Domes

A few pretty Istanbul domes to make your day more beautiful...

Blue Mosque (obviously)



 Topkapi Palace Harem: h/t, Hannah Pritchet

New Mosque

Suleymaniye Mosque

New Mosque

Do you have a favorite?

Plague (Plahg) Brog: Sgraffito and Metalwork

It was kind of hard not to notice it...

The Doors of Borwinstrasse

Well hello everyone.  Turns out that I made it and the Hunn Invasion is now at full force.

I made it all the way across America's loneliest road and all the way through an incredibly fun week for my sister's wedding and all the way into the eastern hemisphere.  I made it all the way to Germany!

I know there's a lot to say.

But for now, since I have to go traipse about town with Paul in about ten minutes looking at another apartment, I'm bringing you a few of the doors of Borwinstrasse (Bor-Vin-Strah-Suh), or Borwin Street.

Can you see me reflected in one ?

We're living here on Borwinstrasse right now, down the street from the Church of the Holy Spirit.

The Church of the Holy Spirit on Borwinstrasse...
and my knitted traveling gnome (thanks South Slough co-workers!)

My first morning in Germany I woke up hearing church bells.  It was a rather nice way to wake up, next to Paul, up in our little garret, hearing church bells, half of my body stuck in between our mattresses**, and me thinking/mumbling WHERE AM I WHERE AM I WHERE AM I!!!!!?????


Those first two seconds were a little stressful and panicked.  But since then, Germany has been treating me pretty well.  I've already taught two English classes to varying success (more on this later).  Yesterday I enrolled in the university's German as a Second Language course (more on this later).  I've been to the foreigner's office to get my "Don't Deport Me, I'm Perfectly Legal" card.  I've even opened a bank account (more on these things later)!

All in all, it's been a pretty great week here on Borwinstrasse.   Wish you were here!


**So, it's pretty much impossible to find a queen or even a full-sized mattress here.  Instead, what happens is you buy a queen-sized bed frame and then put two twin-sized mattresses on and wedged into it, next to each other.  This can lead to a sort of "Black crack of Calcutta" problem when you somehow manage to wedge half your body down between the mattresses during the night.