U.S.A. East Coast Part III: Key West & Miami Beach, Florida

3 June 2014, Tuesday, Key West, Florida

We had come to the most southern town of the USA with the hope of getting some Caribbean air and relaxing on the beach; however, in Key West, which is only 90 miles away from Cuba, we were greeted by tropical showers. 

It looks like the weather conditions will not change for the next week either. At least, the boutique hotel, Traveler’s Palm where we are staying is nice (although there is no breakfast served).  

As the tropical rain is not cold, we have decided to risk getting wet and explore the main street in the town, Duval Street. All the tourists must have had the same thought. 

No one seemed to care about the rain. There are nice art galleries, variety of cafes and restaurants and houses carrying colonial and Cuban influences on Duval Street. 

Ernest Hemingway’s house and the 45 cats with 6 toes, which are located on Whitehead Street (parallel to Duval Street) is a place that can be visited on a rainy day. What’s nice and unique to Key West is the free roaming wild chicken and roosters everywhere.

I really miss L. Her chubby baby hands, cheeks, beautiful face, little shoulders, curly hair are always on my mind.

5 June 2014, Thursday, Miami Beach, Florida

As the heavy showers stopped, we managed to enjoy the beach in Key West, even though it was still cloudy. Nevertheless, despite the cloudy weather, using sun protection and covering my face and body as much as I can, I burnt red like a steak. Even though Key West is a pretty and relaxing holiday town, I can’t say that I enjoyed it much. L. is always on my mind and I can’t seem to enjoy anything if she is not with me.

As we left Key West this morning, the sun was shining brightly with not a single cloud in the sky. This way, the pristine cleanliness and the blue of the ocean became clear as day.

As we approached Miami, the traffic, the complexity of the roads and the driving style of the locals became scary. Until we reached Miami Beach, where we are actually staying, we became very tense. I actually didn’t know that Miami Beach was a different place to Miami until I got here. I always thought that the streets we see on TV and films and Southbeach were in Miami but that’s not the case. They are in Miami Beach. Miami is just another big town. Miami Beach on the other is very nice. We settled in a boutique hotel called The Angles, which is very close to Ocean Drive. When they saw that I am pregnant, they gave us a better pool facing room with 3 floors and a gift for the baby.

However, parking is a major problem here and very expensive. And the sun is very strong. I either got too used to London weather or the sun and heat here are very different and much stronger than in the Mediterranean. It is very easy to get sun sick here.

Ocean Drive is the road closest to famous Southbeach and there are lots of nice restaurants and cafes here. At night time, they come alive with live music. Most hotels situated on Ocean Drive have Art Deco architecture style. Some have old style cars from the 1930s parked in front of them. 

This view takes me to a Hercule Poirot novel by Agatha Christie. What I liked the most is the fact that Ocean Drive is not right on the beach. Between the Drive and this very large and long, white sanded beach, there is a park with palm trees and cycling pavements going all along the beach. This way, the noise and dirt of the traffic and restaurants don’t reach the beach. Even though, we went to the beach after 6pm, the sun was still burning. Only after 7pm, it was comfortable to lounge on the beach.

Collins Avenue, which has many high fashion shops, also boasts renovated Art Deco buildings. Moreover, the pedestrianized Espagnola Way and Lincoln Road Mall also have various shops and restaurants. They are nice places to stroll in hot summer evenings. However, I am feeling very bloated and unhealthy due the amount of sugar, corn syrup and fructose found in every food and drink here. As each portion is more like for 3 people, things get worse. I don’t remember this being a problem when we were in California but in the East Coast, it is a major issue.

Meanwhile, we are trying to find a name for the baby and really struggling with boy names. We cannot agree and I am getting very tense about it.

6 June 2014, Friday, Miami Beach, Florida

Besides cooling off in blue and perfectly temperature ocean water by Southbeach (even in the early morning hours, one feels the need to cool off here), there are also surrounding towns which can be visited. Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne, which are each about 30 minutes drive from Miami Beach, are among these towns.

In Coral Gables, Hispanic style villas situated in rich greenery have created a very nice world. 

Of course, there are houses in very style. Some have gone overboard and some managed to keep elegance at the right amount. 

