tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:58:00 +0000TorontoFringeMilanNorthern IrelandCorkOahuNiceAlamo SquareDublinVolcanoChristmas MarketOuter RichmondDusseldorfMadridSydneyVolcanoes National ParkBerlinKenmareOuter SunsetBidartFilmTradBrusselsGigBig IslandSan DiegoNorth BeachMission DoloresNew Year FestivalOn The RoadRAF2010HalloweenSintraLiverpoolDen HaagNew Year 2011Mission BayRoman RuinsGdyniaUlster Bank Theater FestivalBellagioTenderNobLaurel HeightsMonte CarloKiluaeaRed BullRugbyWalkingNew YorkGdanskWaikikiBernal HeightsRussian HillNoe ValleyCentral RichmondUKTurkeyFlugtagHalf Moon BayHulaEruptionSnowSpainSPWCTallinnWestern AdditionAuschwitzFringe FestivalCulture NightNetherlandsGuinnessEnglandMontereyGuiness StorehouseWroclawSambaKillarneyCity BreakLos AngelesRestaurant ReviewLondonStirlingGlen ParkScotlandShave IceArt GalleryPolandCoffeeEvoraMarseillePrideLeinsterWorld War IIIce Cream SandwichTipperaryGeorgian DublinWisconsinAlamedaBloco de DublinMainzGhostBusLower Pacific HeightsSouth BeachBloggerFiestaAlfamaWhiskeySopotBasqueScience GalleryNOPAAnn ArborAbsolut FringeHawaiiSonomaWWIIEdinburghArthur's DayICSSalt Lake CityDowntownDalkeyMonacoBarrio AltaAlliance FrancaiseLet's French 2011KonaFisherman's WharfVacation RentalUnion SquarePearl HarborChemistryIrelandFrench RivieraAntwerpMelbourneToledoCannonballCow HollowIstanbulCarnivalPortugalBelfastFranceCounty KerryAlgarveCambridgeThe HaightKilkenny CatsAustraliaBTWCannesUBTD10FaroHonoluluDublin CastleFinlandFinancial DistrictSOMAParisDucksHelsinkiBuffaloDelftGolden Gate ParkPotrero HillFrankfurtDenverOaklandDolores HeightsRanelaghBray1916 RebellionKilkennyHiloAndolu KavagiRanelagh Arts FestivalPhiladelphiaItalyDun LaoghaireIzmirBaixaMunsterWhere's Wally?Pacific HeightsLisbonNew Years Eve 2010Presidio HeightsRing of KerryWine TastingChinatownWalesSevilleFall FoliageFadoBlogger FiestaEstoniaGlasgowRainbowTaviraWorld RecordSilent Film FestivalBird WatchingSouth San FranciscoLake StreetScience MuseumAvignonFestivalOktoberfestHollandBristolCannonball RunJackson SquareAmsterdamDublin Culture NightJapantownTelegraph HillSand CastlesCologneLake ComoCivic CenterMarinaThe Missioncole valleyHurlingTheatreKilaueaComedy ClubSF - Further AfieldGrand CanalWesterplatteKrakowShakespeareTenderloinAndroidBlackrock MarketWicklowInner SunsetDalkey CastleDiamond HeadSultanahmetGalwayMackintoshStreet PerformanceProvenceCastroPresidioOliwaInner RichmondPanoramaHayes ValleyBelgiumMusicNob HillCritical MassAix-en-ProvenceThames FestivalBazaarWalking TourManchesterCardiffTrad SessionsGermanyTemple BarBelemCatsBonnSan FranciscoDerryBrad PittTrinity CollegeAdelaideFilm FestivalCapturing the local scene one step at a time.http://www.sidewalksafari.com/noreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)Blogger1009125sidewalksafari/yfWOhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-3189951252243480902Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:58:00 +00002012-02-27T05:58:00.137-08:00IrelandDublin Odessa is a great little affordable spot for good eats in Dublin.  We stopped by on a weeknight to check out their 'fiver' menu (small plates for 5 euros).  I opted for a chickpea and chorizo 'fiver'...   ...and a slightly more expensive but proportionally more delicious goat cheese and beet root salad. Odessa is a bit off the beaten path on a small side street in Dublin City Centre but it'shttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/fIbAgRlxQyU/dublin-dinner-at-odessa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)014 Dame Ct, Rathmines, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3433211 -6.26374353.3409511 -6.2686785 53.345691099999996 -6.2588075<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/fIbAgRlxQyU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/dublin-dinner-at-odessa.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-6034987118516022446Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:41:00 +00002012-02-26T10:41:00.299-08:00IrelandDublin Oh...My...God...  I finally found a *real* (nearly) burrito in Dublin after almost a year of suffering without.  Boojum really delivers.   We opted for a chicken burrito with 'medium' salsa verde which (drum roll...) was actually spicy!!!   As you can see, I wasted no time digging right in.   There are just two things that prevent a Boojum burrito from being indistinguishable from a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/H98PL2AEHNg/dublin-eats-boojum-burritos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)1Millennium Walkway, Smithfield, Dublin 1, Ireland53.3473124 -6.264853353.3449429 -6.269788800000001 53.3496819 -6.2599178<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/H98PL2AEHNg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/dublin-eats-boojum-burritos.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-1996652091619778228Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:11:00 +00002012-02-25T11:11:01.002-08:00FrancePanoramaAndroidIce Cream SandwichICS One of the fun parts about our trip to Aix-en-Provence and Nice was that I got to try out the panorama mode on my Android Smartphone (Nexus S running ICS).  I thought I'd end this series of posts on our trip to the South of France with some choice panoramas.  I found that I had better luck with some scenes more than others.  Some pictures ended up looking a little distorted and curved (but http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/5JDlaKb_zXc/south-of-france-in-panorama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/5JDlaKb_zXc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/south-of-france-in-panorama.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-4901664092399564945Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:10:00 +00002012-02-24T14:10:00.067-08:00FranceNiceFrench Riviera Instead of ringing in 2012 with a wild night out, we decided to celebrate with a more refined brunch at Hotel Negresco on January 1.   