Heavenly Lunch At Poste

When was the last time you had fun at lunch? You looked at the menu and you had trouble selecting between 2 or 3 items? Unless you go to an upscale, famous-chef restaurant, whereever you go, the menus seem to be the same: cobb salad, ceasar salad, burger, BLT or club sandwich, chicken salad, grilled chicken sandwich, maybe some fish, maybe some pasta... If the food is interesting, generally you are in an ethnic restaurant, but the decor and ambience seems to be bare, service is inconsistent, and you give up the comfort or ability to converse without shouting. And forget about relaxation. A lot of action, noise, people coming in and out, staff running around struggling to feed as many people as possible... When was the last time you "relaxed" at lunch, let your hair down, and wanted it to take longer so you can enjoy the food, the light, the conversation with your food-mate and even considered ordering dessert so you can linger just a little more?

I found such a place in the middle of the city... At Poste...

If you walk through the Hotel entrance on F Street (Hotel Monaco), you pass an interesting lobby and enter a pretty room full of natural daylight, cleverly placed seating with interesting but not over-bearing decor... And ff you come through the 8th Street entrance, you leave the city behind as soon as you reach the courtyard. And you enter a new world through the glass doors of this "Modern Brasserie."

On a comfortable day, sitting outside may be a great escape for sun and fresh-air-deprived office workers. Poste not only offers cute and casual tables on the terrace, but also lounge-y sofas and chairs in the shade. However, if it is one of those 85 plus degree temperatures with high humidity (and especially if you spent the last couple of hours walking around the city like I did) you'll be looking for a cool spot and quick, attentive service. Thankfully, the main dining room also has plenty of natural daylight, so you don't have to leave your heart outside.

The booths and tables are cleverly positioned with some view of the pots and pans hanging in the kitchen. If you are lucky (or interested) you will also get a view of the colorful preserved lemon jars on one side. The ceiling is high and airy, with simple and tasteful design all around. Staff is attentive and enthusiastic. Due to two entrances, you may not meet a host right away, but they are quick to cover the distance and welcome you. In the meantime, you can enjoy the light-filled room, carefully placed mirrors, and the simple open kitchen with the paper cones lined up for European style "pommes frittes" which make me think I am in Europe or New York. No matter what, I am definitely in the right place.

Once we are seated, the cheerful server comes by right away to ask for our water preference. Having burnt many times with exorbitantly expensive fancy water bottles, I am ready to go for tap, but my companion is faster than me and orders sparkling, which I have to be thankful for, as I am about to have one of the best water experiences in the city. Before I can ask, the server says "great! lime wedges as well?" - I like this place already! Within a minute, we have a large botle of sparkling water which tastes very good. I can't take my eyes off the pretty bottle, and I am surprised to see there is no source, but just a website and an 800 number. When the server comes back to get our order, I ask about the source of the water, and he tells me "it is right here! We have our own bottling unit here." It is hard to believe but too good to pass. The best part of it is they keep filling both our glasses and the bottle as both I and my companion keep guzzling it down (in the end, we'll find that we were charged only $2.5 per person for almost 3 full-size bottles we had.)

How often do you read the menu at lunch? This is a place to take a moment to read it, to make sure you are not missing anything. Once you read it, if you are like me, you narrow it down to 3-4 items, then you read them again and consult with your companion. In my case, I consult with my companion not only to get his or her opinion, but also to make sure we are not ordering the same thing. I hate looking around the table and seeing all of the same, no matter how good they may be. Since I like to see and taste as much as possible, there are times I will order my second or third choice just to make sure there is variety on the table. At Poste it is not an issue... I am almost tempted to invite others to our table so we can order even more!

After a long glance at the menu, I am able to make a decision and order the Butter Lettuce salad and the Smoked Duck Reuben, only after finding out that my companion is interested in the gazpacho and the soft shell crab BLT - the other top choices I was considering. I make a mental note to try the local goat cheese and beet salad; the garden arugula salad with basil, mint and figs; escargot, serrano ham and manchego baguette, and the steak frites. Through the excitement of the menu, I forget to order the french fries, but our server is quick to remind, since we are having a lot of greens, he suggests we substitute the side salads that come with the sandwich with the fries (he ignores to tell us that is extra though!)