Coconut Grove has Bahamas style villas set in large lands and a lot of tropical greenery formed during the times Miami was first being established as a city, besides nice museums built with a Hispanic style. Key Biscayne is an island connected to the mainland with long bridges. Besides the fact that it has white sanded, tropical beaches, the fact that whilst driving from one end to the other of the island, you can go through a tropical wood and park, makes this place very attractive and beautiful. However, even on this island there are skyscrapers full of flats.

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U.S.A. East Coast Part II: Richmond, VA & New Orleans, LA

1 June 2014, Sunday - Charlotte, North Carolina (On Way to New Orleans)

We spent the last 2 days in Richmond, Virginia. We joined the 10 year reunion of our university. Before arriving on campus, we spent some time in Richmond and its surroundings. All the while, I’ve been thinking that thank God that I live in London and not Richmond. If I had stayed here, I don’t think my mental health would be stable. As soon as one goes south of Washington, D.C., the conservative, religious and slow USA starts. The way of thinking, level of education are very different here. Also, besides the big and rich houses and the empty fields by the large highways, there is nothing. One feels like going mad.

We spent some time in places we used to eat and walked around Carry Street to reminisce about our student years. We noticed that Carry Street has developed a little with more variety of shops and restaurants. There was more life and activity on the street. There are more people riding bicycles, driving hybrid cars, generally being more environmentally friendly than they used to. There are even street musicians who did not used to exist when we were students here.

Then, when we reached the University of Richmond campus, I remembered again how we easily managed to spend 4 years here. Without exaggeration, this campus is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is like a holiday resort, green, clean, the buildings have beautiful architecture. Even the new buildings constructed in the last 10 years are respectful of the old. The opportunities offered to students gobsmacked us once again. This university has incredible wealth and opportunities thanks to only private donations and no state funding at all. There is even a trading room for students in the Business School.  The Dance and Theatre School where I used to take classes has facilities, which don’t exist in world famous stages.

Apart from the new buildings and arrangements constructed after our graduation, there are other additions such as free bicycles, car rental and electric car charging point. I had the opportunity to visit my favourite dance teacher and I was very happy when she actually remembered me. The Director of Study Abroad, the professors in business school, old friends, many other graduates whose faces looked familiar but we couldn't quite remember the names…It was very nostalgic seeing everyone. We went back 10 years. We think that we didn't age too much. We entered our old dormitories and reminisced about old days. It was as if we were university students again.

But I understood again that one appreciates one’s surroundings differently at different stages in life. When I was a student, running from one class to another, worrying about my grades and finding a job after graduation, I don’t think that I fully grasped and appreciated the beauty and facilities of the University of Richmond Campus. 10 years after graduation, my eyes see things differently, they can appreciate the beauty.

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As soon as we landed in New Orleans, thunder storms have started. As soon as we left the Louis Armstrong Airport, we found ourselves in an incredibly hot and humid weather. Thankfully, by the time we reached our hotel, Le Marais, in the French Quarter, the rain and storm have ended.

First things first, we had our lunch at Mr. B’s Bistro, which is close to our hotel. More than the food, the atmosphere was very nice. Without a doubt, we were in the US but the blues singing live orchestra, the interior design, the waiters’ uniforms and service style reminded me of an America, which we know from old movies with a little hint of French. As we were walking around New Orleans’s French Quarter, I noticed that we were somewhere that we could walk on the streets near downtown, like Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and San Francisco in California. Along the Conti and Royal streets and nearby, with the French, Spanish and Caribbean characteristics, I really liked this city. These areas are relatively clean and safe during day time.

However, as we reached the banks of the Mississippi River and walked along towards the famous Café du Monde and the French Market, the feelings and impressions started to change. 

The sheer number of people asking for change, of drug addicts, and seeing people walking under a bridge for drugs and other reasons were very saddening.  The view offered by the country’s longest serving cathedral on Jackson Square is very nice. 

Nevertheless, whilst the heavy scent of essence and the voodoo shops in streets like Decatour around the square are what make New Orleans what it is, in a way, I am glad not to have come here with L.

