Verona...A Gentle Town By A River.

One guess as to what this is?

No?

This is apparently the

 "balcony" 

where

Juliet hung out

&

lamented out loud into the darkness of night...

"Romeo, Romeo,

wherefore art thou Romeo!"

You don't need to be a

Capulet 

or 

Montague

to visit this city

of 

ill-fated lovers.

This medieval outpost on the banks

of the

Adige River,

sits comfortably in her 

antiquated cloak.

Located in the 

Veneto

 region of Italy

&

 a mere

70 miles west of

 Venice,

Verona has a charming small town feel,

that's easily managed on foot.

We were there for the annual

Verona

Opera Festival

held at the

2000 year old 

Roman Arena.

Which looks a lot like the

Colosseum

in 

Rome.

"That which we call a rose

by any other name, would smell

as sweet!".

William Shakespeare

Verona is not big on sights.

There are 2 bridges,

Ponte Scaligero

& 

Ponte Pietra.

A couple of Piazza's

& 

an old

Castle.

Castelvecchio.

However, 

it's totally charming when the

 Opera season

is on.

The entire town comes alive,

turning it into a

jet setting cultural melting pot.

The Arena

was thought to have been built in

AD 30.

It used to be able to sit

 20,000 spectators

but now,

for safety reasons,

it's wilted down to 

a mere

15,000.

The atmosphere inside,

was quite

 remarkable

& 

spectacular.

We saw

Aida

&

Turandot.

To be resting on those ancient stone steps,

under the canopy of the blue

 Italian sky,

was undeniably memorable.

As dusk took over

& 

the Opera began,

the entire scene unfolded

&

 we were

 transported back to another time.

The city of Verona

is surrounded by 

lush vineyards,

ensuring that good wine is easily

available.

As in many other parts of Italy,

people watching is a

 national pastime.

Ancient walls are still intact.

Italians are extremely proud of their heritage.

Italy is totally camera-friendly.

Photo opportunities abound at every corner.

No doubt one can be a long way from home,

but here,

under the 

shadow of the Arena,

with ample 

good food and drink,

one can only 

be further intoxicated

by the

 sights & sounds

 of this beguiling city.

OK.. 

Enough said.

Time to bake.

Focaccia.

This pizza-like bread is seasoned generously with

sea salt & olive oil.

Additional herbs could be added.

The name was probably derived from
Latin

"focus".

Technically, it should be baked

in the center of the oven.

Or in the fireplace.

Makes perfect sense.

Always start with quality ingredients.

Tourist!

They're everywhere!

Baking requires

 patience and competence.

Let the yeast take it's time to react.

Pour some love into it!

Kneading dough may require some skill.

Youtube 

could assist in tutorials.

Seriously,

it's all in the arm strength.

Knead, knead & knead.

Shape.

Knead.

Relax.

Give it a poke

&

if the dough bounces back,

you know it's ready!

Place the dough into oiled bowl.

Cover with warm damp cloth.

Set aside in a warm place for an hour.

Dough must have risen to twice 

it's height by now.

Lightly oil the baking form.

Sprinkle generously with

Polenta.

Gently place dough into the baking pan.

Using your fingers,

punch into dough to create

indent marks.

Drizzle with lots of olive oil.

Lightly push in the toppings.

Sprinkle with polenta.

And then lots of sea salt all over.

Cover and set aside for another 45 mins.

Place the pan into the very hot oven.

Center rack.

For 25 mins.

Low

 & 

Behold,

your master

 "piece-de-resistance".

The bread has good texture 

&

the salt,olives & herbs

bring out the flavor.

Serve it warm at your table 

& 

your guests will be

 terribly impressed!

Meanwhile...

back in

 Verona,

...the city beckons.

As with most old  Italian towns,
the center revolves
around a
central town square.
And is usually connected to other squares
via small narrow alleys.

These are the props for

 Aida,

awaiting their 5 mins of fame on stage.

The afternoons are generally
 blisteringly hot.
Stores are mostly closed.
And a shade in any form,
is much appreciated.

Again, tourists...

they're everywhere!

( ...actually these are my friends...

 from left Odd Gunnar, Kjell, Erle, 

Bernt, Stine & Jan Olav )

Verona's history dates back to the time of the

Romans.

Beautiful fountains adorn

piazzas,

just like this on on 

Piazza delle Erbe.

This square was once the 

town's forum

during the

 Roman Empire.

Apparently, the
Capulet
family did exist!

Old world 

Italian architecture

is quite remarkable.

The bridges were destroyed during the
second world war
but carefully
 reconstructed,
faithful to the original.

July is a great month to visit

Italy.

There are many

 festivals

all over the country.

