Random Trips

Hong Kong. City of mixed cultures of Brits and Chinese. Dont expect a typical city of China. Definitely not London too. Many skyscrapers and temples to see. Dont forget the food! Most importantly Dim Sum!! March is a good month to visit Hong Kong. Not so cold not so hot, just a perfect weather for tourists! Still watch out for the light rain. Kowloon Island Best place to view Hong Kong Island is Kowloon Island. Both in day light and night time. Kowloon island is also best for shopping. We stayed on Kowloon Island. So it was easy to reach shopping malls and get back to hotel without the traffic jam. A beautiful park is located in the middle of the island. You may take your food and have a little picnic over there. There are also some interesting animals -especially the birds-  I have not seen before. Many old people meet at this park for doing yoga or other exercises. Tin Hau Temple, Hong Kong Island Temple basically has been made of mosaics.  Some interesting bel

Imagine a room, once it was the place where Founding Fathers of the USA came together and signed the Decleration of Independence. You may visit this very room in Philadelphia, first capital city of the United States. Another symbol of American Independence located close to the Congress is Liberty Bell that was used for the summon the legislators. Today, this cracked bell visited by many famous politicians/legislators around the World just because what it symbolizes, Independence. Food- Philadelphia Pretzels & Cheese Steaks You cannot leave the Philadelphia without tasting the delicious Philly Cheese Steak. My favorite place for it is  Jake's Sandwich Board . You do not have to eat the cheese steaks every single day. There are many things to discover. So many restaurants, bars.. I found the potato chips hided as noodle perfect! Also check out the  Franklin Fountain  to taste the ice cream in a historical decor. Phildelphia claimed to be the home of the America

If you see someone who actually born in Washington DC,  hug him. S/he is so rare to find. District of Columbia is not a state as you may predict from its name. It is like an artificial city. Everyone (you may call them Washingtonians or Dcist) in the district is there for a reason. They are either working for the government, World Bank, NGO,  etc or has a meeting with one of them. White House If you are one of the lucky ones who had a chance to visit the White House many years ago,  you know how the second floor looks like!! Today they do not allow visitors to second floor where the President and his family live. I cannot say much anything interesting going on the first floor but the best season to visit is Christmas. White House looks awesome with the ornaments. However, you may always take  the virtual tour ! Check the link and please share what you think about this amazing project. It saves money, effort and time. Otherwise you need to submit request to your Mem

A friend once said "We live like teletubbies here in Brighton." Coming from a big city where daily life is a struggle, I believe that is an accurate statement for Brighton where no one feels like a foreigner; being eco-friendly, vegetarian and retro are glorified, and "marginal" groups are never marginalised. Brighton (and Hove) is a small city with a population around 270.000 people, just in the south of London, can be reached with a 50 minute train ride from the Victoria Station. Though it is not worth a visit during the storms,  when you cannot even reach the seaside because of the crazy ocean winds, it is heaven when it's sunny, and everyone is trying to reach the beaches from the hills of the city, like newborn caretta carettas. As the saying goes for all Britain, Brighton as well, "does not have a climate, it has weather, and if you don't like it just wait for a few minutes."  Thus, you have to be prepared, and educated, to be a

When watching this film, I ended up asking where did they find these beautiful places to film, they are not in any guide and I spent a lot of time in Rome. And I got the answer, they probably went two blocks away from the city centre. Indeed, Rome is an unending great beauty, but what about the film? Frankly, what about the film is none of my business. I should say I really enjoyed the film, the acting, the scenario, it is a great example of Italian cinema, but I am not here with the identity of a film critic. I am writing as an admirer of Rome and linen suits. I believe, before filming, the director, Paolo Sorrentino and the cinematographer, Luca Bigazzi, elaborately searched Rome, and found these beautiful places, the rooftops facing the Coliseum,  gardens located under aqueducts, beautiful churches, monasteries and mansions.  But further credit shall be given to the costume and wardrobe department that tailored those beautiful linen suits for Jef Gambardella, for completing the

