Yesterday I watched “The Odyssey” in the movies. I actually liked the movie despite all the “adaptations,” but this will not be a movie review. While watching it, I could not help thinking here we are with yet another Trojan horse. The film’s dramatic horse scene (for the latest “The Odyssey” production) may have been…
Tag: History
Haunting in Oxford
Oxford does not do subtle hauntings. Welcome to Haunted Oxford, where the past does not just linger… it complaints, knocks books off shelves, plays with electricity and sighs disapprovingly at your reading choices. If you think this city is all dreaming spires, tweed jackets, and overpriced punting, you have never stayed after dark or you…
Literary Oxford
In the misty chronicles of higher education, few places can claim the sheer gravitational pull of the University of Oxford. Teaching here dates back to at least 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It exploded in popularity after 1167 when Henry II, in a classic medieval hissy fit with the French,…
In the heart of Silk Road, part 1
Uzbekistan is a captivating blend of history, culture, and flavors that hits you like a whirlwind of turquoise tiles, fragrant plov, and relentless carpet sellers they could sell sand to a camel. I recently returned from this Central Asian jewel, clutching four cashmere shawls I did not know I needed until the bazaar vendors worked…
Pompeii Past Preserved
What do you do when you binge-watch “Sopranos” again? You book a flight to Napoli, or Naples, if you will. The Other Me and I had this overwhelming need to go back to Italy and Tony Soprano convinced us that it was time to go back. With less then 2hour flight from Istanbul it is…
Lale Festivalı – More Than Just a Pretty Bloom
Every spring, Istanbul transforms into a living painting. The city’s streets, parks, and public spaces become awash with the brilliant colours of tulips – lale as they’re affectionately known in Turkish.
kasiasteps 