SPICE BAZAAR CORRIDOR

EMINONU, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

A couple shops for lamps and tea sets in a traditional store not aimed at the tourist trade.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

THRIFT SHOP ON WHEELS

If I had to pick one photo to sum up life on the back streets of old Istanbul, this would be it.

Beyoglu has some of the most modern and hip shops.

It also has throwback hand carts.

Some are junk carts that look like the rolled out of the 1800s.

Some have decidedly more eclectic fare.

This set up, in Cihangir, is hard to resist.

ISTANBUL STREET ART

CIHANGIR, GALATA

Living a few miles from Miami's Wynwood, we are big fans of street art.

Being frequent visitors to Istanbul, but terrible speakers of Turkish, we hope the words in this piece of street art are simply funny -- not vulgar or offensive.

THE FACE OF TURKEY

BURSA

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.

Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

--Mark Twain

ISTANBUL STREET ART

BEYOGLU

One in a series of murals with Istanbul's signature tulips and tiles.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

BALLOON SELLER, BEBEK

Photo taken from a fast-moving Bosphorus Ferry with a Nikkor zoom lens.

145,000 READERS

THIS BLOG HAS POSTED THE EQUIVALENT OF 4 FULL BOOKS WORTH OF TEXT

For more than seven years, we have posted almost daily.

There are far more than 1,600 stories in the archives.

Almost all of the text is original.

A great deal -- everything from disability advocacy to humor pieces to music reviews -- have come from my wife, Heidi Johnson-Wright.

More than 90% of the photos are ones I've taken in South America, Europe, Asia and beyond.

Speaking of photos, the two on this post are self portraits.

The top one is more experimental.

That's me, on a public ferry on the Golden Horn in Istanbul.

I'm shooting into a mirror, hoping to get my ghostly image along with that of a mosque behind me.

The bottom one is more straightforward.

I'm looking into a large mirror on the wall of Topkapi Palace -- also in Istanbul.

Behind me is a clear image of one of the many ornate rooms in the Harem.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

MAN SELLING FOOD FOR PIGEONS

New Mosque, Yeni Camii, Eminonu

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

MACHINIST ON WHEELS

Even in tony and upscale Ortakoy, street vendors ply their trade.

I could never figure out exactly what the machine on wheels does.

If you know, please tell me.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

SHOE SHINE MAN

The dignified shoe shine man of old Istanbul, dressed in a fine jacket for his fine customers.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

SEWING MACHINES, REPAIRS, HUNDREDS OF SERVICES ON WHEELS

The backstreets of Beyoglu -- Cukurcuma here -- are filled with hardworking vendors, peddlers and more.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

BAKED BREADS ON THE HEAD

Ara Guler told me in the old days, lots of vendors carried baked goods on their heads.

Simit sellers specialized in balancing hundreds of the crispy, sesame seed crusted delights on their heads while walking from the bakery into rush hour crowds craving the quintessential Istanbul street food.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

SUT MISIR + KESTANE

Hot Buttered Corn -- roasted or boiled -- and roasted chestnuts. On the Bosphorus

THE PEOPLE OF MIAMI DESERVE BETTER FROM FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT

IF FPL INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN "HARDENING" ITS SYSTEM FOR HURRICANES, THEN I'M THE KING OF SPAIN.

THE REALITY IS MOST OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE SUFFERING BEYOND BELIEF WITH NO POWER FOR A WEEK AND COUNTING.

PLEASE, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BACK A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO STRIP FPL OF ALL PROFITS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

USE THAT CLAWED BACK MONEY TO FUND UNDERGROUNDING OF LINES

Forcing FPL to do better is something every elected official -- from US senate down to commissioners of the smallest village in Dace County should get involved in.  Whether you are Republican, Democrat or Independent, or in a nonpartisan seat -- you must be a leader who demands this.

FPL is a monopoly. It is regulated (should be regulated much more heavily) by the state.  The stuff it claimed about spending billions "hardening" the system against windstorms the past dozen years is clearly the biggest crock of BS ever dumped on South Florida in history.

I think there should be a class action, claw back lawsuit.  The past 5 or more years of profits should be stripped from FPL and put into undergrounding of lines.

If this abusive utility is left to its own devices, it will claim to be spending our hard earned money on improving the system.

