WKRP in Cinicinnati!!
Excited and on our way to the big wedding- stopover in Cincinnati!!! We didn't get enough time to visit WKRP. Awww....

Home of Shirley Hendrix
We arrived at Grady's mom's place - this is the lovely view from the kitchen.

The Rice Mill
Setting up for the wedding.

The Rice Mill
more setting up- even Lila helped out.

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We had lunch at this yummy place in Mount Pleasant - red rice and fish and shrimp.

sunset
The sun is setting just after the ceremony.

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Where is everybody?

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There they are...waiting for the big moment...

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Monsignor (or brother...father...rabbi...Immam?) Graeme officiates

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Cat does a reading. Megan also read a Walt Whitman piece, but I didn't take a pic of that.

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I now pronounce you man and wife.

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woo hoo!

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The first kiss

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. . . and then a hug from the Monsignor

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The happy couple walking down the aisle...

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happy peoples

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the first of many group photos

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Nan taking the same shot, which probably cam out way better as thier camera kicks my camera's ass.

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Didn't we do a nice job decorating?

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Sitting down to dinner. Fried chicken!!! and of course, shrimp and many other southern delicacies.

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Cat gives a speech.

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The Burt's heartwarming speech.

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We all remember Johnny Hepburn! But we never got that dirty limerick from him....

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The happy couple get their turn at the mic

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a rest between speeches

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a rest between speeches

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I can't remember this guy's name - sorry.

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I can't remember this guy's name either- sorry.

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This is clearly in the wrong place, but I can't be bothered to move it.

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getting ready for a post-speech kiss

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chillin' with grandma

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Pete's speech

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Greame tells us his and Hil's life story - and it was pretty exciting.

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finally, speeches aredone and the party can begin!

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Another group shot.

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That cake was so yummy!

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The happy couple enjoying some cake.

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Get that papparazzi outta here!

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Megan and Kate

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The last dance

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Back home, a little drunk, just before pimiento cheese sandwiches on the back deck, then up to bed.

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We woke up to the best view in the world. I loved it so much that it is now my screensaver.

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We enjoyed the view for over an hour, had coffee, chatted with Grady's mom, and did some bird-watching

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Megan and Peter near the dock

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Grady's mom, Shirley, made us a real Charleston breakfast - Shrimp'n'Grits

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We spent Saturday afternoon at the Farmers Market.

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okra

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boiled peanuts

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yet another nice group shot

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I needed more shrimp'n'grits.

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So did Matt

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A stroll through historic Charleston, where we coincidentally visited the Church yard where the real wedding took place

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Peter and Megan ready for drinks on the rooftop terrace

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Amanda & Grady ready for drinks on the rooftop terrace

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Hillary and Megan on the roof

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Anne and Nan on the roof

Then off to Hank's Seafood
where Peter, Grady, and Nan got to hear lots of stories from the girls teenage years

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Nan

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Amanda

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Dan

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Ann

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Kate

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Peter

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Megan

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Hillary

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Jenn

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Grady

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once again, we woke up to this beautiful view.

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and then we went to the beach.

Airline mishaps allowed Peter &
to get an extra day in Charleston and spend some time with Hillary and Pete.

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Peter obviously didn't eat enough shrimp, so he brought a cooler full of it home. We had a fantastic time !!!!!

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Turkish keyboard
the 'i' has no dot, unless you go near the 'jkl', next to the s with the thingy

back in Istanbul
I went straight to the spice bazaar to sample some cheese

mushrooms


fish


more cheese
this tuff looks like feta but is much milder and less salty.

pickled everything





dates stuffed with nuts


figs stuffed with nuts


mosque at dusk


mosque at night


me and mosque at night


lamb and veggies under a top
for $4 in a cafeteria

Gokce and I in a winebar
drinking cherry wine

Sweet cherry wine


breakfast at Gokce's
I ate with her brother

Had to go back for that pudding
it looks unbelievably good

surprise!
it has cream-filled pastries underneath!!! Sweet Jesus! soory - Sweet Allah~!

fishing on the Galata bridge


tulip day
the people of Istanbul were treated to free bulbs - which I brought home

stuffed potato
with more stuffings than you could possibly imagine

an old building
that probably has some historical significance

Etz Chaim
a synagogue in Istanbul

fried fish
3 for a buck, with tartar sauce

this man is making lollipops
I want one of these in my house!

custom-made lollipop


smoked meat and pickles
more Montreal Jewish food in Istanbul

the Galata bridge
2 levels- top is for trams, walking, and fishing. bottom is cafes

cafes under the bridge


fish market
right at the water; the fishermen bring the fish right over

and then the cook grills it
I chose tuna

then you eat it
right at the water's edge!







