I discovered the Turkish kebab on my trip with the Chorus to New Zealand. We were told by the locals to try them... and we hesitantly did. They were so good, that we ate them any time we were out in town and could find a shop. On Thursday morning, riding the shuttle into the city, I spotted a kebab shop right across the street from where the shuttle would drop us and pick us up that evening. I was thinking about eating a kebab all day long.
I couldn't describe them to Barry, so he was a little hesitant, but what he said to describe them made sense. It's a burrito, but with lamb and Mediterranean seasonings.
The kebab part comes from the way they cook the meat. In these fast food restaurants that are scattered all over the world (except in the states), they roast the lamb meat on a big skewer, like a modern rotisserie. When you order the kebab, they shave the meat off the roast so that it tastes hot and fresh.
The meal consists of a tortilla or thin pita that doesn't taste really like any tortilla we have in the states. I'm not sure how it's made. On this flat bread is put cabbage or lettuce, tomatoes, shaved meat from the roast, peppers, and sauces.
Yogurt originated in Turkey. The main sauces they put on the kebab are a yogurt sauce and then a chili pepper sauce. It makes the kebab juicy and spicy, and delicious.
This is then rolled up at both ends and folded over, like you would fold a burrito. Yummo...
Friday, December 7, 2007
Roman Holiday Part 3: more sites
On Thursday, we ate a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, and again rode the shuttle into the city.
We toured St. Peter's Basilica which is the main part that people think of when they think of the Vatican. Vatican City is a city and country of it's own, and the gates are guarded by soldiers of the Swiss army guard. St. Peter's is a massive cathedral at the back of a plaza surrounded by arcs of columns. In the center of the plaza are 2 fountains and a statue.
To enter St. Peters is free, but you do have to pass through metal detectors. The inside of the building is much like the other cathedrals we visited in Rome, but larger and in some areas more ornate. The side corridors contain many small chapels, each with its own dedication. The artwork on the walls and domed ceilings of these chapels centers around its dedication. Some of the chapels are actually tombs for previous popes or royalty.
In the middle front area of the cathedral is the staircase going down to St. Peter's tomb. It is covered by a massive sculptured structure, like a tent but without fabric. The very front area is the altar and its decoration and is where the masses are performed. We happened to be there right at noon while they were performing a mass for a group of American students from many different states. We stood at the back of the seated areas for about 10 minutes to see what it was about. One of the priests sang something in Latin (I assume), and they had several readers of scripture, who surprisingly, were women. I didn't expect that. Also, one of the scripture sections that was read was from 1st Maccabeus and was about courage.
The architecture and artwork were truly magnificent, especially since in America we can't seem to build buildings that last more than 50 years without looking decrepit.
The Vatican museums were closed on Thursday, so we decided to see more of the sites we'd missed the day before.
We walked down the street in front of St. Peter's to Castle St. Angelo, which was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his family. It is a cylindrical building and still has the original ramp that the Roman's built to go up into the courtyard areas. The castle also has great views from its walls of all the surrounding areas, including St. Peter's Basilica.
We then walked across the river to more piazzas and more small churches.
At the end of the day, we ate a meal I've been craving ever since my trip with the HU chorus to Australia and New Zealand. Turkish Kebabs. I'm going to write a whole other blog post to describe them, because I like them so much. Then for dessert, we went to the bakery next door to the kebab shop, and I got a cannoli filled with delicious marscarpone cheese cream filling. It was very delicious. Barry had a delicious, and heavy, lemon tart.
We were still enjoying Rome, and still had so much to see.
We toured St. Peter's Basilica which is the main part that people think of when they think of the Vatican. Vatican City is a city and country of it's own, and the gates are guarded by soldiers of the Swiss army guard. St. Peter's is a massive cathedral at the back of a plaza surrounded by arcs of columns. In the center of the plaza are 2 fountains and a statue.
To enter St. Peters is free, but you do have to pass through metal detectors. The inside of the building is much like the other cathedrals we visited in Rome, but larger and in some areas more ornate. The side corridors contain many small chapels, each with its own dedication. The artwork on the walls and domed ceilings of these chapels centers around its dedication. Some of the chapels are actually tombs for previous popes or royalty.
In the middle front area of the cathedral is the staircase going down to St. Peter's tomb. It is covered by a massive sculptured structure, like a tent but without fabric. The very front area is the altar and its decoration and is where the masses are performed. We happened to be there right at noon while they were performing a mass for a group of American students from many different states. We stood at the back of the seated areas for about 10 minutes to see what it was about. One of the priests sang something in Latin (I assume), and they had several readers of scripture, who surprisingly, were women. I didn't expect that. Also, one of the scripture sections that was read was from 1st Maccabeus and was about courage.
The architecture and artwork were truly magnificent, especially since in America we can't seem to build buildings that last more than 50 years without looking decrepit.
The Vatican museums were closed on Thursday, so we decided to see more of the sites we'd missed the day before.