We all know darn well that is a total crock. Their upper management is getting rich, their shareholders are making zillions and their lobbyists bill hundreds of thousands to make sure profiteering -- not people -- come first in Tallahassee and at every local city hall.

The only way I can see my loved ones and neighbors going only 48 hours (this was a tropical storm in Dade, folks, not a Cat 1, not a Cat 2, not a Cat 3) instead of a soul-klling week and counting -- is to strip hundreds of millions in profit from FPL.

Then dedicate that money to undergrounding and reliable rewiring.

Mayors Bloomberg of NYC, Norquist of Milwaukee and Diaz of Miami all dedicated them to people-based causes after being termed out of office.

I challenge Mayor Regalado, soon to leave office, to dedicate the remainder of his life to forcing FPL to make things right...or suing in the courts (since we cannot trust FPL to make things right) and using the multimillion, maybe billion dollar settlement to create an infrastructure that holds up to the heart of hurricane territory.

I challenge future Mayor Suarez to dedicate a part of his leadership of Miami to building a bipartisan front -- from our US senators to our state reps and senators to all local leaders including Mayor Gimenez -- focused on holding FPL responsible. 

Our next governor must make undergrounding of public electricity lines a top part of his/her platform.

Our elected officials, from the smallest local level up to the highest statewide and federal, should pledge to take no campaign contributions from FPL or any other monopoly energy utility.

Please feel free to share these thoughts, with credit to me, on FB, twitter, blast emails and any other online format.

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

THE SIMIT, SO MUCH MORE THAN A TURKISH BAGEL

Over the years, the New York-style bagel has come to dominate breakfast buffets and brunch tables, but it is far from the only style of bagel out there.

If you look back at the history of the bagel, you'll find many ancient bagels that served as predecessors to the modern bagel. One of the oldest bagels, dating back to the Ottoman Empire, is the Turkish bagel, called a simit. But what is a Turkish bagel? 

"The simit is a traditional Turkish street food and breakfast item that originates in Turkey but is popular throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean," explains Zulfikar Bekar, president of Simit + Smith, a Turkish bakery and cafe that's based in New York City. "Many people grab simits during the morning rush hour on their way to work as it is simple, affordable, flavorful, and nutritious." 

So far, so bagel. But the form factor might be where the similarities between the New York-style and Turkish bagels end, because there are some pretty significant differences between a New York and Turkish bagel when it comes to taste and texture.

The simit, for example, is sweeter than a classic New York-style bagel, and the texture couldn't be more opposite. While a New York-style bagel is known for its thick crust and dense, chewy interior, a simit is lighter and less doughy, though still crisp on the outside.

There's also a signature sweetness to a simit, which comes from the addition of pekmez, which Bekar describes as "a molasses-like syrup." It's made from the boiled down juices of fruits, most commonly grapes but sometimes mulberries, apples, plums, and pears, and it's a standard Turkish breakfast ingredient. The dough, once rolled out into rings, is dipped into the pekmez, which gives the pastry its signature crispiness once baked.

After the excess molasses drips off the bagel, the whole thing is rolled in sesame seeds and baked in the oven for 30 minutes. There's no boiling, as with either New York- or Montreal-style bagels, which makes the whole process a little simpler.

Even though it's a little bit different from the New York-style bagel you know and love, the simit is still a perfect choice for breakfast, either savory or sweet.

"It is often consumed with tea or coffee and with a spread like feta, cream cheese, or jam," says Bekar. Simit + Smith even makes so-called Simitwiches, or sandwiches on simits, so don't be scared to try a bacon, egg, and cheese on it, either. 

Because even though these simits have been served for breakfast for centuries, and are very different from their North American predecessors, there's no reason Turkish bagels can't get the New York treatment, too.

--Courtesy of ExtraCrispy.com

http://www.extracrispy.com/culture/1244/whats-the-difference-between-a-new-york-and-a-turkish-bagel

STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

KOZDE KAHVE

Fresh roasted Turkish coffee on the backstreets where Eminonu meets Sirkeci.

THE STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

A junkman and his cart.

Istanbul is an ancient city.

Now matter how much it modernizes, the backstreets still have remnants from 19th century commerce.

