rays

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purple

Back on the Hudson River bike path in NYC. The last of the summer colors brighten a gray fall day.
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English Garden

I spent the better part of the weekend in Marc and Pascals' lovely garden featuring splendid meals made from it's produce. We couldn't have asked for better weather and I couldn't be luckier to have friends so generous with their hospitality.
It has been a wonderful trip. And I also have to send a big shout out to Nuno and Enrique who really extended themselves for me in Lisbon - it was a wonderful time as well.
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Corfe Castle

Marc and Pascal were kind enough to take me to one of the earliest Norman castles in England today, now in ruins after falling on the losing side of the civil war. I never got to see the steam locomotive that passes underneath, nor did I see the train set that my hosts have set up somewhere.

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Coast of Dorset

As seen on the Jurassic coast of Dorset.
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Church Street

In Londontown, actually, the City of Westminster.
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Botânico

A nice afternoon visit to the botanical garden after the afternoon shorts at Queer Lisboa.

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Old is New

There is just a crazy amount of construction and renovation happening all over Lisbon's city center.
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Lopo de Caravalho

It's wonderful to be back in beautiful, baroque and decadent Lisbon. Nuno of course has me wandering the streets late on my first night, excellent host that he is. I won't say how late, actually early, I crawled back from the last stop at Finalmente (still going strong after all these years!). And, yes, that's his blog on my sidebar.

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Bayram

It was a subdued final day in Istanbul. The first day of the holiday marking the end of Ramazan. Crowds of people in their Sunday best swarmed the streets of the old city outnumbering the tourists. The Grand Bazaar was closed, but I still managed to get the souvenir shopping done. Then treated myself to a Turkish bath by visiting a hamam. Going to bed very relaxed. Tomorrow it's goodbye Istanbul and hello Lisbon.
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Culture

The garden in front of the Istanbul Modern. You can hear the call to prayer quite nicely inside as you at look at works of art that are certainly haraam.
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Errorist Cafe

At the Istanbul Biennial.
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Chora

As I was trying to ask about buying a bus ticket to go to the Chora Church museum today a man just insisted on driving me there. He turned out to be Bulgarian and didn't speak a word of English. I don't speak Russian or Turkish either - his other languages - so he put some rap on the car radio to at least share something along the way. 'English' he said, possibly the only word he knew in my language. When he left me there we shook hands and instead of kissing both cheeks as men who are friends here tend to do, we sort of softly butted heads on either side. He also wanted to exchange numbers once he understood I was from New York.
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Istanbul by night

Deciding which dark alley to walk down I'm suddenly approached by two guys dressed civilian. 'Polis,' they say and flash IDs. 'Are you Turkish?' 'No.' 'Where are you from?' I hesitate for one instant and possibly drift back slightly. (Everyone here asks you where you are from and they use it to size you up and decide how to treat you, how much to charge you, etc.) Then I say, 'Not from here. How can I help you?' No, nevermind. And they walk away. Freaky.
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Selime Monastery

Google it yourself, just let me say it was impressive, whatever the hearsay is on Star Wars backdrops.

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Ihlara Valley Hike

I did this hike because I enjoyed the Rose Valley hike so much. I highly recommend the hikes if you come here. They are actually just short walks through some beautiful landscape, but if you can find a way to hike the whole valley, do it.

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Rose Valley Hike

My first valley hike. It was actually through a mostly 'white' valley, that is limestone, with views on the rose-colored valley (and I forget the stone that makes that color). But it was wonderful. There was produce all along the way - grapes, figs, apricots, melons. You would not starve on this route. And everywhere high above the dovecotes. And along the path, little churches and dwellings cut into the rock.

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Kaymakli

The first of two underground cities I would tour in Cappadocia. There are estimated to be over a 100 of them, only 36 or so have been found so far. Apparently tunnels link many of them. They are only partially excavated and the tours go down only 4 or 5 levels about 45 or 50 meters. The have very tight, winding tunnels that are very claustrophobic (two of the people had to return to the surface). The ones I saw could shelter thousands for up to a month or so. They had stables, churches, kitchens, schools and ventilations shafts. Amazing stuff.
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Iesus

Fresco detail from a church in the Göreme Open Air Museum.
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Uçhisar

My first day in the land of fairy chimneys. Actually volcanic rock that eroded to form fantastic shapes. It is soft enough for early Christians to cut churches and dwellings in it. St Basil came here and St Thomas was born nearby. The monastery culture started here. This point is the highest in the area.
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Ürgüp

It's all about the cave dwellings here.
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Sophia

The camera phone cannot do justice to the experience of walking through the imperial door into Hagia Sophia.
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Gabriel

Detail from the Hagia Sophia. Incredible Byzantine mosaic work.
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Without Hintersinn

My first parallel event of the Biennal. Ozkan's show is great.
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Drum

Ramazan festivities outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
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Sirence

A very picturesque, formerly Greek town on the side of a mountain, with great wine, peppers, old ladies and stray cats. A nice place to wander for an afternoon.

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Ephesus

Massive site, massive busloads of tourists.

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Apostolic

Thunder rolled over the ruins of the basilica of St John when suddenly the call to prayer echoed through the columns.
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Bazaar of Izmir

I got a watch battery here!

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Merhaba Türkiye!

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Departure

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year

Last year on my birthday I decided to post a photo to my blog every day and more or less I kept to it. I clicked through an election, the seasons, trips upstate and out of state, and plenty of family, friends and flowers. Today I complete a year and start a new one. I have a feeling the blog may go in a new direction, but I can't tell you what to expect.

The view from here

A sunset from that other island.
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Goodbye to paradise

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Sunkissed

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