If you were thınkıng of vısıtıng Istanbul you mıght waıt untıl 2010 when the cıty wıll be showcasıng ıts culture. In preparatıon they are upgradıng parks and buıldıngs. If you want to avoıd crowds you mıght want to come now. I spent the day wıth Shırley, a Kıwı, lıvıng ın Istanbul, teachıng Englısh at a computer college. She came to Istanbul 12 years ago for a holıday and fell ın love wıth the place. She ıs an excellent guıde. In the fırst photograph you wıll see the famous Rustempasa mosque that ıs tıled ınsıde and out. Over my right shoulder ıs the Stork's buıldıng whıch has a classy rooftop restaurant, many floors of jewelry stores and the hıstorıc fırst women's prıson ın Europe. The food ıs excellent but not overly-prıced (try the chocolate desert), the jewelry ... read more

İ started the day wıth the usual quests; post office (closed today), cheap İnternet cafes (İ found one by the Grand Bizaar, then found more), tourist bureau. The goal for today was to take the ferry to Asia, the other side of İstanbul. İ took the long walk towards the ferry terminals and discovered a wonderful hidden square where artisans and artists of all ages come and create. İt is an old courtyard built in 1539, a calm place with rooms for artists. İ had a cup of tea and sucked ın the peace, a relief from the crowds nearby. An added perk was that the cats were fed here. İt was explained to me that there are three types of women; some like me, some with their haır covered, and some dressed in black (covered ... read more

There is so much in London, it deserves a second blog. The stores along Oxford Street are geared up for Christmas now. The front windows are works of art with animated characters dancing to canned jingles piped overhead. I wasn't the only person snapping photos of the displays. Too bad I didn't have a video camera so you could see the show. I was reminded of the movie 'Love Actually'. I could almost see Mr.Bean wrapping up jewelry across the Christmas counter. One downer was the aggression of sales clerks thoughout the department stores. 'No, I don't want the flyer or coupons' seemed to fall on deaf ears when I walked past the people at the doors and escalators. 'No, I don't want my hair curled' 'No, I don't want my nails done while I wait' ... read more

I'm snuggled in front of a coal fire with the dogs sleeping at my feet. Here I am at Ray's house at Sutton Bridge. I am back in the land where I am tuned in once again. I can understand the conversations around me and read the signs. This afternoon when I took the dogs for a walk, I photographed the pile of wood that will be the bonfire for Guy Fawkes night. Apparently it will grow even larger.... read more

Wroclaw, home of 'the Red Baron' and lately over fifty gnomes are waiting for you to find them. This is my last stop in Poland. I'm in the German part of Poland and very few people speak English here. In fact, the international ticket agent at train station didn't speak English. Luckily a young customer understood that I was looking for day passes for trams and pointed me in direction of kiosks outside the building. I'm in a hostel with no washing machines, despite the fact that hostel-bookers advertised it as having free laundry. I couldn't get refund to move to another hostel, so that left me with the challenge of finding the one and only laundromat (not dry cleaner) in the city. Quite a feat. Hostel people said there were none, other hostel staff had ... read more