We settled into our table upstairs at La Rotunde.  As you can see, the restaurant features a carousel theme.   We leisurely perused the menu and kicked off our sumptuous dining experience. An ice bucket was delivered to keep our white wine cold. Fresh http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/7mmXjcPw4lk/nice-hotel-negresco-la-rotunde.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/7mmXjcPw4lk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/nice-hotel-negresco-la-rotunde.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-2467913338706266900Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:06:00 +00002012-02-23T14:06:00.366-08:00FranceNice We were lucky and experienced a stunning sunset from the window of our apartment in Nice on December 31st.  What a way to end a fantastic year! We cracked open a bottle of champagne to start our New Year's Eve celebration. We made a home cooked meal of chicken, vegetables, and bread sourced from the Nice food market. For dessert, the pièce de résistance...the orange http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/c9OdQXIDggk/bonne-annee-happy-new-year-from-nice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/c9OdQXIDggk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/bonne-annee-happy-new-year-from-nice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-5421116639428805433Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:09:00 +00002012-02-22T11:09:00.020-08:00FranceNice We took another turn through the Nice open air market.  We were excited to finally try socca, a chickpea based bread grilled over a large barrel full of charcoal.  We'd passed socca outlets a few times before but the queue always stretched around the block.  I'm naturally impatient and didn't want to wait.  At last, at 10 am on New Years Eve, our timing was perfect and we were able to sample http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/ygElY6cho6c/nice-farmers-market-and-promenade-des.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/ygElY6cho6c" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/nice-farmers-market-and-promenade-des.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-256589341543360889Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:03:00 +00002012-02-21T14:03:00.349-08:00FranceNiceFrench Riviera Back in Nice, we made our way to the bus stop for an in-town excursion.  Right next to the bus shelter, I spotted this little guy in an art store window. The public bus pulled up and whisked us away into the hills above Nice. We hopped off the bus in Cimiez and explored the Roman ruins and park surrounding the Matisse Museum. Since the sun was shining, we decided to spend our time http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/hVronl1b-zM/nice-parks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/hVronl1b-zM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/nice-parks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-488829843318730596Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:56:00 +00002012-02-20T13:56:00.064-08:00Monte CarloMonaco We left the Monte Carlo casino and walked to the bus stop (after I changed out of my heels, or course) to catch our ride back to Nice. (did I mention it only costs a euro?)  The casino looked gorgeous lit up in the distance. We came to a commercial strip en route and were lured into the Patisserie Riviera. We picked up a sparkly orange cream cake to celebrate the New Year. As we http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/xqHz-RMcwJw/quirky-side-of-monaco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/xqHz-RMcwJw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/quirky-side-of-monaco.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-6159271659087214348Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:31:00 +00002012-02-19T12:31:00.404-08:00Monte CarloMonaco It costs one euro to travel by public bus from Nice to the Principality of Monaco.  It costs 10 euro plus passport ID to get into the famous Monte Carlo casino.  We approached the casino from the outside and admired the grand facade that I imagined was built and gilded by the proceeds of the roulette wheel. Out back, there were beautiful views of the Riviera with gorgeous sculptures and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/gOufbXnhbLo/hob-nobbing-with-high-rollers-in-monaco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/gOufbXnhbLo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/hob-nobbing-with-high-rollers-in-monaco.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-5515762834494278813Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:44:00 +00002012-02-18T12:44:00.102-08:00MonacoWe arrived in Monaco and the bus dropped us off near the Place d'Armes. We took in the views of the Port de Fontvieille. We turned around and looked up toward our next destination -- Monaco's old town situated on a steep hill. We encountered a rather comical sign as we approached the stairs to the old town.  Clearly, tourists shouldn't walk around in their underwear or bathing costume.  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/Vyq-YBwEfG4/glimpse-into-monaco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/Vyq-YBwEfG4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/glimpse-into-monaco.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-4269903683528685833Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:31:00 +00002012-02-17T13:31:00.162-08:00FranceFrench RivieraWe love the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels featuring Steve Martin and Michael Caine which takes place in a fictional town along the French Riviera called Beaumont Sur Mer.  We had the chance to visit the town that Beaumont Sur Mer is modeled on:  Beaulieu Sur Mer.  We hopped on the #100 Bus out of Nice.  