The doors of Istanbul and Ibrahimpasa

What a variety of modern and ancient doors to see in Turkey! They are portals to unseen rooms in my imagination.

Drinking Boza.

One of my friends had recommended a place called Vefa Bozacisi. It's one of the oldest boza bars in Istanbul so I set out to find it on my last day there. After many wrong turns down backstreets in the University district a local finally pointed the way. Boza is a fermented barley drink that is served with cinnamon and often accompanied by a bag of dried garbanzo beans. To me it tasted a bit like apple sauce..it was thick and like nothing I have ever experienced before.

The establishment was old and charming. A portrait of Ataturk and one of a mosque adorned the walls, The room was full of students and older well-heeled patrons. I highly recommend the experience!

Boza sprinkled with cinnamon

Istanbul

I have been in Turkey for almost two weeks. It is a magical place, a visual feast, a  collage of

sounds, smells and tastes. I am smitten.

The colors of Mexico

Hola! I'm in sunny Mexico where blue skies and sunshine are plentiful. This is a nice switch for a Seattle girl used to gray on gray. I spent a week in Puerto Vallarta and wandered the streets taking pictures. I also enjoyed some really good food which I'll tell you about in coming posts. Today I headed north to the small town of Bucerias. It has miles of unspoiled beaches and big waves with surfers. I'm having a hard time getting used to the lazy pace here after frenetic PV. A few days here will slow me down.

City lights and sights in Oklahoma

Christmas Lights on Automobile Alley in Oklahoma City

Womb Gallery Oklahoma City with Christmas light

Patriotic Buffalo

Winter Landscape

Fountain of Faith Church

Drive Thru-Window

Dean's Drive Thru Pawn Shop

Port Townsend Inspiration - Uptown/Downtown

An historic building on Water Street downtown.

This is Potpourri in Uptown, owned by Jeanne Moore. She's an interior designer and has the largest selection of fabric samples on the peninsula. This was like a candy store for me with all the textiles. She made these flags which you see on other shops on Lawrence Street. They are made from old swatch books. I want to try making some of these.

This is the screen of the old Rose Theatre. I saw "Away we Go". Loved it. The movies are introduced by a real live person. It's a great place.

Poppies are everywhere.

I liked this front porch in the Uptown neighborhood.

Sweet Laurette, bakery and restaurant on Lawrence.

The flower shop, Uptown.

Last weekend I drove up to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula for a two day road trip. It's an old Victorian town which was originally supposed to be the state capitol. It' on the northwestern tip of the peninsula and is known for it's great architecture and artistic community. I'll be posting several sets of pictures from my trip: this first set is the uptown neighborhood and downtown. There are cute shops and restaurants, bakeries and a wonderful farmer's market on Saturday mornings. The flowers in Port Townsend are amazing. Enjoy!

City by the Bay

These men are real although they look like a painting. They ate a huge amount of food starting with shark fin soup and fried whole crab. The restaurant was the R and J Lounge. Highly recommended.














I took a trip to San Francisco last week. I love that city. I came home all inspired and wanting to travel even more. Here are some pictures.