You cannot go wrong with a  holiday in this country.
It has great
 cuisine, history,
architecture,
shopping,
mountains,beaches
&
not to mention
good wine.
And a charming romantic sounding
language that would melt
even the
 hardest dark chocolate!

"You May Have The Universe,

If I May Have
Italy".

Giuseppe Verdi

Personally,

I find

 Italy

an 

easy vacation destination.

More importantly,

the people are friendly

&

 some even,

charming.

Great coffee helps!

Our time in

Verona

was well spent.

We came,

we saw,

we ate...

I shopped

& 

we left satiated!

" Romeo,

doff thy name,

and for thy name,

which is no part of thee,

Take all myself!".

Peter Hoe's Focaccia

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

sea salt

polenta powder

olives

sun dried tomatoes

Sieve flour & divide into 2 parts

Add yeast, sugar to warm water. Let it dissolve

until bubbly...approx 15 mins

Make a well in one part of the flour

Pour in 5 tablespoons olive oil

& a little of the yeast water

Stir & combine...gently

Gradually add more flour & yeast water

from 2nd part of flour

Mix until all is combined

Oil a large bowl

Place dough in & cover with 

damp warm cloth

Place in a warm place

After an hour, dough

should have risen

Oil baking form & sprinkle with polenta

Place dough into form

& cover for another 30 mins 

Generously brush top of dough with

olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, olive rings,

polenta, sun dried tomatoes etc.

Bake for 20 min sat 200 degrees Celsius

Viola!!!

Your bread is ready....

Istanbul...the past makes the present!

This is 

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The first 

President of the Republic of Turkey.

Under his leadership,

modern Turkey was established.

On a weekend trip to 

Istanbul,

we had a brief taste of a country

straddling not just

Asia & Europe

but

balancing 

the 

subtleties

of the

modern & ancient.

Did you know that 

Turkey 

is bordered by eight countries

&

Istanbul has a population of

13 million?

This city of "two" faces

has much to offer.

Even the most 

jaded tourist,

 will

concede to this fact.

Located on one of the most

 romantic & famous

waterways in the world,

the 

Bosphorus

&

The Golden Horn, 

this ancient

city of a

hundred mosques,

delivers the best in small doses.

Formerly known as

Constantinople

&

Byzantium,

this thriving metropolis

was the

European Capital of Culture 

in 2010.

We arrived into the chaos of
the 
evening traffic.
Rain was pouring down
in the midst of the
bumper-to-bumper
crawl.
City lights twinkled through
the limousine window,
making every object sparkle
like some pretty
christmas ornament.
And in between buildings,
you catch a glimpse of the
 tall, narrow spires of
exotic
Ottoman mosques,
standing silent against the
night sky.
The
Grand Hyatt
is located off
Taksim Square,
on the European side of the land.
This ultra comfortable hotel,
was our refuge from a very busy
city.
Incidentally, the service
was extremely 
professional
&
prompt. 

Nowadays,

boutique hotels are everywhere,

affording each and every tourist

a selection as wide as the 

Golden Horn.

The morning after the rain was blessed with a

blue sky

& 

wonderfully warm weather.

Our day was spent in the

Sultanahmet old-city area

where most of the historical

sites are found.

Narrow cobbled streets

settled with old buildings

laden with history,

as rich as 

Turkish

desserts.

The crush of people 

&

 the 

on-slaught of the crowds may be

uncomfortable at first

but 

an hour or two 

into the swarm,

you begin to get

absorbed into the flow of the locality.

This area dates back to 

667 BC.

The entire 

Peninsula

was declared a

Unesco World Heritage Site 

in 1985.

There are as many restaurants

as there are shops.

All full with

colourful merchandise,

reflecting the culture of the area.

Everything a short walk

from one another.

As with anything in the

Unesco Heritage 

designated sites,

you immediately feel 

history come alive.

"The beauty and mystery of this world only emerges through affection,

attention, interest and compassion...open your eyes wide

and actually see this world by attending to its

colours,details and irony."

Orhan Pamuk

My Name Is Red

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque
or better known as the
Blue Mosque,
is definitely the most visited mosque in town.
Built from 1609 to 1616
with it's distinct six minarets,
this stunning architectural wonder
is a sight to behold.
Both outside and in.

The sheer size

 &

what appears to be different

layers resting upon one another is 

a marvel of 

Ottoman & Byzantine

engineering construction.

This imposing structure 

is awe-inducing!

The interior is lined with more than

20,000

hand-made 

Iznik 

tiles,

 in different shades of blue.

The simple metal chandeliers were quite effective.

Hung low 

& 

because of it's clean lines,

did not distract from the intricacy of the

ceiling.