After reading many comments and reviews, I have decided to give a chance to this popular restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey.  Since it is super popular and in demand by the COOL people, I kept my expectance very low. So please read this post while keeping this in mind. Let's start with the reservation. We want to reserve a table by the window to have a good view of the Bosphorus. Their response was very nice - they do not take reservations specific for a table but they were gonna do a favor for that time-, we were sooooo happy. But wait.. The view is not fantastic at all. Actually nothing special because it is very limited. So, do not care to be seated in any area, you will not lose anything.. You will be overdressed whatever you wear. Neolokal located in an modern art gallery,  Salt . Just ask where it is exactly located when you enter Salt. Otherwise, you can take the stairs, assuming Neolokal in the top floor with a view. No, it is not. We checked. It is not there. But at l

Almost everyone loves a good massage, a clean scrub, nice steam rooms and a warm bath. These are also offered by modern day spas, with package deals, though I always feel something missing from them, as if relaxation is a mandatory requirement, as if when you are in a spa, you have to have a relaxed face with calm breaths and all those symptoms of relaxation. I must say, I am not a big fan of them. Hamams (or Turkish baths) are different. They are built to clean you, not unwind you, no one expects you to make that relaxed face at the end, they just expect you to smell of soap, and that relaxation persists. In Istanbul, there are many hamams, but never go to a mixed gender hamam. Traditional hamams are about bonding with your real friends under a historical dome, cleaning your soul together with cleaning your body. Unlike spas, no one expects you to be quiet in a hamam, instead, everyone reveal their hearts, and gossip, under that concealed space. As you might understand from the l

After eating in these 4 burger restaurants at Washington DC, I cannot be sympathetic to people who like burgers of  Shackshack. Please let me know what you think... BTS - Burger Tap & Shake Just order their  House Burger for $6 named  SIX BUCK CHUCK and add any topics for $1 each. Other than regular fountain drinks and shakes, they do have all sorts of spirits, wine and adult milkshakes. This is the restaurant I actually felt like I was having a heart attack. If you are not an American - at least in size of eating- do not try to have burger, fries and shake at the same time. I finished them all but could not breath or walk for a while. Check out the menu. Good Stuff Eatery Good Stuff Eatary located in the heart of the city, Capitol Hill. Consequently, Prez Obama Burger is their hit. This famous burger is featured in Oprah.com. Honestly I love their hand-cut fries with their awesome dippings more than their burgers. Check out the menu. Five Guys With the choice of f

Eating out in Britain is hard if you don't know the rules. I haven't seen this much special lunch offers, pre-theatre menus, and kinds of food that are available only specific days of the week in any other place. For instance, some pubs have Indian food only on Tuesdays, Sunday roast is only available on Sundays and if you are looking for a burger on a Sunday, don't even bother, because apparently on Sundays, everyone eats the roast or starve in the Brighton's food scene. Well, not necessarily. Thank god there are the Italians. However, in Britain, you cannot get the whole Italian dining experience in one single place. First of all most of them lack the most important component of Italian dining experience: table linens and linen napkins. The places that serve great antipasti might fail in pizzas and good mains do not necessarily guarantee good starters. Take this post not as a guide to eat in which Italian restaurant in Brighton, instead take it as a guide on wh

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. Yep, we all know so far the breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In weekdays, we mostly skip it or just have a quick bite. Tell me about the weekends!   The breakfast tables are awesome during the weekends. Every country has their own style. However, my faves are American Brunch and Turkish Breakfast. I just can't stand the breakfasts only with cereals. OMG so boring! For Turkish people, breakfast is quite serious and no way to skip it. You will notice many restaurants/cafes serve breakfast. Nezih is the best. It is a kebab restaurant with a nice bosphorus view but they are even better in this breakfast business. You will be packed like sardines at Nezih  but it is worth the experience. I highly recommend to make a reservation.  Service and the dishes are extra ordinary. You will not regret it. They serve everything before you say a word. Plenty of cheese, different style cooked eggs, pita  and many mor

