We're in Athens, which means round two of delicious Greek food! Opa!
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We almost didn't visit Istanbul. Days before we were scheduled to arrive, a suicide bombing occurred on Istiklal street which was near where we were planning to stay. After some serious discussions, we still decided to go. The day of our flight from Chania to Athens (where we would then take a connecting flight to Istanbul), a sandstorm arrived from Africa grounding all morning flights. And then the strong winds came. We decided that if we missed our connecting flight to Istanbul, we would just stay in Athens. However, the skies cleared, the winds calmed, and despite being a hour late, we managed to make our flight to Istanbul. We are so glad we did.
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After removing our shoes (complimentary plastic carrying bags can be found at the entrance), making sure our arms and legs were appropriately covered, and one headscarf for me, we were ready to tackle the sacred mosques of Istanbul. I've put our top 3 in this blog, but there are over 3000 mosques to explore in this city.
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I asked someone how to say "thank-you" in Turkish, and he taught me in a simple, beautiful way. He said, "You can use English words to learn. Just remember 'tea', 'sugar', 'a dream'. Teşekkür ederim. That lesson will stick with me for a while, not only because Turkish tea with sugar really does taste like something fit for dreams, but because that's what their food feels like to me. Simple ingredients yielding simply magical dishes. Enjoy.
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Winter on the isle of Crete. The tourists have not yet arrived nor has the sea gathered its full warmth from the sun. Our days are sunny and quiet, filled with walks along Nea Chora beach and meandering the cobblestone streets of this sleepy fishing village, watching as it readies itself for the impending crush of summer crowds. We've seen the sights, savoured the food, and adored the animals from a far, so to wrap up, here are a few of our favorite Cretan corners. Efharisto!
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Before the Greeks, there were the Minoans. The Palace of Knossos is one of the largest and most restored Minoan palaces on Crete. Built around 1700 BC, these ruins are the oldest we've ever visited, but this site was actually inhabited even earlier back in 7000 to 3000 BC. With great age comes a few great myths, and this place is rumored to be the labyrinthine palace of King Minos and the Minotaur and also where Icarus lost his wings.
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Ah, Greek food. Lemon and orange trees brighten the streets with fruit and blossoms. Fishermen sell their morning catch right on the docks. It feels like they truly live off of the land and sea here. While on the island of Crete, we tried to find a few dishes that are purely Cretan and encountered an intoxicating after-meal custom.
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Dogs and cats are like little four-legged citizens here. They know how to cross the streets, they hang out with their friends on the beach, and even frequent their favorite restaurants to see what's cooking. We also just like taking pictures of them.
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We encountered a few mild "shocks" while in Munich. 1. Cold shock - we got our first taste of snow in months. 2. Sticker shock - food in Asia was so cheap; food in Europe is less so. 3. Culture shock - we had to relearn that some things are actually closed on Sundays.
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Alter Peter (old Peter) is the name of the church tower which rises 91 meters high above the city. Since we love places that give us a bird's eye view of a city, we couldn't resist the climb up.
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When in Munich, drink beer, eat meat. Repeat.
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As promised, a mini Food Fridays post. On our 24 hour layover in Helsinki, we indulged in some Finnish cuisine.
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