Interlaken

Some pics from our home for the next 3 nights: Balmer’s! The last 2 pics were taken from the skylight (!) in our room.

The Real Istanbul with Burak

There is something deeply ironic about being outblogged by Carrie on this trip thus far. I think I’ve created a monster. But, if it wasn’t for her, there wouldn’t be much to read.

When I last left off I had posted some pictures from our fabulous hotel in Sultanhamet, Istanbul. It was kind of like having a view of the French Riviera, the Eiffel Tower and the Vatican rolled into one. While it was nice to experience these wonders of Turkey, it was pretty awesome when my buddy Burak and his cousin Emrah whisked us away to where the fun is: Taksim.

Taksim has a huge street that is closed to traffic and is rife with shops, bistros, bars and street vendors. You see these streets in most major cities in Europe and they’re awesome. Just a mass of people moving enjoying some shopping, food and nargile (hookah) at a human pace.

After some walking, we settled down to eat some authentic Turkish cuisine at a really nice restaurant next to the Galata Tower. Burak and Emrah ordered a bunch of mezes to share, and we enjoyed every bite. Wrapping things in grape leaves was a great idea.

Now things get fun. Burak suggests we go check out the One Love Festival, a weekend music fest featuring electronica. We pile into Emrah’s Mini and he takes off like a bat out of hell. A few near-death experiences later and he’s paying some guy to move a trash bin so that we can park on the street next to the festival. A few Lira later and we’re just in time to catch the headliners: Royskop! It was a cool show: not too crowded, close to the stage, and just long enough to satiate my curiosity in electronic music.

Afterwards, we headed over to Emrah’s for some drinks. Carrie and I had whiskey, a delicious 12-year variety. It was nice to get away from the bars and just chill-out. Emrah’s flat was right in Taksim and was great. 3 bedrooms, high ceilings and a long balcony for something like $1200/month. Good deal!

Anyway, here’s to Burak and Emrah. Turkish hospitality at its finest!

Good Morning Sultanahmet

Some shots from the roof of our hotel. Top to bottom: the Bosphorus, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

Bodrum, Turkey

After some wrong turns, Google Maps deceptions and a cheap bus ride, we have made it to our hotel in Bodrum, Turkey! We’re actually in a neighborhood called Gumbet, just 2km from the port. One day and two nights and we’ll be off to Istanbul!

First travel post!

I am writing this on my iPhone, using the WordPress app, at a cafe with free WiFi on the island of Kos. Carrie and I are spitting distance from Turkey and will be taking a ferry to Bodrum this afternoon. Sorry for the delay in posting, but I was on my honeymoon.

But now the “honeymoon” is over and the trekking begins! We’ve been to Athens (1 night), Santorini (4 nights) and Naxos (3 nights). We’ve ridden scooters around mount Zeus, burned our feet on the sand of the Red Beach, and lived in a cave house perched on the edge of a volcano’s caldera.

And now it’s time for Turkey. More updates to come!

P.S. If the next update is slow coming, it’s Carrie’s fault.

Slowly But Surely…

…the photos are coming in!  I’ll be posting links to ALL the on-line albums here:

• www.carterheartscarrie.com/photos

Enjoy!  If you’ve got a link, send it my way!

Get Outside!

While you’re in Austin, you owe it to yourself to get outside and enjoy the weather.  I’ve jotted down a few choice spots.

Town Lake

Town lake (which is really more like a river) cuts Austin in half.  The main downtown area is just north of the lake, so most people can walk to Town Lake from their hotels.  It has a walking/running/biking path that loops around the lake, with trails on the north and south sides.

More information: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/trails.htm

Barton Springs

Barton Springs is a glorious, fresh water pool located just off of town lake near the Barton Creek.  It’s pretty easy to get too and is a great way to beat the heat and chill-out on Friday or Saturday!

More information: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/bartonsprings.htm

Lake Travis

Lake Travis is about 20-30 minutes outside of Austin.  If you can get a few people together it is easy to rent a pontoon boat, load up a few cases of beer, and spend an afternoon enjoying the sun with some frosty beverages.  WARNING: there is a section of Lake Travis known as Hippy Hollow where clothing is “optional”. 

More information: http://www.touringtexas.com/laketravis/

Live Music Capital

Make sure you see AT LEAST one show while you’re in Austin.  Curious about who’s playing an where?  Check-out Turn2Live for a comprehensive list of shows going on this week.  My favorite venues are:

• Stubb’s
• Beauty Bar
• Scoot Inn
• Antone’s
• Club DeVille
• Mohawk

Movies + Food + Beer = Alamo Drafthouse

If you’ve never been to see a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, you owe it to yourself to check it out!  After 2 years watching movies here, I’ll never be able to watch a movie elsewhere without missing the delicious food, excellent beer selection and totally reasonable prices.  There are a bunch of locations around Austin.

www.originalalamo.com

Round the World!

We’ve updated our wedding registry with some information on our honeymoon and travel plans following the wedding. We will be flying around the world (literally) over the course of 6 to 8 weeks.  Check it out and let us know what you think!

UPDATE: See what people are suggesting on FriendFeed! Some really great ideas so far!