We walked down the street in front of St. Peter's to Castle St. Angelo, which was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his family. It is a cylindrical building and still has the original ramp that the Roman's built to go up into the courtyard areas. The castle also has great views from its walls of all the surrounding areas, including St. Peter's Basilica.
We then walked across the river to more piazzas and more small churches.
At the end of the day, we ate a meal I've been craving ever since my trip with the HU chorus to Australia and New Zealand. Turkish Kebabs. I'm going to write a whole other blog post to describe them, because I like them so much. Then for dessert, we went to the bakery next door to the kebab shop, and I got a cannoli filled with delicious marscarpone cheese cream filling. It was very delicious. Barry had a delicious, and heavy, lemon tart.
We were still enjoying Rome, and still had so much to see.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Roman Holiday Part 2: So Many Sites to See
Wednesday we slept in a little, and prepared for walking all over Rome. Our feet, though sore, were starting to get used to walking on the cobblestone sidewalks of Europe's streets.
We took the shuttle into the city, and promptly hopped on the Metro to the east side of Rome so we could walk westward throughout the day back to our shuttle stop.
The sites started with the basilica of St. Giovanni (St. John in English). It was a large cathedral, and had many art works. I'm glad we saw it first though, because it wasn't nearly as nice as the cathedrals we'd see later.
We then walked down a main street toward the Colosseum. One of the most impressive things is that you can see it coming from 1/2 a mile away. It's a grand site to see peaking out on the horizon as you look down the street.
The Colosseum itself was a marvelous structure to view. It was so large, and so much of it is still in tact. The stone structure itself was as large as I'd imagined, yet the stadium floor area was smaller than expected. It was a little larger than the floor of a modern basketball arena. The floor was only partially built out from the walls, to give you a view of what it would look like, but also to expose to you the maze of hallways and cages under the floor. It was interesting to think how many people would go there for various events, some of them against their will.
We walked up the hill past the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus, and into the heart of the Roman forum. I'd say it is a 1/2 mile long and very wide area of Roman ruins. It's just amazing to think how small our lifetimes are on the continuum of time.
The Pantheon was our next stop. Having seen the replica of the Pantheon in Nashville, TN, this stop was not what I expected. The Pantheon in Rome was turned into a Cathedral by the Catholic church in the 7th century. So instead of statues to Roman gods and goddesses, there are now statues of saints, artists, and royalty. How different is it really??? But I guess we can make good or bad of any situation. But I found the architecture of the building intriguing, especially the open hole in the domed roof, which is for the prayers to ascend to the heavens.
As we walked through the streets of Rome, we stopped in several smaller cathedrals all adorned in gold and marble, with centuries old artwork throughout. Each was another picture of the Catholic church's history and teachings. It was easy to see the stories told by many of the works of art. The biblical stories that are meant to inspire the next generation to learn about God.
We had eaten pasta for lunch, so we stopped at a pizza shop for dinner. It was delicious pizza. Roman style pizzerias are mostly like any deli in America. They stock the counter behind glass with pizza which is rectangle. When you ask for a piece, they cut off a smaller rectangle, and heat it for you in a small oven. It was a cheap good meat. It made me wonder about all the health codes we have in the states... these pizzas had been sitting out for who knows how long. But we're still alive, so I guess it was okay.
We were very tired from all the walking and picture taking we'd done. And there was still so much more to see...
We took the shuttle into the city, and promptly hopped on the Metro to the east side of Rome so we could walk westward throughout the day back to our shuttle stop.
The sites started with the basilica of St. Giovanni (St. John in English). It was a large cathedral, and had many art works. I'm glad we saw it first though, because it wasn't nearly as nice as the cathedrals we'd see later.
We then walked down a main street toward the Colosseum. One of the most impressive things is that you can see it coming from 1/2 a mile away. It's a grand site to see peaking out on the horizon as you look down the street. 
The Colosseum itself was a marvelous structure to view. It was so large, and so much of it is still in tact. The stone structure itself was as large as I'd imagined, yet the stadium floor area was smaller than expected. It was a little larger than the floor of a modern basketball arena. The floor was only partially built out from the walls, to give you a view of what it would look like, but also to expose to you the maze of hallways and cages under the floor. It was interesting to think how many people would go there for various events, some of them against their will.
We walked up the hill past the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus, and into the heart of the Roman forum. I'd say it is a 1/2 mile long and very wide area of Roman ruins. It's just amazing to think how small our lifetimes are on the continuum of time.
The Pantheon was our next stop. Having seen the replica of the Pantheon in Nashville, TN, this stop was not what I expected. The Pantheon in Rome was turned into a Cathedral by the Catholic church in the 7th century. So instead of statues to Roman gods and goddesses, there are now statues of saints, artists, and royalty. How different is it really??? But I guess we can make good or bad of any situation. But I found the architecture of the building intriguing, especially the open hole in the domed roof, which is for the prayers to ascend to the heavens.As we walked through the streets of Rome, we stopped in several smaller cathedrals all adorned in gold and marble, with centuries old artwork throughout. Each was another picture of the Catholic church's history and teachings. It was easy to see the stories told by many of the works of art. The biblical stories that are meant to inspire the next generation to learn about God.
