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friends

love in the city of spices

by Kasia on May 19, 2013

If I moved to Istanbul, this is what I would call my blog, love in the city of spices. Or perhaps love of the city of spices, as this is a city that I have a great fondness for,  and cannot even begin to describe exactly why. Istanbul is a place that must be experienced from the inside, with it’s rich history and rapid modernization. Certainly a cultural mecca. But alas, my story is being written in Paris, and it is my dear friend Karen (with whom I have shared many an adventure in our 20 years of friendship) that is living beneath the minarets.

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My first visit to Istanbul had been during my year of travel, I ran around the city in a daze, completely taken with the sights, sounds and tastes. On that trip I woke up in Asia and spent my days in Europe. This transcontinental life can only be possible in Istanbul.

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On this trip, my Italian’s first to Istanbul, we were lucky to be in the company of Karen and her husband (and two darling Turkish-American daughters). Emre, being a part-time professional tour guide, gave us a tour to remember. From the Blue Mosque to the Hagia Sophia, to the Grand Bazaar to the Spice Market, with many secret stops along the way.  What better introduction?

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The interior of the Hagia Sophia is a sight to behold, with a ceiling of gold.

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On my last visit, I barely stepped foot in the Topkapi Palace. On this trip we spent hours exploring this, the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for around 400 years. Enchanting!

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But it was the time with friends that provided the most memories. Many a night was spent over dinner with a view, catching up on our lives in two very unique and contrasting cities.

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And it was with Karen and Emre that we traveled from Europe to Asia.

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Dinner with a view.

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So much more to see, feel and taste! Already we are looking forward to the next visit…

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people and places

by Kasia on May 8, 2013

Over three years ago I moved to Paris, knowing only one person, my Italian. Him being the reason for my move. I tried not to focus too much on the active social life I left behind in NYC, or even whether I would find another one. I felt confident in my path and though I dearly missed my friends those first years (and still do), I enjoyed the time we shared with Paris as our sole companion.

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Last week, in planning a surprise birthday party for my Italian, I realized how full our lives have become. Not simply with frivolous goings on in the form of gallery openings and happy hours (though we enjoy our share of those too), but with quality time spent with people we admire and appreciate, our friends. I consider myself lucky in this regard, building friendships that last through time and travels. After all, is not the place where we live (though Paris is indeed one of the most beautiful), but it is the people with whom we share this life. That is where true happiness lies.

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Thank you dear friends (and readers) for being part of this journey!

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pique-niqueing & pétanque

April 12, 2013

TweetWhen the sun comes out, so do the Parisians. On a recent spring-like day, moods were high and there was a lightness evident in the air. Now this is what spring is meant to feel like! My Italian and I joined a group of friends at the gardens of the Palais Royal for my favorite [...]

L’Amour (or less)

February 22, 2013

TweetOne of the great joys of living as an expat in Paris is that it has exposed me to other like-minded Americans, who equally find their creative voice and pursue their dreams, on French soil. Whether it be in the form of American-style cupcakes, sweet stories, designer pillows, or even treasure hunts in the Louvre, [...]

giving thanks

November 22, 2012

TweetNo better day than today, Thanksgiving to those of us from America, to give thanks. What exactly am I grateful for? Where to begin… When I think back to my first year in Paris, feasting at a faux American restaurant in the rive gauche with people I barely knew, feeling lost and less than grateful [...]

time away

June 8, 2012

TweetSometimes it’s important to disconnect and to live in the actual world. Versus the virtual. Those who are social media savvy know exactly what I mean! Feeling the need to connect myself with the living, in the form of my friends and family, I took off a few weeks and flew to New York. First [...]

London calling

March 1, 2012

TweetLast week London called. I answered. A quick two hour jaunt via the Eurostar, and there I was. This city that has always felt like home. Perhaps it’s the dynamic energy felt amidst the international air, much like NYC and certainly something I miss living within the calm and frenchness of Paris. The trip was [...]

95 years young

February 19, 2012

TweetSince I was a little girl I always appreciated (and often preferred) the company of elders. If given the choice whether to play with kids my own age or accompany my mom to a friend’s, I usually chose the latter. Perhaps I knew early on how much more you can learn from those older and [...]

Paris, My Sweet

February 6, 2012

Tweet“Fantasies do come true. Despite my moments of uncertainty and pangs of loneliness, I was loving life in Paris. I was so smitten with the Gallic city’s grand, plane-tree-lined boulevards and ever-so-slightly crooked side streets, its countless café terraces and the ritual of lingering on them with a single café crème or coupe de champagne.” [...]

table for ten

November 22, 2011

TweetA dinner organized by a host you don’t know, accompanied by guests who have never met, held at a mystery location somewhere in Paris. This sounds like my kind of dinner party. An old friend recently mentioned the New Friends Table, a secret eating and meeting club new on the Paris scene. I had also read [...]

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