The orders are in place pretty fast. Both the salad and the gazpacho are presented beautifully, we both find that the green tomato gazpacho is too little of a portion for $12. It barely covers one third of a wine glass. The day before, we had a large bowl of tomato soup at another Kimpton Hotel restaurant (in Rosslyn) for $8. This looks almost like a large amuse bouche. The Butter Lettuce is very pretty with the individual leaves drenched in tangy vinaigraitte and placed back in its original shape and sprinkled with fresh herbs, lovely tarragon giving it a french flair. The salad is very good, however the dressing is too tangy even for someone who likes a higher ratio of vinegar in her dressing like me. Just as we finish our appetizers, the sandwiches arrive, once again, beautifully presented in rectangular plates. The smoked duck reuben is a wonderful combination of duck that looks just like roast beef, sauerkraut, and well-balanced sauce on dark bread. It is very fulfilling, and definitely worth the $15. The only complaint I have is that the bread is either toasted for a little too long or retoasted. It is a little on the hard side, and I wish it was sliced just a little thinner. My companion is very happy with his BLT as well, so we exchange the second halves. The bread on the BLT is perfect with a softer inside, and a crunchy outside. Even though I love the idea of soft-shell crab BLT, it turns out that the crab is a little too small for this sandwich or most of it stayed on the other side. I can't taste much of the crab, but there is a bold BLT flavor in my mouth. Feeling full from the first sandwich, I finish my BLT as open faced, which gives me a chance to dig in the fries as well. The truffle fries are delicious, but I wish they came with a sauce, preferably mustard. They crave for a zippy and zesty touch of mustard, as opposed to poorly cooked fries asking for sweet ketchup. I'm full but I can't stop eating - too good to let it go to waste... And the sparkling water is a good companion!

As we approach the end of this lovely experience, I don't want to go... Yet... Especially after hearing that there is a lavender sorbet. I'm full yet hungry for more. How in the world can I leave now? I struggle with choosing between coffee and dessert... My companion is full but is intrigued by my interest. In the end, I cannot say no to daily selection of sorbets, which happen to be raspberry, buttermilk, and lavender. They also turn out to be much smaller scoops than the normal (the server calles them "glamorous scoops") but it is again a nice amuse bouche to clean the palate, and leave the mouth with a refreshing feeling. I wish buttermilk was more of a simple buttermilk sorbet as opposed to the lemony sorbet. I was expecting a creamy and almost sweet taste of milk, and lemon is too tangy for that expectation. Raspberry is perfectly balanced between refreshing taste of fresh berries and a tad of sweetness that gives you the perfect ending to a meal. Lavender is tenderly floral and perfectly cleansing without feeling like a medicine.

After such a perfect meal, I am still not ready to go. The colorful pillows on the seats are simply too tempting to just stay and take a nap. Thankfully, my fascination with the restaurant is not over yet. I hear they grow their own herbs and vegetables right outside, so I am on my foot to take a look. Outside is a bright, and comfortable terrace, the higher section with chairs and tables, and the lower section with sofas, coffee tables and cushions in the shade. I think I am ready for a nap now! The quiet and shady courtyard is the perfect escape from the busy city on the other side of the wall... Before I leave, I take a look at the herbs, lettuces, tomatoes and berries growing in pots. It is so wonderful to have tasted real food in the middle of the city, and to know that it was picked couple hours before it made it to my plate... As we walk out, I glance one more time to my newly found city-escape and whisper "I will be back..."

Food Heaven in VA: Wegman's

When friends need to be dropped off or picked up at Dulles, I always volunteer, for one reason: Wegman's! Those of us who live on the Maryland side jealously listen to our Virginian colleagues who lavishly talk about their Sunday shopping at Wegman's. When we glance at the fridge in the office, our boring turkey sandwiches, or tupperware leftovers look miserable next to those beautiful sushi trays or the pretty sandwiches made with cute little breads. So much so that, I generally end up going out to buy something else than look at my turkey sandwich who is suicidal after sitting too close to the pretty food with the great "Wegman's" logo on them.

This Wednesday, after breakfast (this is important, because if you go to Wegman's on an empty stomach, you are bound to leave your paycheck at the cashier, not to mention bringing hime more food than you can eat in a whole week even though you just tried to get a "taste" of a couple of things.

A trip to Wegman's should be enough to put a smile on any foodie's face, so with the low humidity and nice summer temperatures, I am in my car with the sunroof open, music on, and I even choose to bypass the tollroad and go through the neighborhoods to make it even more of an adventure.

