documentary named Crossing the Bridge - the Sound of Istanbul.

Istanbul wanderings

More photos from the streets of Istanbul. Here's a fun fact: this city is crowded like this all 365 days of the year. I suppose it's not that fun for the locals...  

 ♫ Mustafa Sandal feat. Gentleman - Isyankar ♫

Istanbul the Magnificent

This was my second time in Turkey and my first time in Istanbul.  I remembered why I absolutely adore this country... Of course, there are a few things in Turkish culture that sometimes get on my nerves, but that doesn't diminish the fact that this country is still one of the greatest countries in the world.  The weather was terrible (cold wind and drizzle), so next time we'll come in springtime to fully enjoy outdoor activities this city has to offer. Now I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Locations:  Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace, Gülhane Park.

New Year's Eve in Istanbul

Just a few snaps from our NYE in Istanbul, Turkey. I've been away from the blog for a while, but I hope the next few posts dedicated to the marvelous megacity of Istanbul are going to make up for that. Don't mind the quality of the photos, this is just to show you a bit of the great atmosphere that was going on in Nişantaşı (one of Istanbul's most luxurious residential and shopping quarters, full of gorgeous  neo-classical and art nouveau architecture). We were thinking of going to Nişantaşı first, and than go to Ortaköy to watch the fireworks over the Bosphorus bridge (the one that connects Europe to Asia), but when we saw the traffic a few hours from midnight, we decided to stay in the famous Abdi İpekçi Street. There were thousands of people on the streets all over the city. I'm not really into NYE celebrations, and I didn't have much expectations, but as soon as we got there, I got carried away. I listen to a lot of Turkish music, so this live event was a real treat for me. On the downside, there was this potentially dangerous incident that almost ruined the night, but thankfully, nothing happened. In one moment, there were so many people around that I couldn't move or breathe.  We had to fight our way out to escape the human stampede. To be honest, I was afraid for my life. This poor tree you see on the photo was almost knocked down by the force of the crowd, and I was literally stuck on that tree. Scary, but like a said, we got away, and all's well that ends well.  Hope you had a lovely time during winter holidays and that you're ready for some new adventures!  ♫ Athena - Yavaş Yavaş ♫

Vertigo with Vasarely

Last week, I visited the Victor Vasarely Museum in Pécs, Hungary. For those of you who are unfamiliar with his work, Vasarely is considered one of the most important figures of the Op art (optical art) movement of the 1950's and 1960's. The museum is small, but well-curated. The ticket is not expensive, and for an extra fee, you are allowed to take photos of the artwork. Plus, the souvenirs are rather cheap. The only problem is that the staff is really bad at English and there is no translation of the art titles. You can find some great works of his son and wife there, as well. I would highly recommend this museum to all you art appreciators who like to feel dizzy in a positive way.