Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Monday, May 07, 2012
This is the first post in a series about the Eurovision Song Contest. If you don't know what that is I strongly suggest you follow my posts. You'll learn a lot.
May is Eurovision month. The time of year where I get all excited about a song and a dance and seeing the latest in European white clothing.
This year marks my 10th Eurovision Song Contest viewing and I'm excited to revisit previous contests. Not to mention extremely pleased with myself that within that time I GOT to one (that story will surface in the days to come).
I must give credit to Penny, the one to introduce me to the contest proper through knowledge passed down to her. Watching the 2003 contest changed everything I thought I knew about music.
I rejoiced at having two default countries to support (Greece and to a lesser extent Cyprus), loved the constant costume changes from the female host and was informed rather quickly that Eurovision voting is predominantly political. 12 points to Greece? Wonder who they were from...
In the ten years much has changed. 2003 was actually the last contest to be held over one night as more and more countries chose to compete, calling for one, and then two semi-finals to be introduced. The Big Four (UK, Germany, France and Spain) are now the Big Five once more with the return of Italy to Eurovision in 2011. And voting politically has become less of an issue after a panel's judgements form half of the overall results.
The 2003 winner happened to be Turkey, something I didn't particularly appreciate at the time. To be fair, the song is catchy, but Sertab Erener just bugged me. I was intrigued by the controversy at the time though - originally, Everyway That I Can was to be sung in Turkish but a last-minute change to English caused a lot of debate around the place. Whether she would've won in Turkish is another story.
At least she beat t.A.T.u., who were big hopes for Russia even after their brief world domination had started to wane. They wanted to kiss on stage leading up to the show, which to officials threatened the integrity of the contest. But perhaps it would've made the song more interesting, because to be frank it was shit. They still placed third.
*If there's something you want me to write about within my Eurovision series, I would love any suggestions. Otherwise please share my stories or provide some feedback if you can :)
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Sunday, April 29, 2012
A year ago today I was at London, England to witness the prelude to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
At the time in an overview post I wrote the following:
"After Turkey, the Royal Wedding was amazing. Stood for 12 hours straight outside W. Abbey with a family I'd latched onto... saw Kate and Wills both go in. It was mental. Second camp-out in a week was okay. Not sleeping for 40 hours... not so much by the time I got on the plane to Cairo."
That was all I had time to write some time after the event because this was such a whirlwind. With three days in between finishing my time in Turkey and arriving in Cairo for my Egypt tour I had decided to make the cross-Europe journey to London for the big day (somewhat late to miss out on extremely cheap tickets for one leg).
I was in London for something like 30 hours... got there late in the afternoon of the 28th, and the plan was to suss out the route about midway because I didn't think I had any chance of getting near either Buckingham Palace or Westminster Abbey. However, deciding to try and walk that route from the final destination would mean I never got there. Thankfully.
I met two mothers with their kids who were schoolfriends from just outside Suffolk who had travelled for the day. They had no idea where they were going either and I decided to tag along with them to suss out the crowds. It was just insane. Took forever to get 100 metres down the road, the path was often stalled, and then when they got to their chosen spot I wasn't sure what my plan was.
They camped out in a corner hidden from the main view on the presumption others would be asked to put up the tents and they would pounce. Decent plan. They offered to let me camp with them, and the kids liked me so that was a bonus. Figured I'd give it a shot, but there was a small problem. I was only checked in for a night at my hostel.
Fighting the crowds once more, I got back to my base, got my essentials, checked out and put my luggage in storage and off I went. I paid $AUD30 to have someone hold my luggage. But well before the clock struck 12 I got back on the Tube and managed to find them again. Miracle.
The night was interesting. In the one wander I could take I found a Scandinavian journalist who wanted to interview the American lady I'd been chatting to because she'd been there the longest and was a Royal Wedding veteran (number four I think this was). I randomly got to hold his camera for a minute which was cool, I so should've done a runner. But I didn't - I went back and found they'd gone. WITH MY BAG.
I found them. But my heart was still pounding. My PASSPORT was in there. EVERYTHING. I was so lucky they were such good people.
