Travel Disaster Averted!

Having my own business has apparently made me quite the space cadet.  I was all ready to go on my buying trip to Turkey & India this Tuesday...when my lovely friend in Delhi I was to stay with and shop with was checking in to confirm... Now, I have traveled a lot, so I knew what the weather was going to be, the holidays, when and where the craft markets were, how much cash to bring, passport, etc etc. but... somehow the Visa to make entry to this beautiful country skipped my mind.  24 hour rush you are thinking?  Alas, we celebrate Columbus day. I don't even know what this holiday is? In my defense many of the countries I go to have Visa upon arrival!

Instead of this being a disaster.  It has turned into an amazing circle of events. My friend Ann(in India) decided to go to the markets with her camera and all morning it was like I was buying stocks. She was snapping photo's(while I was unpacking all of the summer clothes I had packed for India) sending them from her phone to mine giving me quantities then waiting for me to confirm. It was a fast paced and exciting... 4 hours and heck I wasn't exhausted at all...Below are some of the yes's.

Beautiful throws and scarves from a once a year craft fair in Delhi, most of the these come from a town near the Pakistan border filled with fantastic weavers... Bhuj, Gujarat...I can't wait until they arrive.

These adorable birds were a yes, unfortunately, all but these few were gone!

Me my last trip to Goreme in Kapadokya...

I have emailed friends in Turkey and planned for an extra week in Kapadokya, re-packed my suitcase with with cool weather clothes and heading to one of my favorite places on earth... fall, mountains rural, relaxing and LOTS of textiles and vintage copper. I will now be able to spend more time in places other than Istanbul,Turkey scouting out carpets, copper, and more Turkish delights with old (and hopefully new) friends.

Disaster averted!

Follow my Turkish travels over the month of October and see what I bring back ...virtually from India and hands on from Turkey!

If I've learned anything from my travels it's that flexibility often leads you down those narrow, untraveled paths to friends and finds. 

Tesekkurler ve Gurusuruz!

Roni

An Artist's Space

Starting a new business on a small budget and sustaining it as it grows requires lots of creativity, resourcefulness and a little help from your friends.  On a recent trip to Santa Fe Folk Art Market I stayed with an old friend, Pauline Ziegen, an artist, who I had not seen in at least 10 years. We had recently re-connected through facebook and she generously opened her home to me.  I knew that she was still painting, but had no idea how honed her craft had become.

The first night we had dinner and then she was off to Houston for an opening of her work at Laura Rathe Gallery.

Each evening after the Folk Art Market I would head back to her place with a bottle of wine and some goodies from Trader Joes (we have no trader joes in KC)  and sit on the deck and look over the tracks at the peaceful New Mexico horizon.  Like a voyeur, I took these shots during my stay.

Paulines work space

works in progress

A trip tic by Pauline works to create a feminine yet bold space with the Kantha coverlet I brought for her.

A signature of Pauline's; some of her hats and a finished painting of hers.

Painting in progress

A terrific collection of jackets

Travel Fever

I can't seem to sit still.  There is such a long wishlist of countries and places that I still have not been to.  So while I am plotting and planning and figuring out how I will be able to get to the next place,  I reach back and remember old trips and think of old friends.  Today Albert is on my mind.  I have know him for many years.  When I am in Istanbul I stay with him.  He saw my children grow.  When I think of him it is always with a smile and food on my mind.  So here is to you Albie, a Roni version of your Turkish salad that I made last night.

I don't use recipes much, so you will have to wing it as I do...here are the ingredients I used.

• Cup or 2 of cubed watermelon
• Cup of broken or cubed Feta Cheese
• Chiffonade a bag of Arugula
• Cup of cucumbers, english or regular, no skin or seeds, cubed
• Chiffonade a handful or more of fresh basil and a bit fresh mint put it all in a bowl

Now here is where Albert and Turkey come in.  Add a healthy dose of dried Turkish red pepper, Kosher salt or sea salt,  a bit of EVO,  fresh lemon juice to taste and the final move is to drizzle not just any Pomegranate Syrup all over and toss gently and dig in.

Somehow without the view of the Bospherous or the simultaneous sounds of call to pray it tastes a little different.

 Not just any dried pepper-Turkish Pepper

Not just any Pomegranate Syrup

photo's taken by Ryan Jaco

Oh, and of course a bottle of some yummy dry Rose.