When you get to Wegman's, the biggest challenge is to decide where to start... I always check out the produce isle first, the variety is good, but with my fridge packed with fresh local produce from the farmer's market, I am able to leave this section only with 2 nectarines that are on sale. Bahar 1 - Wegman's 0. Then, I head to the wine and cheese isle knowing this will be another section I can hold on. With the taste of the goat ricotta still in my mouth (read my blog entry on June 14, Reston Farmer's Market) and a cellar full of variety of nice summer wines, I am able to glance and march on. I love the selection and variety at the cheese section, however, I find the prices too high when compared to some other markets, plus when I can get fresh cheese in the summer, I tend to slow down my "packaged and shipped" cheese consumption to a minimum except for special cravings such as manchego or pecorino romano (to go on my fresh roasted vegetable pasta sauce). So: Bahar 2 - Wegman's 0, yay!

When I move on to the deli and bakery section, I know I'll be in trouble pretty soon, and as expected, I am mesmerized by the variety of offerings. The full-size cakes are too large for one person (fans cheering for Bahar!!!) and I find it hard to pay $5 for a small personal size. By the time I reach the bread/bagels section however, I reach for the bag without hesitation, and start filling: "Oh, those pretzel rolls look good, should I do the one with salt or without?" (I end up getting the one with the salt but after scraping off as many crystals as I can - I know this will go really well with the ham I scouted while passing the deli section, and I remember seeing a "real" dijon mustard jar in the fridge the night before) "Oooo, the asiago bagel has herbs on it, gotta try that for sure!" "Rosemary roll? Gotta have one of those! Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil drizzled with olive oil... yumm" "Uh-oh, normal size croissants that have a coppery glow as opposed to the fake and dull yellow tint, gotta get one of those!" "Hmmm, what is that bagel that seems to have a crust which almost looks like frosting? I don't want it if it is sweet" It turns out that the bagel is called "marco bagel" which makes me get it before I even know what it is (my beloved dog was named Marco,) then I find out that it is topped with a rice flour "frosting" for lack of a better term, which is supposed to make it crunchy. Score: Bahar 2, Wegman's 1. With a paper bag full of freshly baked breads, I am able to by pass another one of my favorite Wegman's things: vanilla muffin (light, heavenly, powdery -sugar that is- cloud-7 muffin). As I wave, a noise in my head lingers: "you will be back..." While I contemplate whether to go back or not, I reach cookie-vana, and I forget it all!!! Let me tell you how:

Last Christmas, when I was housesitting at another friend's place, I found those incredible apricot purses (that's what I call them). There were only 2, and they were the best sweet thing I had had in a long time. I'm not a cookie person, and am not fond of the big, sugary, and chocolately American cookie (except for when I am stressed out or haven't had anything to eat all day that is). I am more of a small, delicate, European cookie type of gal. In any case, those cookies were the perfect little cookie in my book, and I was sure I could get the recipe or the store name when my friends got back. To my disappointment, they didn't even know of those cookies (another friend was visiting the week before), so I was not only disappointed, but also embarassed to have asked about (and eaten) those cookies. Still, I never forgot those little cookies noone kknew of, and have been looking for a sign or a crumb hoping to trace them back to their origin...

Today, when I came across them watching me from behind the glass, I swear they winked at me (and maybe even said "hellooooooo! we are here!!!") I was so happy, I was ready to dance in front of the bakery window, but instead, I asked for a box of them patiently, and danced back to my cart...

It was still not lunch time, but the employees were bringing all the fresh Chinese foods, so I told myself I'd go look at the selections. One of the disadvantages of living alone is, you don't get to sample as many food as you like when you go out or order takeout. When I am crave for Chinese, I generally want to try about 10 things, but mostly endup with two or three. Here, I thought I could try a little bit of a number of things - big mistake! When you have 10-15 different selections, and "try"a spoonful of a couple, you have a full plate. I was very good until I saw the ribs, but then, I knew I had to make a plate... One rarely can get only one or two ribs, and even a half rack can be too much for someone who wants to fit in her shorts! In any case, I filled up my plate with a sampling of goodies and went upstairs to eat (and watch the scenery). Score: 2-2 now. I must admit it was good to sit down and satisfy my Chinese variety craving for a little while, but in the end, I wasn't too happy with the food overall. Skip the tasteless spring rolls. Ribs were overly sweet and fatty for my taste. But the brown rice was fresh and nutty, and the grilled veggies and the tofu was interesting. I think I'll stick to my neighborhood Chinese next time.

