Summer heat
Finally, I’m back in summer. After autumn in New Zealand, spring in Japan and some rain in Istanbul, it was about time. Istanbul had just started to become warmer (and humid) when I was about to leave. Stepping off the plane in Tel Aviv, even though in the evening, I felt I was back in […] Read More
Yummy Kadiköy
On the last day in Istanbul I decided to make it over to Kadiköy on the Asian shore. It’s supposed to have a great market on Tuesdays, although I did not make it there in the end. They have moved the market further from the ferry, so I just strolled through the Balik Pazari, the […] Read More
Çukurcuma
I think I landed in one of the most beautiful, buzzing, yet calm and relaxed neighborhoods in Istanbul. Çukurcuma is a little neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, formerly known under its greek name of Pera, and has everything you could wish for… The little street down from my apartment alone has a hotel, several […] Read More
Bar night
After Sabine left, I spent the morning cleaning my files, writing some mails, continuing some planning for the trip in a café, and then met up in the early evening with Cihan, a reader of my blog! He wanted to show me a couple of his favorite bars, and as I haven’t gone out in […] Read More
Hamam
After the first quick visit to the supermarket around the corner for some basics, I met up with Sven for a stroll through the area, notably around İstiklâl Caddesi, the main shopping and pedestrian street in Istanbul. It is a really nice street, with an old tram line passing through, and has countless shops, bars, restaurants, […] Read More
Blues night
My sister Anke has a bar in a little village in Switzerland, on the other side of Lake Constance, just about half an hour’s drive from my parents. I visited her of course on my quick stop, and also got a special treat: I was finally there for a concert they had on that night. […] Read More
The first lunch
Back home, I started unpacking, leaving my mom a heap of clothes to wash and starting so sort things for round two. I will change some clothes, as after seven months there is some stuff that I really can’t see anymore, and take new things that I deposited at my parents place. I went through […] Read More
Tremendous Tokyo
Here’s my best-of-Japan, a mix of Tokyo and Osaka: Best part/scene/place: It is hard to decide, as Tokyo has so many different scenes, from the Hanami at the Meguro Kanal, to the bars of Shinjuku, to the Harajuku in the Park. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in Tokyo. Best drink (alcoholic): Sake. What […] Read More
Last day in Japan
I spent the last day in Japan really relaxed. I had toyed with the idea of doing a day trip to Nikko, but scrapped that. Instead, I checked out of my hotel and first had a working breakfast at Starbuck’s, using their fast wifi for some blogging and sorting some stuff… Then I went to […] Read More
Okonomiyaki
Ok, I hereby officially declare this blog a food and temple blog. Now that this is out of the way, here’s the latest culinary discovery: Okonomiyaki. I had already seen them being prepared at the late night hanami in Osaka, but they were all made with meat – I asked. It turns out, they are […] Read More