Bosphorous coastline


profiteroles


lots of them
but I only had one - I swear!

beyond words


dripping with honey goodness


cooking his catch
can't get fresher than that.

dried beef
like prosciutto, but not as good

smoked meat and pickles
still cannot believe it

flat bread with melted cheese


lottery-ticket seller
too bad you cant see his funny hat - these guys are everywhere

Gokce's mom's stuffed peppers


2 KG of yogurt
I am told this is a small container.

relaxing with a glass of wine
after a hard days' eating

hmm. . . .where to go next . . .


lots of foot room
when asked'window or isle' I asked to be surprised - and I was! Thanks Alitalia!

Milan airport
not your usual selection of airport stores













now that's a trash can
Europe knows what its doing.

enjoying latte in Milan





almost home. . .


the cockpit


Sandro
Chief Steward - about to retire.

I spent my 1 night in London
at bob's - he loves opera

and has lots of it


even more opera
Thank you for your hospitality Bob - it was much appreciated.

double decker bus


too bad. .
they hadnt opened yet - it was 7am

death?


2nd to last flight...
and almost time to pick up my Dutch bike!

one more flight to go
7 hours and I'm home

walking on the clouds








landing in Amsterdam once again











this is where my bike had been
for 10 days - is it still there?

Yes it is!


my last foreignmeal
Uncle Ben's? the ice cream they surprised us with 2 hours later made up for it.




I've been on a plane for 7 hours
and I am tired

but now its only 3:45pm
and I'm still tired

uh oh. . .snow

breakfast on the plane
still very North American - served in a box




Josh and Nader
and a very small car. Nader was on his way to Jordan.

Dutch cheese


deli meats


very scary deli meat


Amsterdam market











yummy waffle thing


herring sandwich
with onions - very Dutch

FEBO
vending machine fast food. bizarre

cheeseburger from a machine?
no thank you

but i had to try the 'bami bap'


urgh!
noodles in a deep-fried rectangle of bread crumbs!!!

phew. .real food
dried sausage, old cheese, brown bread

shrimp with raspberry sauce
shared with our hosts Amanda and Grant (thansk guys!!)

the Cannabrex Team
at the Cannabis Cup

our literature


Marco Renda
of Treating Yourself - Toronto-based Medicinal Marijuana Organization/magazine

yes
this is 30 grams of hashish

pickles


Vitamin C - Echanicea cocktail
The exhibition was so smoky that I began each day with one of these.

on camera


Nick
from Berlin

lunch


the Dharma Bums from California


playing some music
much needed relaxation

smoke in a bag


raisin/nut bread


bakery


a Cannabrex Capkit on display
in Extreme Coffeeshop

bike lanes
every road ahs a bike lane - I wish we had that here

Dutch bikes
called 'Oma Fitz' - Granny bike. I love these

I couldnt stop looking at them


or taking pics of them


wow.