Eating at Wegman's is always a good idea, it stops you from giving in to many other temptations. For me, sushi was the biggest attraction and I almost gave in couple of times... but in the end I was able to walk away proudly and say "repeat after me: next time. next time. next time" Score: Bahar 3, Wegman's 2. Still, I had 2 more missions to go: that ham I saw on the way to the prepared foods section, and the hummus bar with olives. And of course, when you get hummus, you can not not have the Wegman's pita - in my opinion, it is one of the best packaged pita around. Fresh, tasty, and wholesome (wheat that is).

Before heading to the cashier, I checked out the beer selection (verdict: poor) and ended up with 3 bottles of flavored seltzer instead (score: Bahar's ahead)

By the time I was back home, I was ready to prepare a whole spread over the counter, but still was successful in pacing myself: first the pita bread with the two types of hummus (accompanied by crunchy pickles and moroccan cured olives) and a huge glass of seltzer water with lime. About half an hour later, the pretzel roll was toasting on the toaster (good way of warming up breads without changing their texture) as I impatiently waited with an assembly line of dijon mustard, honey cured ham, and thinly sliced cheddar cheese. Man, this sandwich was a such a perfect combination, I was already craving for another one after the fisrt taste (good thing I had bought only one roll)... Instead, I decided to put it on the menu for a European bistro restaurant I am working on. And of course, as soon as the sandwich was over, my heavenly apricot purses were warming up on the toaster... There is something about the first taste of desired and long-awaited foods in your mouth. When you bite into them, no matter where you are, you are transferred to the first time you had those foods, and you can't help but close your eyes hoping to freeze that moment for a couple seconds. It is like a loved one coming from a long journey... It is like hugging a friend... And sometimes, it is like rejoining a long gone but never forgotten lover... Mmm, mmm, mmm... That kind of feeling... Good thing I didn't give in to the beer or the wine at the store... Victory - should I declare?

Not yet... Because, the following morning, there was the croissant... The good croissant I have been on the search for years... Once you've been to Europe and had the real criossant, you know most of those crescent shaped things you see in the US are NOT croissants. They are dinner rolls, baked buttery breads, or large fatty globs. There is nothing like a fist size, buttery, light, and flakey croissant... but they don't exist in the US... Well, until now... OK, it still is not a Parisian croissant, but... even after a day in the plastic bag, when warmed up on top of the toaster, it is flakey, buttery (without the overly butter smell and the oil dripping in your hands) and pleasantly crunchy - halelujah!!! Why am I not going this place called Wegman's more often??? As a matter of fact, why am I not moving to Virginia??? is the only question I ask as I pair my buttery croissant with a fluffy scrambled egg (OK, that is not very French, but still, that is how I like my croissant) and a freshly brewed, robust, and flavor-full coffee. Hmm, is this heaven or what???

P.S. In case you were still keeping score, I gave up somewhere between the apricot purses and the croissant. As a matter of fact, I think, I am knocked out, or maybe thrown out with a red card. But you know what - it is well worth it! Oh by the way, I am not moving to Virginia... not because Wegman's is not worth it, but because I think the only way of staying in shape (both physically and financially) is by living away from Wegman's and going there for food indulgence (hey, it is still cheaper than a ticket to Europe, and there is no jet-leg involved, only a slight daze after the trip, which hangs on for a couple days...)

Farmer's Market in Reston

When I am house or dogsitting, one of the first questions I ask is "is there a farmer's market nearby?" Most of the time it comes even before the directions and conditions of the house. For my new assignment in Reston, I was very happy and excited to learn that there is a farmer's market on Saturday morning. This helps me with the food transport because most of the time my food bag is bigger than my suitcase, and since my duty started on Friday evening, I'd be fine with shopping and exploring the following day. The fact that this farmer's market had a website was a plus - in my experience, markets with wensites tend to have a higher number of vendors with a larger variety (www.restonfarmersmarket.com)

Saturday turned to be a lovely morning, so as soon as I was awake, I was ready to go explore. With the amount of cars and slight traffic turning into Anne Lake, I knew there'd be more than couple of stands... As soon as I found a parking spot and got out of the car, I saw a large lot covered with tents, and ran down the steps to the sights and smells of the produce and products.