The bus was packed and we had to stand as we wound our way through the hills.  For only 1 eurohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/6QMCzhey2hg/living-posh-life-in-beaulieu-sur-mer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/6QMCzhey2hg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/living-posh-life-in-beaulieu-sur-mer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-7967556798257871481Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:41:00 +00002012-02-16T13:41:00.044-08:00FranceCannesFrench Riviera The beautiful thing about the French Riviera, aside from the gorgeous blue body of water confronting you at every turn, is the number of easily accessible towns to visit.  We took the train from Nice to Cannes, I donned my biggest diva sunglasses, and we set out to explore the city of movie festival fame.   Our first stop was Jean-Luc Pelé for macarons. We followed a star-studded path...http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/NYO0lWfBFD4/yes-we-cannes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/NYO0lWfBFD4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/yes-we-cannes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-4013136736783682227Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:14:00 +00002012-02-15T23:14:00.450-08:00FranceNiceFrench Riviera We rose early after a good night's sleep in our apartment rental in Nice.  We went out in search of a fresh baguette for breakfast. We found a spot just a few blocks away from where we were staying. We returned to the apartment past  frivolous accents... ...and musical sculpture. After a fresh breakfast, we set out for the Old Town and daily food market.  We passed through Place http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/Jp7gxVEnZ48/adventures-in-nice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/Jp7gxVEnZ48" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/adventures-in-nice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-3572563798759537094Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:19:00 +00002012-02-14T12:19:00.153-08:00FranceNiceFrench Riviera Our holiday plans included Christmas in Provence and New Years Eve in Nice.  On the day after Christmas, we boarded a train for a three hour ride from Marsille to Nice.  We rented an apartment for the week to help us feel even more like locals.  Nice Pebbles runs a very professional service and we were super-pleased with our apartment, l'Artiste. We enjoyed colorful views of the town. A http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/b2VCvB4Bmkk/hello-nice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/b2VCvB4Bmkk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/hello-nice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-4644653143379853266Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:15:00 +00002012-02-13T13:15:00.703-08:00FranceMarseille We decided to take the train to Marseille on Christmas Day.  It was basically a choice between going on the holiday or not at all.  We're quite glad we ventured out as Marseille is actually quite a lovely city despite its gritty reputation.  We emerged from the train station and descended the steps in the morning sunshine. The stairs themselves were decorated with classic sculptures. I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/_a3zqIxfCZM/christmas-in-marseille.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/_a3zqIxfCZM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/christmas-in-marseille.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-6202658990451668906Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:05:00 +00002012-02-12T13:05:00.526-08:00FranceProvenceAix-en-Provence Any place that boasts a tradition of eating 13 desserts for the holidays is alright in my book.  On Christmas Eve in Provence, locals celebrate with Treize Desserts.  In Aix-en-Provence, there was even a market dedicated to the tradition.   We took some time to explore -- I was giddy just looking at all that sugary awesomeness.  Provençal macarons were my favorite.   They were thicker and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/3PmoW_CKJtA/aix-en-provence-treize-desserts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/3PmoW_CKJtA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/aix-en-provence-treize-desserts.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-1837150814057107230Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:02:00 +00002012-02-11T13:02:00.378-08:00FranceProvenceAix-en-Provence We spent a lazy day in Aix-en-Provence on Christmas Eve; prepping ourselves for the holiday when everything would be closed.  We sat in the lobby of Hotel Cezanne and munched on the nuts and clementines in bowls around the room. We ordered coffee and topped it with colorful packets of sugar. We set out into the Mazarin district of Aix, a neighborhood of grid like but charming residential http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/WpI5bzTSJ-U/christmas-eve-in-aix-en-provence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/WpI5bzTSJ-U" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/christmas-eve-in-aix-en-provence.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-8904065493826420985Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:12:00 +00002012-02-10T11:12:00.462-08:00FranceAvignon We had a bit of time between the end of the wine tour and our train back to Aix-en-Provence.  We took some time to explore the Avignon Christmas Market. Yum! Macarons! The market also featured a vendor selling some gorgeous teas. I liked the lights strung out above the market like a web of stars. We stopped in the town hall to see the nativity scene complete with copious amounts of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/iWRSKxEATC8/avignon-after-dark.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/iWRSKxEATC8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/avignon-after-dark.