When I first moved to UK, a full dish of English breakfast seemed inedible. Don't get me wrong, I am not from a European country where they eat a pastry with a cup of coffee for breakfast, in Turkey, we have extensive  breakfasts  as well, but an English breakfast is a full-fledged meal, and a protein boost. I have spent my first months in UK eating eggs benedicts when I go out for breakfast, trying to find places where they make them with bacon, instead of ham. But then I began to see these places that serve all day full English breakfast, and it hit me. They did not expect you to eat that huge plate at the moment you wake up, you were allowed to go with it all day long. Then it became one of my favourite British dishes, there are not many as you might guess. The trick is that you shall not approach it as a morning snack, but instead as an half day event, and do not expect it to be followed by a lunch. The goodness of an English breakfast depends on the quality of bac

Mimosas: Socially acceptable way of start drinking in the morning. American brunch means bottomless mimosas to me. But this generalisation does not apply every single State. I have no clue about the reasoning but some States prefer banning unlimited booze deals. As an attorney, I am pretty sure they have some sort of chronoligical reasons but I reject any arguements and any law standing against the enjoyment of unlimited mimosas. People shall reach bottomless mimosas freely. Free, not in the meaning of monetary. Unlimited mimosas generaly starts from $12 and goes up depending on the quality and brand of the Champagne. The food is also essential in American brunches as you may suggest the size of clothing in the States. There are many varities to choose from. So far, I experienced Indian, far east, mexican (basically tex-mex), italian brunchs including dim-sum, pasta, burrittos, chicken masala, oysters, shrimp, sushi dishes accompanied by bottomless mimosas. Honestly, I haven&#

As former a Washingtonian/DCist, I am certain that I do have every right to say a word about cupcakes since I gain enough fat from those deliciousness. Georgetown area has many options for cupcakes. A huge line is always waiting there for the  Georgetown Cupcake . Even though their cupcakes look cool, I am not a big fan of this place. It might be the result of I am not that into waiting in lines – honestly living United States is all about waiting in lines but I always do my best to avoid them – or I do not like small cupcakes with all about the sweets on top. I do really like the cake part more than its top. Baked & Wired  also located in Georgetown, serves Cupcakes which are a bit larger than the regular cupcakes that you used to. Actually they are not even called cupcakes. The Cakecups: “Individual cakes wrapped in parchment and topped off with a swirl of rich frosting.” Even reading this description reminds me my favorite cupcake/cakecup  Vanilla Satin -V anilla cake w

These greenhouses are only open for a few weeks in spring, usually around mid-April and mid-May, depending on the weather conditions. This year, they will shut down at the 8th of May, so you only have a week left to visit, hurry up if you're around! For the next year, make sure that you have planned your visit to Brussels accordingly. I don't recommend you to walk after the Metro station as it is a long way, and you wouldn't want to be tired during your visit (as I was), instead, take the bus 53 from the metro station. The greenhouses are impressive, not only in terms of the plants they contain, with amazing azaleas, palms and various others, but also in terms of architectural design. The glass domes, built in the 19th century, are magnificent, reflecting the technological and material advancements of the ages that they have been built. They are built in the Art Nouveau style by the order of King Leopold II, and assumed to be the pioneers for the usage of glass and me

In UK, travelling by train may become tricky if you are coming from a country where the railroads and trains are owned by a single company, or in my case by the state itself. There are plenty of train firms in the UK and although the ticket sales are unified under the National Rail scheme, you have to be careful which train to take, for avoiding fines. To begin with, in UK, you can buy any train ticket around the UK from any ticket machine or the website of any train company. For instance you can buy an East Midlands ticket from a Southern Railway website and collect your ticket from a Thameslink ticket machine, the system is unified and there are rarely any problems there. If you buy your ticket online, you have to bring the code with you together with the credit card you have purchased the ticket. Without the card, you can't collect any tickets, no matter how much you insist. There are three categories of tickets, specifying the hours you can use them. From most expensive to chea

There are countless speculations on why and how the Stonehenge was built. Many questions have been asked but only a little portion of them were answered. Some believe it was a place of worship or a cremation cemetery (as the archeologists have found many cremated human remains in the surrounding pitch), some think it is an astronomical calendar for understanding the seasons, eclipses and solar events and some believe it was built for medical purposes. Although there are rumours about it being built by the extraterritorial beings or slaves who wished to please their masters, when we think of the circumstances in 3000 BC, the most reasonable explanation seems to be the volunteers who foresaw the need for such a structure. It is hard to understand with our 21st century perceptions, how did the Neolithic people built such a structure, by only using some simple tools and manpower. Though through scientific findings, there are some explanations available. First of all, Stonehenge was