I actually bought one to bring home. . . I can't wait for spring!

canals
It was pointed out that all my pics were of food and bikes. Here is Dutch cliche.

fries and mayo


now that's a french fry setup1


the Heineken Brewery
Now off to London to visit Graham and Jan the entomologists.

mantis


insects


cool insects


weird looking mantis


Graham and mantis


insects having sex


a BIG cockroach
so big it made robot sounds when it moved

several large cockroaches


a BIG scorpion
after all these insects, i was getting hungry

British food at its best
roast beef, yorkshire pudding, and all the fixins!

the money shot
as you can tell, I did not enjoy it ata ll

British dessert
apple pie and custard

English breakfast


ready to start my day

Gaziantep from the air
sorry -I got this from the web. . . .ancient castle in the middle of city.

corba


cige
or in English: liver, grilled, with grilled tomato and a really good salad

bazaar in Gaziantep


bazaar


bazaar


spices in the bazaar


2 gun shops


donkey accessory shop


pickles
and some weird stuff packed in animal hyde

weird candy
made from nuts and grape juice

more baklava


bakalva close up


street food vendors


My lamakoun experience
I met Ramazan - a guy who works in a butcher/veg/bakery shop

this is Ramazan cutting veggies
he feeds the bazaar workers

freshly ground lamb


seasoned ground lamb


food for the oven








Ramazan's empire


the bakery


a guy and his pre-cooked lunch


flat bread


so that's how they do it





he forms the bread


this stuff looks good


more tea!


finally
i get to eat!

really tasty stuff








Ramazan 'n' me


Ramazan's business card


veggies


garlic for sale


fish and oranges for sale


oranges


hot peppers


fresh olives
these cannot be eaten yet. they must be marinated for weeks




minaret
this is where the call for prayer comes from

men waiting to buy their sweets


poor man's baklava
25 cents each - and they line up for it

the best 25 cents of my life


man making sweets
they call these whore candy - i have no idea why

a boy and his goat


man with bagels on head


high security


bad plane food
i took the picture and gave it back.

picked up some baklava
on my way back to Istanbul

do you trust this airline?
I had no choice.

Flying from London to Istanbul
via Milan.

Alitalia
the airplane

in-flight entertainment
unfortunately featured Just-for-Laughs Gags. I read the New Yorker instead.

an omen
not only that meal, but all of Turkey pretty much contained no pork.

My passport
now sports a Turksih visa.

a classic Turkish Breakfast
consists of tomatoes and cukes(missing), bread, olives, and a feta-like cheese.

Borek
similar to Luckshin Kugel, with a thin cottage-cheese like layer inside.

Borek closeup
Shops specializing in these are everywhere, and it is quite tasty.

tea
even on a muddy road, there is a man selling tea - very civilized...

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turkey 044.jpg 2005-11-27

Bagels?
called a 'simit', this tastes exactly like a Montreal bagel.

simit
and is actually prepared in the same way as in Montreal - boiled, then baked. Hmm....


and I couldn't belive it when they offered to spread on some cream cheese!

Tunel
underground train with only 2 stops - uphill and downhill.

fishing on the Galata bridge


chestnut vendor


my 1st kebap
known in Montreal as Schwarma.

pet food
wow - many choices, and you can taste it too!

the Bosphorous
a 15 minute ferry ride takes you from Europe to Asia.

cemetary
Turekish gravestones are a little different.

music store
ouds?

music store
tsimbls. . .darbukas. . .

candy vendor
street food is abundant in turkey - cheap, convenient, and tasty.

fish market
below the Galata bridge . .very fresh. . .you will see later. . .

fishing


more tea. . .
even on the bridge, there is tea.

mosque
paryer call is 5 times a day - 1st one at 5am!

French-press &Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee alwasy served with water - it is thick.

pudding shop
I have found paradise!

lentil soup
"korba" - homemade by my friend Gukce's mom - with pepper flakes from Urfa.

classic Turksih dinner
kofte, cauliflower, potato salad, eggplant/veg stew. . .

salad
Turks love their tomato/cucumber salad!

lunch at the office
Gukce's pffice has a cook - more kofte, with noodles and salad.

more street food
want an orange whilst crossing the street? no problem!

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turkey 080.jpg 2005-11-28

street coffee
just in case you need a fix between 2 cafes. . .

kebap in the park
this nice man gave me a free taste!

Yussuf
This nice guy from Kahta gave a me a free tour of Sultahnamet, and then

history teacher/carpet seller
introduced me to his friend, who we met on the street,

me at the mosque
who gave me a history lesson and tour of the Blue Mosque

ceiling in the Blue Mosque
built from 1603-1617 - it is still in use.

