Excursion in Estonia

Meet my brother

Matryoshka dolls, even of Frodo and the Pope!

Spiced Almonds Cart lady in traditional Estonian garb. 

Walking around the Old Town in Tallinn, Estonia.
May 22, 2008.

An Evening in Lisbon

Tender and tasty roast pork, a lechon equivalent.

Sardinhas assadas (grilled Portuguese sardines).
My aunt went back to the restaurant for this dish the very next day.

Bacalhau or salted codfish is a Portuguese delicacy.
We had it grilled, but the owner of the restaurant said that it can be cooked in 1,000 different ways.  

June 13 is the feast day of St. Anthony de Padua/ de Lisboa
(he was born in Lisbon but died in Padua).
It's the biggest fiesta in the city!
Many Lisboans are dressed in colorful costumes for the
annual city parade down the Avenida de Liberdade.  

At the Marques de Pombal Square (which is a roundabout hehe),
about to watch the St. Anthony parade.
That man with the lion is responsible
for rebuilding Lisbon after the Great Earthquake in1755.

A beautiful night in Lisbon.
Walking back to our hotel.

Pretty cobblestone streets make for an enjoyable walk
(for the eyes and the spirit, not so much for the feet).

Dinner at a small family-owned restaurant near our hotel called Restaurante O Cardo before watching the parade for St. Anthony, the city's patron saint.
June 13, 2011. Lisbon, Portugal.

Modern Murals

Amazing graffiti on entire (abandoned) buildings!

Sucking it dry

Look towards the moon

Colossal Croc

Google tells me these were created by artists Os Gemeos, Blu, and Sam 3.

Lisbon, Portugal. June 12, 2011.

The Bayon Temple 2010

A pond reflects the temple's facade.

The breathtaking Bayon, which stands at the center of Angkor Thom.

(less edited photograph of the Bayon)

Faces carved into its towers is a distinct feature of the temple.

 "a muddle of stones, a sort of moving chaos assaulting the sky." -Maurice Glaize 

A man, a monkey, and a motorcycle.

Scaly fruits sold near the temple.
They look strange but they're sweet and tart, and good for you!  

Tour of Angkor Thom (a royal city built by the end of the 12th century).  Siem Reap, Cambodia.
September 7, 2010.

Grand, indeed! 2011

Colorful Turkish textiles. 

The Grand bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets.

World famous Turkish tiles.

I've always loved Ottoman mosaic lamps.

I wish I could take all of these home!

The Grand Bazaar.  Istanbul, Turkey.  June 2, 2011.

Inviting Istanbul 2011

Archway by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque,
popularly called the Blue Mosque because...

...the mosque's interior is decked out with blue tiles.
The mosque is filled with delighted tourists...

...like us!

A pretty door near the Topkapi palace.

My sister with a beautiful wall of Turkish tiles in the Topkapi palace.

The "Kubbealti" or the domed room, where the Ottoman Imperial Council held its deliberations.
Our tour guide said the emperor would listen in
the secret conversations through that golden screen.

My mother's favorite place in Istanbul.  The grand bazaar!
Pictures of the inside in another post.

Tour of Istanbul.  June 2, 2011.