My tendency is always to walk around first because you never know what you'll find later. In addition to the fresh produce and flowers, which I am used to seeing in smaller farmers markets in the area, this farmers market had fresh cheese, a number of baked goods (mostly for those with a sweet tooth), ethnic sauces, frozen cases of buffalo meat, crafts, jewelry, and photography. In addition, it was organized in an area by Lake Anne, so you stroll by the water and enjoy the day. I was pleasantly surprised to come across a non-chain, neighborhood cafe with live music, a second story bookstore, and a drugstore diner (yes, that is the best way to describe it - you enter through a drugstore, and order at the special counter, but the best part is, in addition to the typical egg and cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs. etc, they have the mexican-style breakfasts: breakfast burrito, huevos rancheros, etc. From all my travels in the West, this is what I crave for over the weekends, and when I'm having a good time. Having tasted a number of things at the farmers market, and noticing the rain clouds' approach, I decide to pass with a wow to return for a leisurely breakfast very soon. On the way back, I look at the photos at one stand, chat with the Peruvian guy about his unique crafts and glassware, and of course pick up the items I scouted on the way in: fresh snow pea shoots, heavenly peanut sauce, to die for goat ricotta, and the tangy "Let's Chaat" sauce. I also give in at the vegetable cookie stand (both the sweet potato and the lima bean cookies are great, just give it a try!), and find apple pies that resemble a big empanada at the stand with a variety of cakes. My bag is full, my tummy is hungry and I am excited about the flavors I am about to encounter, so I climb up the stairs fast, and almost run into the car. Once at home, I know I have 3 winners:

1) Goat ricotta - if you like goat cheese you must must must try this one. It is so creamy, sweet (not sugar sweet, just milk sweet) and fresh, I want to eat it off the tub... Fortunately, there are some great rosemary seasalt crackers in the pantry, so I dip and eat with my eyes closed and can't stop the "mmm, mmm, mmmmmmm......" sounds comming out of my mouth even though I am alone at home.

2) The yummy ginger sauce - for a fast and delicious salad try this: any kind of green mix (mesclun recommended, and of course I had to try the new pea shoots I found), carrot sticks cut in matchsticks, fresh peas blanched and shocked (or frozen peas washed), grilled chicken cut into cubes... and this yummy yummy, creamy peanut sauce... I'll be honest, as I was putting together the salad, I kept dipping baby carrots into the sauce and eating them because I couldn't wait for the meal. Then once the salad was over, I had to put another handful of peas in the leftover sauce not to let it go to waste... It was that good!

3) For dessert, as I was making coffee for the apple empanada, I noticed the goat ricotta tub sitting next to the "Let's Chaat" sauce and realized I still hadn't opened the jar. I was very satisfied with the salad, but was still craving the creaminess of the ricotta... So, as the coffee kept brewing, I couldn't stop myself from reaching for a plain cracker, smearing it with the ricotta, and topping it off with the "Let's Chaat" sauce... One more time, I was in the "mmm, mmm, mmm" world... (the following night, I also tried the sauce on grilled chicken and that was yummy as well, especialy if you make sure the chicken is hot and juicy) I was so happy that I decided to postpone the apple pie to a later coffee hour.

In the end, when I warmed up the apple empanada, it was a very good companion to the coffee, but I think the above 3 are my top 3 picks from the Reston Farmer's Market. Now, my biggest regret is not having bought more of the goat ricotta (about a pound maybe?) and the ginger sauce. Will I be able to wait another week?

A Great Quote

Today I heard a great quote and wanted to share:

"LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS. IT IS ABOUT DANCING IN THE RAIN"

For myself, I'd probably change it a little and say "it is about getting in the car and driving to where you wanna go despite the rain!" No matter what suits you, go out there and enjoy the ride (or the dance)!

I'd Rather Be In...

Just two weeks ago, we were complaining that the weather was not warm enough for May, and that we hadn't had much of a spring. Suddenly, we're huffing and puffing with temperatures and humidity we don't see until July and August. Like many other people, I am not ready for it at all! This is the time when we're supposed to be out and about enjoying the outdoors! Not stuck with A/C indoors, unable to even enjoy our newly cleaned or polished outdoor furniture, brushed and prepared grill, and newly planted flowers. As opposed to the previous years, we can't even go to the mall, because we are afraid of spending money at shopping, or even worse, on the way to shopping with gas prices reaching $4 per gallon (not that I've ever been a big fan of malls, but it is a good option for many people when they can no loner stand watching the fan on the ceiling).