After 10 hours of standing, they came. We didn't see the celebs but when William showed the screams were intense. And then after he went in the chants of 'Kate, Kate' grew stronger and stronger. Seeing her come out was even more crazy. The people in front of me had moved around so my view was ruined. But I still got my money shot.
Those in my area got to see the ceremony on an autocue screen from the media behind us, and there were speakers so we could hear it all.
A short time later I farewelled my new friends and ended up wandering for the rest of the day, delirious from lack of sleep and my achievement that was really not planned. Getting on the plane to Egypt and sleeping for a few hours was such a relief after being awake for so long... but this was TOTALLY WORTH IT.
And look! They've made a commemorative Barbie/Ken duo for their first anniversary! I was a special edition collector in my teens so I find this interesting. Cute!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A year ago today I was at Gallipoli, Turkey, for the Anzac Day Dawn Service.
While I delved a little into the week I'd spent around Istanbul at the time, reflecting on it now I know just how wonderful the experience was. I made some amazing friends on my six-day tour which definitely makes it all the richer, and we were all there for the right reasons. Going to Gallipoli was one of, if not THE most, sombre experiences of my life. And it wasn't just the service, it's also the walk you make back up to Lone Pine, seeing the service there, then the uphill climb to the highest point at Chunuk Bair for the Kiwis. Seeing the Turkish at their own service along the way was a surprise that I should've expected but it helped sink in that there were two sides to this conflict that still feel the effects generations on.
We got to feel a small part of what they had to deal with, the night just bearable but the day growing colder and colder as it went on. I don't remember being so cold for so long, probably ever in my life. Thankfully there was no rain.
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| Lone Pine |
I went to my first Dawn Service in Australia this morning and while this felt completely different, it was just as beautiful. As a Seven Network journalist put it, it's an important day wherever you are. It's days like these I feel privileged to be an Aussie.
***
That never translated to being over Turkey.
Here are a few more photos to sum up my Topdeck tour:
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| Getting to know tourmates over a good ol' smoke-up |
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| Galata Tower. Unfortunately I failed to go in... |
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| Inside the Blue Mosque |
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| The Hagia Sophia |
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| The winding streets were crazy enough compared to inside the Grand Bazaar! |
Monday, September 05, 2011
Backstory: in 2010 my bff Penny came up with the idea of eating McDonald's in every country across Europe (because she had a fleeting thought the food o/s wouldn't be up to standard) - but we got there and she changed her mind. No-one else in our group was game so I carried it through. For most of these samplings I was on a Topdeck tour.
I first felt like Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me because I was eating it so regularly - at least every second day while on the tour - and hoped it wouldn't affect my health too much. Actually... that was a slight lie. I wasn't too concerned.
I should add, I went on this odyssey only to discover the specialties - the 'limited time only' specials, or something unique to the country. No Big Macs for me. So now to the photos.
FRANCE: Paris
After six months of not having a bite (okay so I had a hash brown at Athens Airport when I first got over there) I had my first 'McDo' meal, as they call it in France, in the restaurant that's part of the Louvre complex. I discovered that the French don't eat small and I was forced to buy a medium meal. To be blunt, the chips weren't great (however they were less salty than ours) and the burger appears rather plain. The bread was interesting, but the filling was merely beef, cheese, tomato and actual slivers of onion (not the tiny chopped up things in a lump). For its similarity to a cheeseburger, I give it (and the meal) 5/10. Good to taste the familiar beef again but an average start.
SWITZERLAND: on the road
On the way to Swiss Alps town Lauterbrunnen, we had a pit stop where I knew in my gut it'd be the only chance to get Maccas in Switzerland. 15 minutes to eat and go. I decide to go for the CBO and couldn't believe it when I opened the box and found actual bacon pieces on top of it. A McDonald's cheese and bacon roll? The chicken was different too, not the same herbs or coating. With a touch of mayo and more bacon on the inside, I skipped getting money out of the ATM and almost missed the bus for this because I didn't want to eat it so fast. Cooked well, one of the tastiest fast-food burgers I've ever had. 9/10.