I've recently visited the Greenwich Royal Observatory for a second time. Usually, in such museums, I pick up an audio guide, listen to everything it says and leave the premises satisfied, trusting I know the things that are worth knowing about the issue at hand. However, this time, we gave the free guided tour a chance. I am not a big fan of the guided tours, walking as a flock and not being able to see or read any piece due to the crowd. Though I am glad we took the tour this  time. As I have already listened the audio guide in my previous visit, I had the chance to compare the guiding systems. Trust me, you don't miss anything the audio guide tells you by taking the tour. Our guide, not only gave us every detail given in the audio guide, she also told us the dirty details, the petty conflicts among the scientists, especially between John Flamsteed and Edmund Halley, and the politics related with time and longitude. She specifically spent a long time on explaining John

Great news for Londoners! You do not have to stuck in to the pubs anymore for full priced drinks and old fashioned decors! Dirty Martini, hidden in Covent Garden, is a total gem with its greatest speciality martinis. Half priced martinis and bottled wines are waiting for you till 10 pm every weekdays! Not only you will find martinis (not everyone cool enough like James Bond to enjoy martinis) but there are also plenty of beers to select in happy hour ( Ashai rocks and only 2.95!). How to get there? It is not easy to spot the Dirty Martini, if you are walking around like you look for a regular enterance. In this case, you most likely skip the place. It is close to the London Transport Museum. Imagine like you were out of the London metro Covent Garden Station and make your way towards the Royal Opera House. When you arrive the entrance of the Opera House, turn your face to the right towards the London Transport Museum and keep walking. Dirty Martini will be on your left side. Sin

If you visit Prague as a tourist in a breakfast included hotel, you wouldn't find it necessary to eat outside. But if breakfast is an extra in your hotel deal, do not even think about eating in the hotel. For instance, in our hotel, extra breakfast was 11 Euros, though the greatest breakfast you can eat in Prague is around 7 Euros and it is GREAT! Maybe after reading this article, you may end up choosing an hotel without breakfast or skip your hotel breakfast and run to Savoy. I hope this helps...  1. Café Savoy Savoy is one of the great cafes of Prague, with Art Nouveau interiors, smart service and beautiful breakfast platters. If you choose to go on a weekend,  do not forget to book a table, because the place is booked with locals, and eating upstairs does not give you the full experience. The place serves four types of breakfasts, Continental, Savoy, French and English, though they have added their interpretation to these classical dishes. As we were in Prague, I

I do accept that there is something called British food culture. But it is no further than tea times (afternoon tea at 4pm and high tea at 6 pm accompanied with scones and other sorts of pastries), greasy fish and chips and full English breakfast. If you are in England for touristic purposes and short term, these stuff might be cheerful enough. But still, there are plenty to choose from the World cuisine. Best part of London is the theaters and theatre menus offered by many restaurants close to the theatre area. This time we decided to give a try to Palm Court, a Parisian-style Brasserie. I should admit they actually stole my heart with the “baked wedge of brie in filo pastry with cranberry chutney”. Reading this caused saliva overproduction which is not good if you are not around with good friends. However I was lucky enough to go there with my best friend who had a funny argument with the waiter to how to pronounce Nicoise. The risky part of going to French brasserie is all ab

Before diving into the sea at the luxurious hotels, Golden Beach at Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus definitely deserves a mention. Golden Beach is without a human touch –ok actually there is a some sort of hostel with wooden houses and a restaurant- laying close to the end point of Karpaz Peninsula where is also called the panhandle. Wherever you decided stay to enjoy your unforgettable vacation in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Golden Beach is worth a visit. Just be aware of nude sunbathers! Here is the four hotels with best beaches in Norther Cyprus! Kaya Artemis – Magusa/Famagusta Super clear water and super long sand beach.. Kaya Artemis recently renewed its club rooms so you do not need to get a room from the hotel which is quite far from the seaside (comparing to other hotels..) . Kaya Artemis still have old school casino machines working with coins -personally I do not recommend them, I don't get who likes to touch all those greasy microbic coins) Since F