THE STREET VENDORS OF ISTANBUL

OLDER LADY SELLING FACIAL TISSUES AND SOCKS

On back streets of Kadikoy, near Galata Tower.

THE HAMAL, OR PORTER, AN ISTANBUL TRADITION

A Hamal carries a back-breaking amount of wares across Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu.

The photo below is from Bursa, Turkey, taken by the late, great Marc Riboud for Magnum Photo Agency.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEIDI

MY PARTNER IN EVERYTHING HAS GIVEN ME THE JOY 
OF CELEBRATING MORE THAN 30 BIRTHDAYS WITH HER

I have been all over with world with Heidi.

Spain, England, Italy, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada and far beyond Internationally.

New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Moab, Sedona, San Antonio to name just a few Domestic.

Monument Valley Tribal Park and the Big Island of Hawaii count among the all-time favorites for diversity and nature.

Our latest adventure has been closer to home -- within the 33145 Zip Code of Little Havana/Shenandoah.

We have adopted nearly one dozen rescue cats.

Honeybear the Siamese is the star of Heidi's social media accounts. Our sweetheart sleeps on the bed.

Honeybear's Tortie baby prefers to sleep under the stars, but is always close to the door and ready to play with mom when HB goes outside.

Our front of the house colony eats about 10 bowls of food per day.

That colony is headed by Squirt, a tiny, just a couple pounds full grown, ginger cat.

Her mate is Big Boy, a huge Maine Coon with a big, bushy tail.

Adults in the colony include Squirt's brother Jasper and cousin Charlie.

In the past year, Squirt gave birth to four kittens.

Irving is a grey dappled tiger cat.

Dusty is a lighter orange version of mom and dad, with dad's bushy tail.

Another healthy kitten looks like an exact blend of mom and dad, with the slight overall build of Squirt and the huge Maine Coon tail of papa.

The fourth kitten looks more like squirt.

There also is a darker orange friend of the colony.

We have so many, we haven't even been able to keep up with names of all of them.

The last weekend of August, we teamed with Miami-Dade Animal Services to humanely catch four of the cats, including Squirt, to get them spay/neutered.

Squirt is the sweet baby in the two photos with this post.

She loves Aunt Heidi and wishes her a Happy Birthday.

GUESS BY NOW, WE'LL KNOW IRMA'S RESULTS ON LITTLE HAVANA

WRITING THIS FRIDAY SEPT. 8 AT BED TIME

If Hurricane Irma got us, maybe we'll live on in some viral click bait post about the guy who posted a Dia de los Muertos picture of himself, his wife and their baby (that would be our Siamese HoneyBear) the day before the Category 5 storm took their lives.

In all likelihood, we'll still be kicking -- but maybe so miserable from damage to house, cars...not to mention weeks without power...that we'll wish we were 6 feet under.

And if Irma skirts us, Jose...or the next named storm...or the next one will eventually crush Miami.

I've never feared death.

Pain, suffering -- yes.

The big sleep -- no.

Doesn't mean I'm suicidal -- 180 degrees from it.

Just a pragmatic Midwesterner who never thought that just if the male life expectancy for your generation was around 77 or so -- that you'd have any guarantee of making it till then.

I've I check out at 52, it's been a helluva ride.

Great first house and perfect neighbors in Upper Arlington.

Outstanding job of 13 years as a reporter at the Columbus Dispatch.

15+ years in our restored 1925 house, where we're sheltering in place for the coming killer storm.

A great friend and boss in Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, not to mention his staff -- folks that still are family to me.

My pal Eric Penfield, who I met at Marlin when I reinvented myself as a marketer.

Juan Mullerat, Megan McLaughlin and the whole family at PlusUrbia. I love every one of you.

My pets, including Miss Honeybear the Siamese -- who nervously peed about a gallon on daddy's bed today, but is not in trouble at all because she's his baby.

Most of all, my partner Heidi -- wife of nearly 30 years, soulmate for eternity.

I no doubt have left out 100s of people who are very dear to me, but I have to sign off now and bag up all the electronics to try to protect them from the storm.

Thanks to all -- it's been a passionate, adventurous life.  Not ready to punch my ticket anytime soon, but if Mother Nature rolls snake eyes for me -- I really haven't a complaint in the world.