ITALY: Rome
After a long hot morning in Rome - seeing the Pope in St Peter's speak to 70-80,000 people and not being able to find a metro station anywhere we all agreed on Maccas for lunch (yesss). The il Mac looked appealing, esp. since it has Swiss cheese in the picture. I like Swiss cheese. But I still found myself unable to order a small meal, even when I asked ('Piccolo?' No.). The chips tasted better by this point (more like ours, but not too salty) while the burger had nice thick beef. But the thick bread cancels out half the taste. 7/10.
AUSTRIA: Vienna
Although we couldn't really do that much in Vienna because it was a Sunday (aaargh), I still only found little time to find myself a Maccas lunch because everyone else had already eaten. Although I only picked a snack as such, what a snack it was - Cheesy Broccoli Nuggets. The pack gave me six bites of gooey goodness - warm and indeed cheesy on the inside. Never seen anything like it before. Perfect snack, but six wasn't enough! 8/10.
The Mango Passion McSundae came as tour-mate Sally and I went hunting for apple strudel following dinner (as you do in Austria, no?)... no McCafe so I settled for this. Not huge on their toppings, but the mango taste was incredible and in no way sickly. Like mango yoghurt but so much sweeter. 9/10.
SLOVAKIA: Bratislava
Bratislava was only a day-stop; we only spent 60-90 minutes there - and 3/4 of that was in rain. But it cleared up by the time we ventured from coffee to continue my quest, and it was so worth it. Complete with delivery to your table, this Maccas offered a taste of Greece (the food I missed so much at this point) with a Beef Tzatziki burger (and crinkle-cut herbed wedges). This is my style. With the usual culprits as well as fetta cheese, tzatziki and a herbed bun, this was unbelievably tasty even after having eaten a decent amount of the stuff over the past week and a half. With the mouth-watering wedges, I'm going to say this was perfect, if a bit messy. 10/10.
HUNGARY: Budapest
By the time I got to Budapest I'd seen these on a few menus, with different meats. And heaps of the tour peeps had seen my photos and were aware of my quest... which made me more persistent to explore the menus. I went with the beef McWrap, and although small it had a lot of flavour. The tangy yellow sauce went well with the beef and the strange mix of stuff (is that mango in the picture? It's been a while, I don't remember that...) packed a punch. On the run this worked easily, 7/10.
POLAND: Krakow
You may be able to tell by the first picture that we had been out before embarking on the Polish leg. At 2am, time for a feed before heading back. This restaurant had a slight HJ's feel to it with its New York-inspired menu. I skipped a New Yorker burger in favour of this snack combo - wedges with sour cream (that tasted more like aioli and felt so fatty in your mouth it was good) and a mini apple crumble. OMG. First McDonald's dessert I'd encountered and it was incredible with its fresh-tasting apple chunks and creamy interior. Wedges/sour cream: 7/10, crumble 8.5/10 - too small!
CZECH REPUBLIC: on the road 
We stopped through on the way to Prague at this McDrive (although we sadly didn't fit through the thing being on a bus and all - but to be fair the seats inside were fairly accommodating). Notable for its similarity to the Slovakian menu (Beef Tzatziki burger and all) - I wonder why... oh and according to Irishman Chris it was the first along his travels to have Double Cheeseburgers. Well spotted. I went for prawns and their 'special sauce.' Point lost for having to pay extra for the sauce, and another for the prawn itself being miniscule in relation to all the (badly amazing) crumbing around it. But the sauce was between tartare and aioli and suited, and the prawns tasted fine from what was there. Fine as a really light snack but fair average. 5/10.
GERMANY: Berlin
The most fun I've had at McDonald's in a long time. Probably since I used to play 'the pickle game' with my brother and cousin, trying to see who'd step and possibly slip on our dropped cheeseburger pickle... ah those were the days. ANY-way, after 3:30am we found this open on our way home... and the menu was SO impressive. I settled on a two snack burgers; the first an Italian-style chicken burger, crumbed and with Napoli sauce. Something similar was once released at home as a proper burger and this was just as tasty. Then... the Nurnburger. Three small sausages and mustard in a flour-dusted bun, a likely homage to their apparently famous currywurst. Definitely an acquired taste, but good quality meat. I managed to polish off 1.5 of these. Italian: 9/10. Nurnburger: extra point for most patriotic, fun item I've ever seen. 8.5/10.