Blue Mosque
the blue tiles gave it its original name

Blue Mosque
after the mosque, my friend offered me a cup of tea in his carpet shop nearby. . .

my 1st carpet shop
I received tea and a sales pitch. I declined and was called a 'good' negotiator.

cookies!!!!
I love cookies

mussel vendor
fresh mussels and lemon. wow.

fish sandwish vendor
freshly caught 100 yards away, with onions and tomatoes - and costs about $2.

my fish sandwich
and a great view of Hagia Sophia and a mosque

Turkish coffee
with my Israeli friend Gilad. Next stop: I fly to Gaziantep

sheep in the road
what did you expect?

me in a car
on the way to Harran, where Abraham lived.

Syria is just over those hills


Pistachio trees


ancient ruins of Harran





Did Abraham sit on this log?


Did Abraham walk here?


Did Abraham walk through this?


Did Abraham see this?





I did.


beehive homes
built to keep cool in the blazing summer.




ceiling
of beehive home

goats in the shade


1 goat in the shade


trash
Almost everywhere you look. Would Abraham approve?




a rooster


the money shot!
Turkeys in Turkey ! ! !

barbed wire


yet one more donkey


donkey pulling people


cotton is grown here
and I am on my way back to Urfa

more beehive homes

Welcome to Gaziantep!
the airport is pretty small, so there all passengers are processed at Gate 1.

Check out the scenery
the airport is a little out of the way. . .

I should have gone on the plane
this is a standard toilet in Turkey. uh oh...

Baklava!!!!
Gaziantep is the Baklava capitol of the world! (and I though it would be in Greece)

my Gaziantep buddy
without a word of English, this guy drove me to the bus station& helped me out.

23
why is the bus to Urfa at gate 23?

dinner
on the way to Urfa

my hotel
with Aziz - my Kurdish host.

Kurdish home-cooked dinner
egg and tomato souffle with Kurdish flat bread.

good morning Urfa
view from the roof of my room.

more spectacular views





Urfa breakfast
same all over turkey, with the added bonus of some brown syrupy stuff

grape syrup
made from grapes, you dip your bread into this, and then into yogurt.

a donkey
who needs a car?

Dergah
a sacred pool full of fat carp

fish food vendor
you buy food from this guy and feed the fat carp.

hungry fat carp
if you kill one of these, it is said you will go blind.

feeding the fat carp
brings you health and luck

the fat carp


four Kurds
feeding the fat carp

more fat carp


Throne of Nimrod fortress





kids chasing pigeons


tranquility in Sanliurfa
away from the throngs of the bazaar


after some tranquility, i am ready for the bazaar

where they make drums!





and sell peppers


Urfa is the pepper capital
of Turkey

another carper seller
who gave me tea, but did not sell me a carpet

lamakoun
pronounced 'lamajoun' - it is very good pizza without the cheese.

peynirli kadayif
shredded wheat, stuffed with cheese, fried and then soaked in honey.

close up


another close up


the bazaar


a kid
who has possibly never seen a digital camera

a kid
after seeing his own picture in my camera

another donkey
I am thinking I could use one in the warmer months

a friend
who wanted to practice his English

a motorbike
all Sanliurfans decorate their bikes.

metal workers in the bazaar








check out the detail
you can see his hammerwork as he goes upwards around the rim. . .

tobacco sellers


super tobacco


they were insulted
until I accepted a hand-rolled cigarette.

more metal workers


some old thing


this signifies that the resident
of this home has made his pilgrimmage to Mecca.

this region is also where
they grow pistachios

after the bazaar
I am exhausted, but exhilirated by walking by the fat carp again - illuminated!

dinner and Turkish TV
this family doesn't have much, but TV they have!

dinner
eggplant stuffed with lamb. The beverage is salty yogurt - a Turkish favorite.

the price of gas
is whatever they want it to be.

a graveyard
spooky

icli kofte
ground lamb croquette. a guy I asked for directions took me here

yummy iclu kofte
and took my picture - then we went for a drink

musicians in a club
where we had our drinks

me and my friend
on our way home

Urfa skyline
on my way to the historic village of Harran