gobble gobble

  




  

  





2011 travel goal #1 from this post: complete. Megan and I spent a four-day weekend in İstanbul two weekends ago, and even though we did not see the sun a single time while we were there, we still loved the city -- which is saying a lot, because it was freezing and also I love me some sunlight.

Highlights: the Harem at Topkapı Palace (I love Turkish tiles almost as much as I love sunlight); the Turkish bath experience at Çemberlitaş Hamamı; amazing homestyle lunch at Mücver in Cihangir (along with all the grocery stores/boutiques around it); taking the ferry to Asia (in spite being too sick to really enjoy the Asian side of the city); the top-floor bar at the Leb-i Derya Richmond with expensive delicious cocktails and an out-of-this-world view; and of course Megan's many Turkish boyfriends at the Grand Bazaar ("You already have a boyfriend? That's okay, you can have another!"). I'll definitely be returning to this city. Just hopefully when it's a little warmer.

berlin weekend

  


  





  




Ahh, this past weekend in Berlin with Megan and Lucy was perfect. Some things we loved:

+ Antipodes: adorable café in Prenzlauer Berg run by a couple from New Zealand with delicious coffee and sandwiches and the best brownie I've ever bought at a store
+ A visit to Tacheles (though things were looking grimmer there than they were last summer; the backyard sculpture garden/studio area/bars were gone)
+ Hanging out at Mauerpark on Sunday afternoon and enjoying the pure magic of hipster central (though we had to leave to catch our train before karaoke got going)
+ Fantastic turkey and mushroom salad at Strandbad-Mitte
+ Amazing live band and fabulous crowd at Clärchens Ballhaus
+ Renting bikes and riding lazily along the Spree, with breaks for beer and Thai food and buying cheap DVDs and vintage postcards at the Saturday flea market by the Pergamon Museum

Seriously, it would be difficult to imagine a more lovely weekend with friends.

springtime flowers + picnic blankets

Yellow flowers and workweek picnicking on the Main: excellent start to the warm weather season.

outdoor tea + frankfurt spring

  
  
  

  
  

Springtime in Frankfurt means SUNLIGHT. I spent most of the afternoon sitting outside at Harvey's, sipping Earl Grey and writing. So wonderful. Some shots from the past two weekends in Bornheim / Nordend, Frankfurt, my favorite part of town.

moro

I'd already had a crush on Moro for a while because of their second cookbook -- I mean, this roasted squash salad is ridiculously good -- but I still didn't expect our Saturday lunch to be so insanely delicious. I was least enamored of the crab appetizer and most enamored of the vegetable mezze main, but truly it was all excellent, and a three-hour stay at our table in the corner on a rainy Saturday afternoon was the perfect way to enjoy it.