THE NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam
We had about half an hour so I couldn't savour this for all it was worth. A Chicken Sensation indeed, with really fresh-tasting filling, nice mayo and beautifully seasoned crunchy chicken. And this is definitely my bread of choice. 9.5/10.
***
We hit a slight stumbling block here. Next stop was Brugges in BELGIUM for a daystop... I wander aimlessly alone frantically trying to find it - and find out from a chocolatier lady that they don't have one in the town centre, only a Quick, which is a Western European fast-foodie. Shattered. Didn't even try Quick because the lines were too big and the menu didn't look that great.
Then... oh it hurts to say this... the UK. There for a week before Topdeck and two days after. Too focused on lots of pub meals I left it until the last breakfast (on the way to my Valencia flight) because I knew they had bagels. Leave it before the Tube ride, get to Gatwick all hungry and ready - and I was falsely told they had one. Felt like crying. Kicking myself to this very day. I have unfinished business with London.
SPAIN: Valencia
I was now not the only one on a McDonalds quest: my new La Tomatina buddy Maddy was a McFlurry hunter. So we enjoyed our conquest together on the first night there. Brownie points for the cup with water, but the Californian Grill burger instead of the as-yet-untried pork option was a letdown. Really just a mix of things I've seen so far - thick meat, bacon and herbs on top and a 'special sauce.' My recommendation of the CBO, which they had, served trumps for Irina at least. I had one again in Majorca the next week that unfortunately wasn't as good. Grill: 6/10.
GREECE: Athens
After being in Athens for five days I manage to come around full circle and try something which I thought was completely crazy at their airport. The picture above shows a burger. This particular burger contained a prawn pattie. Yes, a prawn pattie. It didn't have an overpowering fishy taste but with the regular fillings and sauces eating it still had a strange feel. Was neither here or there. 5/10.
***
I ended up having Maccas brekky back in Melbourne Airport on the final stopover with one of their wraps (new for the time, seems the local menu shook things up too). Lament the missed op of trying a pork, a breakfast and a UK option. And I should probably go a Big Mac too on my next run. But the quest in 2010 was a lot of fun. I can only imagine the possibilities of what I'd do next.
2011
Didn't think I'd get a chance to continue so soon. Between the 2010 and 2011 trips I only had Maccas once - on a (drunken) Saturday night. Okay, point the finger, naughty me! Six months off, 1.5 months on could’ve be a perfect system... but 2011 has been less of McDonalds and more of worldly cuisine. Doesn’t mean I didn’t try some excellent new spins on the fast food giant’s golden menu though!
SINGAPORE: Singapore City
Walking down Orchard Road for the first time, even at night the humidity was getting to me. There's a LOT of McDonalds stops along the shopping mecca, and I was rather intrigued by one of their dessert cafes just off the main strip. I've still never seen anything like it! First treat of the trip (and definitely not the last) was a Supreme Milo McFlurry. An explosion of chocolate goodness, Milo and ice-cream have always gone together. Perfect mix, and the last time I would see Milo for a fair while. 9/10.
TURKEY: Istanbul
Sick as a dog on the last day in Istanbul after an excellent ANZAC Day tour, I discovered Middle Eastern influence within their menu. The (beef) McTurco I ate allowed me to spread sauces at my disposal and introduced flat bread into my quest for the first time. Was rather ravenous with this one - tomato sauce and mayonnaise together made for a great mix and added to the wrap's taste. Props for an awesome name too. 8.5/10.
EGYPT: on the road
***
The UK was last in my new McDonalds journey. I finally had a Big Mac in Birmingham where it tastes just as good as anywhere else. But new stuff between the regions was rare as the UK and Ireland effectively have the same menu. So I stretched what I could...
