a day in bykowce

the day began in the manner that all days should begin, with a massage. (dream or reality?) my body was then ready for a little yoga on the terrace, as the sun welcomed me with it's late summer glow. for breakfast my mom and I filled our palates with raspberries in the garden. yes, life is good! nature was beckoning and along with Dagmara we took a long walk into the woods. we reached a grand rock upon which my grandparents inscribed their initials so many years ago. the peace in the woods is truly immeasurable. for lunch we had a date with my eldest aunt Aleksandra who prepared quite a feast.
after lunch we headed to Sanok for a little shopping and preparation for a visit from my mom's friend of long ago Elizabeth and her brother, a respected and accomplished composer and poet, Wojchiech Rybicki. it was a full and rousing day. and now for a moment I shall sit beneath a sky illuminated by stars, in gratitude of the wonder and warmth surrounding me. as tomorrow I temporarily part with these woody paths for the cobblestones of Krakow...

family affairs

my dear cousin Tomek and his fiance Ania whom I adore! they are to be married on September 8th, a grand family event!
my cousin Basia just gave birth to her second daughter Alicja a week ago...I am already in love with her as with little Julia.
my aunt Aleksandra recently turned 70 and looks as glamourous as ever!

children of the wild

as I so fondly recall my childhood in Poland, so many endless summers spent outdoors, playing in the haystacks, finding refuge in the depths of the woods, creating worlds that only a young and curious mind could understand. at one with nature. so too have my cousins Dagmara, Michał, Ewa and Julia found a home in the wilderness, creating a world very much their own, composed of branches, twigs and rocks and great imagination. the line between fantasy and reality exists outside my doorstep.

at home in the woods

I arrived to Sanok to the warm embrace of my dear mother who I have not seen since my departure so many months ago. there is nothing like the feeling of home. Bykowce lies in southern Poland, not far from the town Sanok where my mom was raised with her 6 siblings and where I spent much of my childhood. my aunts, uncles and several of my many cousins remain in close proximity, and there is much activity and laughter filling this ancestral air. our villa is tucked away beneath the woods, designed and built 13 years ago by my mom and her brother Grzesio who lives here with my aunt Gosia and their daughter Dagmara. it is a beautiful life filled with simple pleasures. when my uncle is not healing the sick at the hospital or at home, he escapes to the woods to hunt, sometimes joined by another uncle Eligiusz, a forester. my hunting consists of picking berries in the garden while the rooster crows...I find refuge in the solemnity of the woods, the same woods where the Jews were saved by the local peasants during times of war, so many stories lay upon these lands...in this time which is told by the rising and falling of the sun, I have found quietude.

krakow

Krakow is one of my most beloved cities. the main square is perhaps the most charming in all of Europe, lined with cafes and eateries, the sounds of a street musician in the distance mingling with the clanking of a horse and carriage upon the cobblestones... time seems to flow at a slower pace in this old capital of Poland, once the home of kings and queens, drawing great scholars and artists from the entire world. it is fascinating to experience this city which so eloquently connects tradition with modernity....my dear friend Ola lives in this cultural mecca and we had a wonderful time catching up on all the beautiful stories of our lives...wandering the mysterious streets of the Old Town and Kazimierz...breathing in the life that is uniquely Polish.

return to london

my return to London was eagerly spent in one of my most loved vicinities near Bond Street. it was there that Sarah welcomed me to her mews on Wigmore Place, perhaps one of the quaintest of streets in all of London, or so it became for me. several days wrapped warmly against the chill in the air, Saturday spent at Portobello Market (more vintage shopping!) followed by an afternoon of pints with Bartosz, Sooji, Azfar and Sarah...lunch with Aga and Peter in their lovely flat in North Acton..and several afternoon teas on Marylebone Lane.

istanbul

every morning I wake up in Asia and take the ferry across the Bosphorus strait to Europe. Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents. once called Constantinople, this city is deeply steeped in history, having served as the capital city of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). this city is filled with colors, cats and sights that are simply breath-taking.a mosque in the lovely neighborhood of Ortakoy.
The Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries.The Underground Cistern was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Roman period. after the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, it was forgotten of and nobody knew that it existed. re-discovered in 1545, it was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. today it has an eery and mystical ambiance with fish dancing in its waters.
the grandest of Grand Bazaars, where many a treasure can be found...
The Hagia Sophia, built by Justinian between 532 and 537, is widely regarded as the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. it was the largest cathedral ever built for more than a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1575, during the Renaissance.

The Blue Mosque, one of the most impressive structures in the world! according to legend, Sultan Ahmet I wanted to have a minaret made of gold which is "altin" in Turkish. the architect misunderstood him as having said "alti" which means "six" in English. however, when the architect fearfully asked "am I going to be beheaded?". luckily, the Sultan Ahmed I loved the minarets. prior to that time, no sultan had a mosque with 6 minarets.

hot air!

this morning I greeted the dawn, high above the volcanic peaks of Cappadocia in a hot air balloon. what a sensation to float amidst these rocky pinnacles lit in golden hues by the rising sun...

cappadocia

Cappadocia is unlike any other place in the world, and I have seen many! it all began with the eruption of several volcanoes whose residues became prone to successive erosions through wind, rain and variations in temperature and began to take myriad forms. in time a series of earthquakes in the Goreme region increased the impact of erosion. as a result this magical land was formed, consisting of a vast array of 'fairy chimneys' resembling mushroom caps. Ihlara valley reveals many shelters, churches and monestaries built into these rock formations, home to a dozen civilizations beginning with the arrival of the Christians in the 4th century. a world that is beyond the realm of my imagination. walking amidst this volcanic terrain of minarets, cones and spires I had the sensation of living within a dream. the dream continued when I awoke in a cave dwelling with sweeping views to this mystical rock landscape.

ephesus

the history of Ephesus dates back to 2000 B.C., a famous city of 250,000 inhabitants, a place of festivity and celebration for the many skillful artisans and wealthy merchants. Ephesus was founded by the Amazons and later conquered by the Ionians in the 11th century B.C. Artemis, the goddess of abundance, was believed to have ruled over this land that is now considered one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. it was incredible to experience this rich history, walking amidst fragments of this venerable civilization.
The Library of Celsus built by C. Julius in honour of his father C. Celsus, the General Governor of the Province of Asia in the year 135 A.D.
The Great Theatre with a capacity of 25,000 spectators, with 22 flights of stairs, a monumental masterpiece in terms of art as well as Christianity.

tea with moses

in the land of Karakaya, an 800 year old village named for its dark rocks, shining silver in the moonlight, lives a man named Musa. as we ventured to this land, we were invited to share its secrets upon our chance encounter with Musa who became known to us as Moses. captivated by tales of his life as an archaeologist and prophet, a conversation in Turkish translated by Emre, mingled with phrases of French to my delight, his world became ours for a timeless moment. Ela too became enchanted with this wiseman. with his eyes and his heart he spoke, 'love and friendship will make the world go on.'

aegean dream

every morning I wake up to the turquoise calm of the Aegean Sea, in the village of Turgutreis on the Bodrum peninsula. this is the summer home of my dear friends Karen and Emre and little Elanur, the most adorable Turkish American baby I have so quickly grown to love! the first 3 months of her life she is spending summering in the Hamptons and Bodrum, quite a privileged life! needless to say Ela and I have bonded in the last few days as I learn the many lessons of motherhood. yesterday Karen, Ela and I ventured to the Greek island of Kos for a little tsatziki. these paradisic days are spent on the beach, swimming, boating in these tranquil waters, dining on grand turkish feasts of meze...in warm reminiscences of many years of friendship in a life that continues to unravel much like a dream..