RELAXING TIME IN BOZCAADA

On one side upcoming elections and unbelievable scandals we are hearing about the government, on the other side banned Twitter, YouTube and other crazy stuff. Turkey is little bit busy but not boring at all in these days.

Despite this traffic of events, we left Istanbul for few weeks behind and headed to Bozcaada (Tenedos Island) to have some relaxing time in our stone house. Half empty island, silent vineyards, warming sun, cats in every corner...

Just perfect.

                                          ----------------------------

Bir yanda yaklaşan seçimler ve hükümetle ilgili duyduğumuz inanılmaz skandallar, diğer yanda Twitter, YouTube yasakları ve diğer akıl uçuran olaylar. Memleket bugünlerde çok yoğun, insanın sıkılmaya vakti olmuyor.

Biz de bu arada, bütün bu olayları ve İstanbul’u arkamızda bırakıp rahatlamak için birkaç haftalığına Bozcaada’daki evimize kaçtık. Neredeyse bomboş, bize kalmış ada (artık sadece sezonda üç ay adada çalışıp, yılın gerisini Çanakkale’de aldıkları evlerinde geçiriyorlar adalılar, gerisini siz anlayın gari), ıssız bağlar, insanın içini ısıtan güneş, her köşebaşında kediler...

Daha ne olsun?

SMELLS LIKE SPRING...

SANTA KEEPS COMING AND COMING...

Since we came back to Istanbul, we are trying to settle and the house still is a madhouse. But on the other hand, we enjoy the sun, drinking delicious tea during hours while looking to the blue of the sea, the friendship of fluffy street cats, breakfast with crunchy simit (Turkish bagel), being spoilt by mom treats...etc.

This time the new year came to us with new plans, challenges and good surprises. Meantime, Santa also is very busy and keeps visiting us everyday. (Oh yes, he is still around). He brings us  packages full of love and care from special friends.

First from Ankara, from Tülin...

Then from Izmir from Depressive Bear...

And today from Istanbul, from Eda...

Dear friends, thank you all for being there, for your love and care! You enlightened our week!

AT THE SAME TIME IN ISTANBUL...

The sun was warming our bodies while the smell of the sea and the voice of the seagulls warming our hearths. 

And something was happening... 

THE MOST PRECIOUS BOOK EVER

This morning, one of us made a big surprise to the other one and gave the most meaningful gift ever: Tatanka Ile (With Tatanka).  A black and white photo book full of the photos of our 20 years old cat son Tatanka which we lost in March. The book also contains cat poems written by poets from all around the world.

Tatanka was our taily son, our little black tiger, the pasha of our home. During twenty years, we grove up with him, we organised all our lives considering his comfort, we loved him more then anything.

Now we miss him, we miss him so much...  

HERE AGAIN

We have been away a while from our little kingdom. During this time, we enjoyed the sun and the sea in this beach...

We ate a lot of these...

and these from our garden...

We met with old friends...

We made some new friends...

We received these beautiful gifts from Tülin... (Thank you!)

And came from 25-30 °C, flip flop, summer wear, to 8 °C, boots, coat. Today is springish in our little kingdom and we hope it will be better and better and better? 

WISHMASTER CAT

Our new tote bag Wishmaster Cat by Shebbo Design. 

MY BEST FRIEND : CAT

Economist and photographer Andy Prokh’s black&white photos of his 4 year old daughter Katherine and their cat Lilu.

Pure love!

Photos © Andy Prokh                Source: ntvmsnbc

THE CATS OF LONDON ART FAIR 2013

Where is art, there is cat. Here are some of this year’s London Art Fair cats:

Fred in a Box by Elizabeth Blackadder, etching in an edition of 80, £1600.

Fred on Top of the Cupboard by Elizabeth Blackadder, etching in an edition of 80, £1600.

A Cat named Sam by Andy Warhol, lithograph with extensive watercolour applied by hand, 1954, £5500 (each).

Still life with Cat I by Debbie Urquhart, 2012, oil on board, £1200.

Sourice et Griffeminette by Charlotte Champion, 2012, bronze, limited edition of 8, £4500.

Siamese Cat Asleep by Christopher Wood, 1925, oil on board. This same piece was in exhibition last year also in London Art Fair. Actually, this is not the only piece of art we saw repeted in London Art Fair 2013 and we couldn’t understand the gallery owner’s mentality for exhibiting same piece two years in a raw in a such limited -few feet squares- exhibition space.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year Everyone!

NEW YEAR GIFTS FROM EDA

This morning a lovely and smiling postlady brought a big package from Eda.

Inside a colorful and lovely gift wrap, there were lots of surprises: a vintage style cushion cover, a christmas tree ornament, a film for watching in long winter evenings and a caaat bookmark! Wooow!

Dear Eda, thank you for all and happy new year!

A VERY BRITISH CHRISTMAS FEAST

Last year was our first christmas in London and we were very excited about it. We were familiar with christmas traditions in our country and many other countries but, except the one of the best christmas movies Love is Eveywhere, we didn’t have so much idea about British christmas.

We decided to experience it in a fancy place with a nice christmas dinner.  (Then, we were thinking that the christmas feast and the turkey time was Christmas Eve like in a lot of countries but we were wrong. Brits eat Christmas feast on 25 of December, Christmas Day and not dinner, lunch). All restaurants were taking reservations for christmas dinner (which was totaly different thing, this was for the christmas parties which people make with their friends in restaurants instead of home and during all december but no in Christmas Eve or Day.) So we didn’t make christmas dinner shopping and until last day kept our hope for finding somewhere but we were wrong again. At the end, christmas eve and day were not very “feast”ive days for us. After some light snack at home, we went to one of our favorite pubs (luckyly was open) and enjoyed the live music and warm British beer.

This year, after watching since two years all kind of Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, ...etc  “christmas special” food programs, we decided having our “Very British Christmas Feast” at home. Days before we made our grocery shopping and ta taaa!

British turkey stuffed with meat, chestnut and onion  and oven roasted potatos with goose fat: done!

Brussel sprouts and carrot cooked in our style: done!

Christmas pudding with brandy cream and mince pies: done!

Christmas crackers (of course purry ones): done!

Instead of eating on Christmas Day, we had our christmas dinner yesterday evening, on Christmas Night. After the dinner, we realised why Brits eat christmas feast at lunch instead of dinner when we were drinking cups of tea and trying to digest all those goose fat, brandy cream, etc. After the dinner we were planning to go to the pub for the live music, having more booze and dancing. But we were knock-out and drinking tea, lying at the couch and looking to our christmas lights.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

(photo © Cancer Research UK)

CHRISTMASSY

Every year the christmas and new year spirit come to our home 1st of December. But this year we couldn’t wait and we called the lights and the reds and the greens (and the cat) earlier. Since one week we enjoy the lights and the spirit.  

TWO BUTTERFLIES FROM LONDON

We have been travelling and working hard since summer and couldn't update A Cat From London so often. Wimbledon, The Olympic Games, The Paralympic Games, some end of summer and autumn travels, lately ATP Tennis Finals in London and these butterflies now, finally are at home.

When we were away, received this beautiful card from Eda. Thank you Eda!

And also this lovely package full of handmade gifts and also cat earings! Thank you Tülin!

Winter is almost here, we have lots of books to read, lots of movies to watch, lots of recipes to cook, lots of places to see. We are ready for another British winter...