SCOTLAND: Glasgow
I needed chicken. And I needed it good. Looking in hindsight, the Chicken Legend is pretty similar to what I had in Amsterdam but I didn't have many options. It was tasty as chicken/lettuce/mayo can be, but nothing mindblowing. 6/10.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Belfast
My meals in Belfast had no room for McDonalds so I settled for a Drifter McFlurry. Now, I'd never heard of the chocolate before so thought it sounded safe enough. Turned out to be too safe for my liking - wafer pieces and a 'toffee' sauce (*cough* caramel) didn't do enough to make a strong flavour for the ice-cream. Bored. 3/10.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Galway
Gosh I loved Galway. First stop there was McDonalds as I still hung out with tour-mates before they continued back to Dublin without me. The UK had the wraps you see here, but while Scotland and England had them as daily specials, in Ireland you could pick what you wanted whenever. Win! Vegetarian wrap with chickpea pattie was my healthiest McDonalds meal so far. Sweet chilli sauce complimented the packed flavour of the pattie while cucumbers evened out the spice factor. Rather full, I was happy as Larry. 8/10.
ENGLAND: London
Still feel like I have unfinished business with this place. Trying one of the other wraps was purely for mealtime, but the Chicken Caesar Wrap was pretty good. Crispy chicken, decent bits of bacon. Well prepared. 8.5/10.
The cheesy nuggets on the other hand soured my English experience. Got my food only to see the 'special sauce' was missing and on asking was told they'd run out. So this can't be reviewed 100 per cent accurately. And tomato sauce wasn't going to make up for it. The cheese was rather chewy and not gooey as you'd imagine. Besides my disgust with being misinformed, they tasted like rubber. Not enjoyable. 1/10.
***
So I'm done for a little while. Who knows where my next destination will be? I hope it's sooner rather than later...
***
5/12/2011
Not so long after all... turns out Maccas celebrated 40 years in Australia earlier this year with some celebratory returns to mark the big occasion.
My big move to Dubbo meant I was eating a bit more junk than desired as I settled in and found a place. But what I ate was nothing short of substantial. It's been a while since these came and went but the memory forever lingers...
***
5/12/2011
Not so long after all... turns out Maccas celebrated 40 years in Australia earlier this year with some celebratory returns to mark the big occasion.
My big move to Dubbo meant I was eating a bit more junk than desired as I settled in and found a place. But what I ate was nothing short of substantial. It's been a while since these came and went but the memory forever lingers...
AUSTRALIA: Dubbo
The birthday McMuffin was a bonanza, with a big bacon layer, hash brown, egg, meat pattie and cheese. I personally thought I wouldn't be able to get through it even though it wasn't any bigger than a normal McMuffin. Just more packed. But I loved it. Perfect start to that day - I found my car online as I ate that so it had to be a good omen. For taste, definitely up there. 9/10.
The McFeast Burger and Shaker Fries had been a huge hit back when they were first released (I think in the 80s)... the McFeast was a good mix of everything and felt very Aussie strangely enough. The mix of different sauces is testament to that, but otherwise merely what a Maccas fix provides. Saturated goodness. 6/10.
The Shaker fries took a while to flavour after said shaking. I rather enjoyed that action for the novelty though - was too afraid to put all the powder in for fear of overload but the chips did warrant it. Once 'marinaded' for a bit, the seasoning was lovely and added to the chips. They just weren't the best chips ever on that day. For novelty and nice flavour, 7/10.
2012
NEW ZEALAND: Auckland
Like the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Australia and New Zealand have similar, if not identical, menus. I hadn't visited an Aussie Maccas in some time before heading over the ditch so I remain unaware if the Chicken Scorcher was also a limited edition burger at home.
This came after a four-hour bus trip and I was so grateful for it. It was a chicken burger with a difference. Same crispy coating but like a KFC Zinger in that the spices are in there instead of a sauce. Difference here was that it was BOTH. The mayo was an orange colour with flecks of chilli, and with the spicy chicken it actually really packed a punch. Wolfed this one down. 9/10.
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