We had eaten pasta for lunch, so we stopped at a pizza shop for dinner. It was delicious pizza. Roman style pizzerias are mostly like any deli in America. They stock the counter behind glass with pizza which is rectangle. When you ask for a piece, they cut off a smaller rectangle, and heat it for you in a small oven. It was a cheap good meat. It made me wonder about all the health codes we have in the states... these pizzas had been sitting out for who knows how long. But we're still alive, so I guess it was okay.
We were very tired from all the walking and picture taking we'd done. And there was still so much more to see...
Roman Holiday: The Arrival
We arrived in Rome on Tuesday around lunch time. We grabbed lunch at a fast food stand in the train station called Mr. Panini. They were sub style bread with different meats and cheeses. We hopped on the metro to go to the place where the shuttle to our hotel came into town.
Our hotel was a 4 star conference center on the southwest edge of Rome. Being away from the city center, they run a shuttle into the center of the city every hour and a half or so throughout the day. It was a large charter bus, and I'm sure in the summer they fill it up at peak times.
We checked into the hotel and got settled in. Looking at the menu of the hotel, we decided it was too upscale for our tastes... plus it was pricy. So we took the shuttle into town around 6 pm.
We knew from our experiences in Paris that none of the restaurants would be open until 7, so we walked a few blocks to the Vatican city area and saw St. Peter's Basilica all lit up at night. It was a grand site.
Then (and you may think this is strange) we went to a Mexican restaurant I'd seen advertised in a magazine at the hotel. I know, I know... Mexican food when you're in Rome? But you have to understand that we've been in Europe for over 2 months and we really miss spicy, yummy, filling Mexican food. It was a small restaurant run by an immigrant family from Acapulco, Mexico. While it was a little bit different than what we're used to, it was so good to eat salsa that didn't taste like ketchup with peppers and onions in it.
So that was our first night in Rome... Mexican food... and we really enjoyed it.
Our hotel was a 4 star conference center on the southwest edge of Rome. Being away from the city center, they run a shuttle into the center of the city every hour and a half or so throughout the day. It was a large charter bus, and I'm sure in the summer they fill it up at peak times.
We checked into the hotel and got settled in. Looking at the menu of the hotel, we decided it was too upscale for our tastes... plus it was pricy. So we took the shuttle into town around 6 pm.
We knew from our experiences in Paris that none of the restaurants would be open until 7, so we walked a few blocks to the Vatican city area and saw St. Peter's Basilica all lit up at night. It was a grand site.Then (and you may think this is strange) we went to a Mexican restaurant I'd seen advertised in a magazine at the hotel. I know, I know... Mexican food when you're in Rome? But you have to understand that we've been in Europe for over 2 months and we really miss spicy, yummy, filling Mexican food. It was a small restaurant run by an immigrant family from Acapulco, Mexico. While it was a little bit different than what we're used to, it was so good to eat salsa that didn't taste like ketchup with peppers and onions in it.
So that was our first night in Rome... Mexican food... and we really enjoyed it.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Firenza, Italia
Florence, Italy is a beautiful city in the hilly interior of the country. And those hills made walking the city a little more tiring than walking around Venice.
We got to Florence on Sunday afternoon, and just took some time to rest in the hotel and eat a delicious dinner at a small restaurant.
In fact, most of the restaurants we ate in would be considered small in the USA. Most only seated 25 - 30 people... and I was very thankful that smoking is not allowed in Italian restaurants.
On Monday, we went walking all over the city. We saw many piazzas with statues, and many cathedrals. At this point we were still a bit hesitant about entering the cathedrals as tourists. It seems an odd thing to go into a church to see artwork. But we made our way into several.
We stopped in one small tourist trap of a museum that displayed replicas of Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions. It was interesting to see how many things he thought up, and how similar they are to the working products we have now. Many of the farm equipment and pully systems we know of were right there in his work. He even designed an armored tank for battle.
We visited the Duomo, the large cathedral at the center of Florence. The colored marble stonework on the exterior was impressive. I loved the green against the off-white with terra-cotta colored stones thrown in as borders to different areas. It was a beautifully grand piece of architecture and design. The inside was not nearly as ornate as some of the cathedrals we'd seen, but its simplicity made it more beautiful to me.
We then walked down by the river to another cathedral in another piazza with more statues... thus goes the day when you are in Italy. It was all very attractive and scenic.
Being Monday, the big art museums of the city were closed, so we walked south of the river to the Boboli palace and gardens. The palace and its museum were also closed, but the expansive garden with all its statues and pathways was open. We spent about an hour walking from one end to the other and back. It is on a hilltop, so from several spots we had great views out over the city.It was a long day of walking, but quite enjoyable.
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