Above, the splendour continues with

stain-glass windows 

& 

marble.

The central courtyard has a hexagonal

fountain surrounded 

by

a continuous vaulted arcade.

It was truly a marvel to behold.

Our visit was just after noon-time prayers.

The call of the muezzin

was melodious,

as it 

echoed far 

& 

wide.

This current form of the

Turkish  Baklava

was thought to have originated from

the imperial kitchen of the

Topkapi Palace.

One bite into this many layered

filo pastry & nut

concoction,

will make you swoon!

It took a lot of will power to resist

the many, many, many

 excellent souvenirs 

on show.

Our walk was extremely interesting and diverse.

The locals are friendly.

The streets clean.

And with the abundance of

 sights & shops,

it took longer than anticipated.

Take a look at the intricate details of
this
carved panel from
the
Blue Mosque.

There's a great deal of meat in the local cuisine.

Yaprak Sarma, wrapped vine leaves, 

Dolma,

 Lahmacun 

& 

of course

Kebabs.

"Things never go so well 

that one should have

no fear

 and 

never so ill 

that one should have no hope."

Turkish Proverb

By contrast,

the 

Asian 

&

 European

areas are very evident.

The 

Nisantasi 

district is totally westernized.

Here, 

you will find everything 

new & trendy.

But there are many pockets around the city

where you'll find 

amazing remnants of the past.

Both recent & ancient.

On Istiklal Street,

this charming

 tram runs up and down

this extremely long & sloped

shopping strip.

These tasty treats were everywhere! 

All 

golden & delicious.

The
old & new
 sit well together.
Men selling tea,
walking around with
cups & pots
weave their way through
business men in suits.
Street cobblers are
available at almost every corner,
mending & polishing diligently.

Our unseasonably warm morning was a blessing,

as we made our way to the 

Grand Bazaar.

The worlds 

largest & oldest 

covered market.

It has 61 enclosed streets

&

in excess of 3000 shops!

Totally mind boggling!!!

Turkish tea comes from the eastern

Black Sea

coast.

Loose tea leaves are used to 

produce strong tea,

normally drank without milk

& 

with cubes of beet sugar.

And always in an elegant glass.

The entire city has plenty of

photo opportunities.

So grab that camera & charge those batteries!

Taksim Square 

is the heart of 

modern 

Istanbul.

This is the 

Monument of the Republic.

Crafted by the Italian sculptor,

Pietro Canonica 

in 1928.

The original
 Turkish Evil Eye
ornament
is supposed to consist of
molten glass, iron, copper, water
&
salt.
This combination of
minerals & metal
is believed
to provide a shield from the forces of evil.

This amazingly delicious 

confit of leg of

Lamb

is from 

the "34" 

restaurant

at the

Grand Hyatt.

Go if you can!

Nowadays,
design is everywhere!
And judging from what I see...
high quality too!

I captured this shot
on the
Galata bridge.
It's astride the
Golden Horn
&
 terribly busy with life.

 Moorish inspired glassware.
Very tempting indeed!

Buses, trams, the metro
&
taxis
are available,
if walking tires you!

East & West.

If you have time,
a visit to a Hamam
is a must.
This cleansing ritual
dates way back.
A series of perspiration sessions in
different steam rooms, 
followed by a vigourous massage,
will leave you
whimpering.

Luxury is everywhere!

Both men...making a living.

The 

Hagia Sophia,

creates a beautiful silhouette.

First an orthodox basilica then a mosque

& 

now a museum.

Temptation comes in many forms!!!

 The Mevlevi Order
performs "whirling"
as a form of "dhikr"...
a remembrance of God.
The formal
Sama
ceremony is totally
mesmerizing!

It was pomegranate

season!

These super red fruit was found everywhere...

in juices, cakes & sweets.

Istanbul

 is certainly a city of many interests.

From ancient old palaces

to trend setting

 boutiques & restaurants.

It's all here.

One part 

Asia

&

one part 

European.

Turkish flavours in different expressions.

And that's what makes a visit

interesting.

The diversity of daily life,

woven into a complex balance of

differences,

creates the multi-faceted society

that defies it's conflicting challenges.

Cosmopolitan neighborhoods

wedged between old buildings,

while

expensive imported cars glide

over narrow cobblestone streets. 

For many that lives here,

life goes on.

Sunrise over the 

Bosphorus.

Our brief visit left us wanting more.

A sign of a good holiday.

Istanbul

has many positive challenges ahead.

And her strength is in her people.

Warm & friendly 

& 

obviously

hard working.

To rise up to the 

demanding needs 

of the

21st century, 

they must move forward with

a determination that does not

allow ancient ways to hold them back.

The big question is balance indeed!

We will be back!!!