Normally, I don't like to travel with the crowds during peak travel times and since heat signifies peak holidays, busy airports, full planes, cranky kids, and tired airline/hotel employees to me, heat always meant staying behind and dreaming of places I'd rather be, or making plans for the fall. However, since the heat is here earlier than usual, I've started my travel dreams earlier than usual as well... Here is what is on top of my "I'd rather be in..." list:

- Thailand and New Zealand: I love both of those countries and how much they offer, so I am always interested in going back in any kind of weather, economic, or political situation... I'd rather be in Thailand or New Zealand...

- Colorado: Two years ago when I quit my job in June and was looking for a place to get back to my own self, a friend of mine suggested Colorado, which turned out to be the perfect place in the whole planet. I loved the open spaces, the big blue sky, the mountains, the dry and comfortable temperatures, all the activities one can get involved in from biking to water rafting, and of course the people - the friendly, approachable, active, happy people. I think for the rest of my life, I will crave for Colorado in June since I know how amazing it is. And also because I owe so much to every person, every tree, every river, every mountain and every rock for making me feel so alive once again. I'd rather be in Colorado now...

- Belgium: This little country also has a special place in my heart as it was the first foreign county I visited. Even though I went back twice after my first trip, I've never seen Belgium in the summer, and I'd love to see the Grand Place full with people, with at least some sun shining on the buildings and its wonderful people. I'd rather be in Belgium eating mussels, frites, fondue, waffles, waterzooi, and drinking wonderful Belgian beer...

- Amsterdam: This city has always fascinated me. What inspiress so many great artists? What starts such a great trading company that goes to the edges of the world in search of goods not found anywhere else? What makes people so creative and inquisitive, and possibly so civilized and thoughtful? And of course, how does it feel to look at a Dutch masters' brush stroke and see how a simple stroke comes together with others to form a unique masterpiece? I'd rather be in Amsterdam now...

- Peru: I will be fascinated by Peru and how mystical it is until I go there and see it with my own eyes. The modern life in Lima, the history in Cuzco, the natural beauty combined with the unknown in Macchu Picchu, the local market in Pisac, the trails, roads and rivers that tie it all together, and the indigenous culture that surrounds it all makes Peru a unique place on my list. When you add the local cuisine (did you know potatoes originate in Peru? They even have a Potato Museum in Lima), which is considered the best in South America, on top of everything else, I am ready to fly tomorrow! I'd rather be in Peru...

- Ireland and Scotland: Rain makes those two countries green, but I understand they are not as much fun to visit under the rain, especially when you are driving on the left-hand side of the road looking for a tiny sign that is not in English! I'm an outdoors person, and from what I know, I'd like exploring Ireland and Scotland by walking the castles, cliffs, gardens, small towns, and cities without having to hide under a hood or an umbrella. Summer also seems to be the best time for locals to be out and about, going at it in their own ways, and enjoying the "craic." Therefore, I'd rather be in Ireland... and I'd rather be in Scotland.

The list is by far not complete... As a matter of fact, there probably are about 180 more countries to add, but for now, I think I am ready to focus on where my heart lies and where I can see more of a local life without large amounts of tourists. So, it is time to dream about what I'll do when I get to these places. Until then, good night Thailand... Good night New Zealand... Good Night Colorado... Good Night Belgium... Good night Amsterdam... Good Night Peru... Good Night Ireland... Good Night Scotland...

Good Article on Istanbul

People love asking me questions about Turkey when they hear I am from Istanbul. It is such a fascinating city both for past visitors and visitors-to-be. There are so many different areas and so much to tell in terms of things to do, history, culture, and of course food, I find it almost impossible to fit what I want to say into a day's conversation. Even though I left almost 12 years ago, there are certain things that never change. Then, there is a lot that changes, especially the trends, fashion, attire, and places to be at and be seen. Life goes on at a dazzling speed 24 hours in Istanbul, which makes the capital of the United States seem like a small sleepy town.

I loved this article about Istanbul (you can read it at USAToday Article on Istanbul) since it sums up how much the city has to offer, what goes on in terms of current trends, and how dynamic and exciting the city is - renewing itself with another new venue and place to visit every single day and still clinging to its omnipresent history and its implications. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did...