Call it hookah, sheesha, round these parts qaylan, but this is the way to meet and greet in Isfahan (Esfahan). Just above the entrance to the bazaar, climb up the incredibly steep stairs to the Qeysaieh Tea Shop. From this open air teahouse enjoy some orange flavored tobacco and get a magnificent view of the…
The Sierra Morena wrinkles behind off into Andalusia while the patchwork plains of Badajoz merge with the sky in front. Depending on your perspective, this is either the beginning or end of Extremadura. The Romans would arrive at this crossroads (complete with amphitheater entertainment, good luck finding it open) while trying to catch a ride to…
Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs. I remember watching with amazement, and not just a little discomfort, as the young men in pointy shoes leapt through the air over the huge…
Why does it seem that with every year, winter seems to get longer and longer? No matter how mild the year, as with this past winter here in Extremadura, the dark days of the ‘other’ equinox drag on longer than your 10th grade math teacher droning on about algebra. I even sometimes find myself wishing…
This plaque on the church is about the only evidence you’ll find of Battuta’s visit in the town of Coin. Think Marco Polo was the world’s greatest traveler? If you do, it’s because you haven’t read Ibn Battuta. For whatever reason, be they ethnocentric prejudices, islamophobia or the simple fact that Polo had better PR,…
A walk through the Albaycin in Granada A look at the new mosque that has been built A reflection on the concern it’s caused A way around conflict In both English and German in DW-WORLD’s Qantara magazine.
I took a walk awhile ago with my Couchsurfing host, now friend, Oya. We started in the Istanbul of the guidebooks and ended up in the Istanbul of her childhood. A walk that took us from the tank tops of Eminonou to the hiijabs and niquabs in Fatih, with a short detour to see the…
Last night’s Minaret exhibit was not only a chance to share some photos that I’ve taken on my travels but an opportunity to retrieve and relive some dusty memories that had been lying forgotten in my 1.0 memory chip mind. During the evening, a few astute visitors were quick to notice an early Soviet-era statue…
Over the Christmas break we went off again, searching for more of Ibn Battutah’s tracks…this time from Morocco to Spain. The trip ended, like Battutah’s in that lovely city at the feet of the Sierra Nevada, Granada. Of the few cities that live up to their hype and more. Even without the Alhambra sitting on…