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-3048993520435604594Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:16:00 +00002012-02-09T11:16:00.082-08:00FranceProvenceAvignon We rose before sunrise and caught a train from Aix-en-Provence to Avignon for a tour of regional vineyards. We took a bus from the TGV high speed train station and were deposited just inside the town wall. We walked toward the tourist office to meet our tour guide.  We discovered a small park just outside and since we were a bit early took the opportunity to explore. We met a 1-eyed black http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/_e93UANaMCc/wine-tasting-near-avignon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/_e93UANaMCc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/wine-tasting-near-avignon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-7757997494054519574Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:57:00 +00002012-02-08T23:57:00.098-08:00FranceProvenceAix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence featured a lovely Christmas market on Cours Mirabeau. There was a wide assortment of gifts and treats on offer. My favorite stall at the Aix Christmas market was this cotton candy (aka candy floss) stand.  They had a ton of different flavors.  The end product was bigger than this kid's head! The leafy fountains in the area looked even cooler by day. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/PrEr8nWTA_A/aix-en-provence-christmas-market.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/PrEr8nWTA_A" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/aix-en-provence-christmas-market.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-5060995430341411488Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:45:00 +00002012-02-08T10:45:00.990-08:00FranceProvenceAix-en-Provence Fountains, food, and fun...those are the 3 Fs that characterize Aix-en-Provence.  We spotted a sweets shop across the street from Hotel Cezanne and were lured in by the window displays. Leonard Parli specialises in calissons (little footballs made from candied fruit and ground almonds). In addition, they sold a variety of chocolates and candied fruits. Continuing on into town, we stopped http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/eZUZVhfbpJM/aix-en-provence-fountains-food-and-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/eZUZVhfbpJM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/aix-en-provence-fountains-food-and-fun.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-5191941860743216994Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:04:00 +00002012-02-07T11:04:00.060-08:00FranceProvenceAix-en-Provence If you're looking for a fabulous holiday getaway, the South of France is tough to beat.  We spent almost two weeks in this fair part of Europe soaking up the sun and indulging in excellent food and wine over Christmas.   We arrived in Marseille airport and took a 45 minute bus ride to Aix-en-Provence. After dropping off our bags, we wandered into town.  We admired Aix' famous fountains decked http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/df1CXXd3aik/aix-en-provence-arrival-after-dark.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/df1CXXd3aik" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/01/aix-en-provence-arrival-after-dark.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-1350764667647110333Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:51:00 +00002012-02-06T04:51:00.809-08:00TurkeyIzmir Sadly, our visit to Turkey was quickly coming to a close.  We returned from Ephesus to Basmane Gar in Izmir. We indulged in one final fresh squeezed glass of pomegranate juice in the shadow of the Park Hotel. We dined on our favorites one final time -- Çorbası (lentil soup) and lamb shish. We awoke the next morning and found ourselves in what seemed like paradise -- The Turkish http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/h2HXzvTusuw/izmir-final-dinner-and-early-morning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/h2HXzvTusuw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/izmir-final-dinner-and-early-morning.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-752746904837399710Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:51:00 +00002012-02-05T04:51:00.381-08:00Turkey We caught a cab back into Selçuk and alighted in front of this reclining sculpture near the Ephesus Museum. A crumbling sarcophagus sat near the entrance. The Ephesus Museum houses many of the more delicate artifacts from the excavation. We were impressed by the array of sculptures and statues that we saw. We walked outside to a flower lined courtyard. Workshops and demonstrationhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/zVrcKjaM9Hw/ephesus-museum-and-lunch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/zVrcKjaM9Hw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/ephesus-museum-and-lunch.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802498442123035908.post-474026721009920927Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:51:00 +00002012-02-04T04:51:00.434-08:00TurkeyRoman Ruins We hired a taxi to take us to the upper entrance to Ephesus, a remarkably preserved Greek and subsequently Roman city situated in modern day Turkey.  We were impressed by dramatic theatres and applauded as a tourist took a turn singing opera on the ancient stage. We passed remnants of columns along a once grand thoroughfare. We could see the famous library at Ephesus in the distance. Thehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~3/ZkmVSlaGL3c/turkish-antiquities-ephesus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dr. J)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sidewalksafari/yfWO/~4/ZkmVSlaGL3c" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2012/02/turkish-antiquities-ephesus.html