Greek Food For the Win

There are a lot of good reasons to be excited about Greece. Beaches, history, and temples are all close to the top of the list.

Best Little Restaurant in Town

Taking the very top spot, though, may be one very important thing: FOOD.

Seems fishy.

I was fortunate enough to be hired to photography a walking food tour of Athens, and it was every bit of delicious.

Snack Time!

Herbal Deliciousness

We sampled the stock at specialty grocers, tasted the sweetness honey kick of loukoumades, and stopped by the freshest of markets for a look at what people were buying to prepare for thee weekend.

Athens Fresh Market

Best in Gretsia

Mixed Pleasure

Oi love oil!

The highest of highlights, though?

Mama Chef

Kilmataria Taverna. The tour dropped by around lunchtime, and not only did we get a sample of several of the places’ specialties but also an enticing whiff of what was to come for dinner later that night.

Luckily, a couple of my dormmates at my Athens hostel were down to go back later that night and try it out for real.

Best Little Folk Band at the Best Little Restaurant in Town

The only words I really have are ‘amazing’ and ‘authentic’ to describe the experience. The four of us walked in and took a table, and ordered one of (quite possibly THE) best meals I had in Greece. Around 11p, now with a packed house, a live band started playing traditional Greek music.

You know those experiences where you’re surrounded by language and customs entirely foreign, yet the atmosphere is so special and enveloping that you feel like you belong just in that very moment? This was that.

Any friend of mine who ever goes to Athens will get a recommendation for this tour and especially this restaurant. If you ever find yourself in town, make it a priority.

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    Keep It Weird

    Views Equating to Income Brackets

    Austin, Tx certainly feels like an abnormal place. Liberal political views surrounded by a sea of red, for one thing. Thrift Shop hipsters, for another. And, of course, the fact that biking is a huge deal in the city.

     

    Ghost Bikes

    Austin’s ghost bikes are a reminder, albeit a grim one, of this love of biking. Though their origin is unclear, these ghost bikes pop up around town at the site of fatal accidents between bikes and cars.

    I love this progress towards more sustainable transport in major US cities, but this is one of the many things on which we have a long way yet to go.

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      All Eyup

      Bon endroit pour rester

      Inexplicably, the Pierre Loti Cafe way out in the Eyup district is meant to be a pretty common tourist attraction.

      All Eyup

      While the view from the hilltop cafe and attached tram are nice, I found the cemetery and mosque down the hill far more interesting to explore.

      Death and Life

      Perhaps better than either, though, is the ferry ride up the Golden Horn from Karakoy.

      Golden Horn Pano

      Whether spent laughing with local kids or lost in thought, riding these ferries through the waters of Istanbul is always one of my highlights of being in the city.

      Family Matters

      So, get out there and explore! Maybe skip the cafe, though, in favor of a pensive walk through the neighborhoods instead?

      Lost in thought on the Golden Horn

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        Beyond the Falls

        Night On the Rocks

        Out on the Rocks at Pedernales Falls.

        Among the many parks and natural areas near Austin, Tx one of the ones I’m most anxious to re-visit is Pedernales Falls State Park. Not only is the main Falls area (pictured above) quite beautiful, but there are also less-walked trails in the park that lead down to quiet little rivers that bubble along underneath a cliff-top campsite just begging for a night or two of my time.

        Nature's Spotlight

        Hiking in the backcountry camping at Pedernales Falls.

        A Quiet Place

        A quiet spot in the forest.

        The hiking isn’t grand and the landscape not epic and vertiginous like many of the amazing regions I’ve had the privilege to trek, but it sings to me as a perfect spot for a quiet weekend’s campout to cool off a river in the heat of a Texas summer.

        A River Runs Through It

        Little River, just near the cliffs. 

        Quiet Reflection

        A moment to rest beside the river. Come summer, this place deserves to be a playground for campers.

        Props for the discovery to my aunt, by the way, who found the place and dragged me along for a visit. Pedernales Falls is in Johnson City, Tx (just down the highway from her house in Marble Falls) so I’m sure we’ll make it back for another visit next time I’m around there.

        Prop

        Relaxing under the cliffs at Pedernales’ camping area.

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          Always better by surprise.

          Happy Students' Day!

          Hilltop sunset crowd in Istravshan.

          Few things in life beat the joy of an unexpected festival.

          Heroes and History

          Hey, that statue looks suspiciously Manas-like. What country is this?

          Imagine, then, my surprise. I”m on a hilltop overlooking the town of Istravshan in Tajikistan. As the day draws to a close, more and more people pour onto the top of town from the streets below.

          I'm With the Band?

          Red carpet warm-up.

          It struck me as nothing peculiar, though, until a band started warming up on the front steps of the reconstructed palace-front.

          Photobucket

          Students on Parade.

          Finally, after wandering and trying to chat and taking lots of photos, the moment hit critical mass and hundreds of flag-carrying students marched in parade-formation up the hill. Happy Students’ Day!

          Tajik Flag Day?

          Cue the horns.

          Music and merriment ensued, and I ended another awesome day in Central Asia.

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