HOPING TO SURVIVE IRMA

MIAMI, CAN YOU BE AT LEAST AS RESILIENT AS NEW ORLEANS AFTER KATRINA?

          (a bizarre triptych of mattress, boat filled with tires and burned out car at a NOLA cemetery)

Within the next 24 hours, our lives could change like never before.

Hurricane Irma, with record high winds and Category 5+ strength, could take our possessions, take our house, take our cash reserves, take our pets or take our lives.

Most likely, the best case scenario is we will suffer moderate to significant damage to our nearly 100-year-old house and our vehicles -- including Heidi's $75,000 wheelchair ramp-equipped specialty van.

We care for more than a half dozen outside cats, and worry if they will drown or be felled by debris.

We had both a brand new roof and impact-resistance windows -- at a cost of far more than $50,000 -- installed within the past decade.

Both passed city inspection, but who knows if they will stand up to a storm whose size and ferocity may make Hurricane Andrew look like a weakling.

Even if it steers north or south -- a miracle to us equaling devastation to the Keys or county north of us -- and we get the effect of a Category 1 or 2 from the outer bands....we can count on days, likely weeks without power.

Heidi's wheelchair will run out of juice.

We will take cold showers and endure brutally hot South Florida late summer nights with no AC or fans.

Wilma and Katrina knocked out power in Little Havana for 5 and 7 days.

We lost the contents of the fridge, etc.

With every expert saying Irma is the worst on record, and something named Jose not far behind, we are actually rooting for a half month of no electricity and maybe $10K of damage.

That seems like just about the most fortunate scenario, along with hundreds of hours spent working to repair damage or volunteer to help neighbors harder hit or less fortunate.

For those of you in South Florida, we share your fear and trepidation.

For those of you in the rest of the U.S., please keep us in your thoughts.

Maybe skim off a little excess positive energy and send it our way.

As soon as we wake up from the nightmare, will try to post something to tell everyone we're surviving.

(Central City New Orleans House boarded up more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina)

PLUS URBIA'S JUAN MULLERAT PRESENTING AT APA FLORIDA CONFERENCE

WITH HURRICANE IRMA ON WAY, HIS THOUGHTS ON RESILIENCY IN URBAN CORES IS A TOPIC MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER BEFORE

I so much wanted to be at this conference with my colleagues.

I was booked, packed and ready.

But I needed to prep for Hurricane Irma.

As a caregiver, I did want to put 250 miles between myself and my bride of 3 decades.

Our Little Havana house is stocked and prepped for the terrible storm.

Had I gotten back late last night, the shelves would have been bare.

Thanks Juan and Megan for understanding my situation.

You are brilliant urban designers to collaborate with.

You are wonderful human beings to share life in Miami with.

You are family.

ISTANBUL STREET ART

MODA, KADIKOY

ASIAN SIDE OF THE BOSPHORUS, AT THE OPENING TO THE SEA OF MARMARA

ISTANBUL STREET ART

BEYOGLU, NEAR TUNEL

Green bugs scaling building on back alley near southern end of Istlikal Caddesi

ISTANBUL STREET ART

GALATA

Traditional Ottoman shoe shine street vendor

ISTANBUL STREET ART

BACKSTREETS OF BEYOGLU

CocoRico Disco

RESILIENCY AND ADAPTATION IN EXISTING URBAN CORES

PLUS URBIA DESIGN APA FLORIDA PRESENTATION

PlusUrbia’s Juan Mullerat, APA, and Megan McLaughlin, AICP, will present their ideas on resilient and adaptable redevelopment at the American Planning Association of Florida’s Annual Conference in Daytona Beach.

Their presentation — which is equally relevant to small town main streets, waterfront sites and big city urban cores – will take place at 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. on Wednesday September 6.

PlusUrbia will have a booth at APA Florida 2017. Please stop by to renew old friendships or introduce yourself so we can build a bond that will help create a better built environment in Florida.

https://plusurbia.com/resiliency-and-adaptation-in-existing-urban-cores-apa-presentation/

ISTANBUL STREET ART

BEYOGLU

This man paints outdoors at the bend in the road in Cihangir

ISTANBUL STREET ART

BEYOGLU

Mural near the famous Galatasaray school on Istlikal Caddesi