What actually ruined everything for me was witnessing on Decatour Street, a high man playing music with a kitten hanging on his back, strangled with a belt. I had a nervous breakdown. I wanted to interfere directly but because I am pregnant and because the man was high, I hesitated. For a long time, I looked for police without success. Then, I asked a lady working in the tour bus operator’s office whether there is a number to call to report animal cruelty. Thankfully, she immediately dialed the number. We were told that they would come and check the situation but I wasn't really convinced by the tone of their voice. Later on, as we passed through that street again, I didn't see the man in question. I hope that the poor kitten is saved. However, this has completely ruined this city planned liked crescent for me. 

When I saw the little horses pulling carriages for at least 7 people, I also got very angry and upset. Even on the Prince’s Islands in Turkey, they don’t work the poor horses that hard.

We took a breath at a bar called Three Muses on Frenchmen Street, which was recommended by our hotel and listened to some music. 

The sounds of jazz and blues come out of every bar on the Frenchmen Street. 

I am sure that, especially in the old days, New Orleans’ French Quarter was very different and nice. Now also it is an area with a character; however, the drunkard university students and tourists and the middle aged, drug addict locals turn it ugly and make it difficult to enjoy the place with a clear and clean mind.

02 June 2014, Monday, Hotel Le Marais, New Orleans, Louisiana

In the morning, we found the streets of the French Quarter washed with detergent. The city had washed away the ugliness and dirt, which we had seen and smelled the day and night before. Just to ensure that we are not missing anything, we went around the entire city with a tour bus. Even though it was quite expensive, it was a good way of seeing the parts of the city outside the French Quarter. Just like San Francisco, it is a place with more character and different than other big American cities. The humid weather is very uncomfortable though. Jazz and blues has major impact on the city’s history and culture.

My favourite area has been the Garden Quarter.

Beautiful houses with nice verandas built very close to each other are situated in nice gardens.  In the warehouse called Mardi Gras World, the vehicles, ornaments and statues used during the carnival are kept. They create quite an interesting and creepy look.

If I hadn't come here pregnant, I wouldn't have anything to stop me from trying the local delicacies; however, the local cuisine has developed around spicy seafood like oyster, shrimp, catfish etc, so my options are limited. 

Nevertheless, I got to try the famous dessert Beignet. It is like a very sweet doughnut with powder sugar on top. 

It is impossible to avoid the smell of fried oil and oyster whilst walking on the streets.

Actually, a trip, which could have been very nice was ruined by witnessing what that poor kitten went through yesterday and having a nightmare about it last night. Probably, the poor kitten passed away before the help could arrive. I am angry with myself for being late.

It makes more sense to spend time around Conti and Royal Streets, Garden Quarter and by the Mississippi River when in New Orleans than on the famous Bourbon Street. 

This street is like one of those Spanish, Greek or even Turkish holiday towns ruined by drunk tourists. One or one and half days is sufficient to go around in this town.

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USA East Coast Part I: Washington, D.C.

29.05.2014, Thursday

It’s the first time since my internship here during the summer of 2003 that I am spending so much time in Washington, D.C. As I am 30 weeks pregnant and L. doesn’t do well in long haul flights, we left her in London with her grandma and grandpa. Even though she is in safe hands, my heart is aching. I am constantly thinking and wondering about her. When L.’s favourite song right now, “Happy” comes on the radio, I feel like crying. As soon as the song ends, I can hear her saying “again.” I feel even worse and guiltier when I see her quiet and sad face and chubby cheeks on Skype. Although, it has only been a day since we got here, I want to already go back to my daughter, hug her and squeeze her. I even feel guilty about having uninterrupted long sleep for the first time in 3 years. It feels unnecessary. I don’t want to go anywhere again without my children. I hope that my princess will forgive me. I also hope that she will return to her normal routine soon. Before the new baby arrives, it is very important L. is back to her usual routine. Technology is not helping much either when it comes to work. As I see the work emails and think about all that I have to finish in a short period of time right after we get back home, I get extra stressed. So travelling or being on holiday without my children and without having finished my work doesn't do it for me.

Washington, D.C. has always been one of my favourite cities in the US. I think that it is exactly how a capital should be. Even though in this much organised city, the buildings are replicas of Hellenistic and Roman architecture, they are magnificent; they say “I am here, I am magnificent, I am the capital of a massive country, and decisions are made here.”

The Smithsonian Museums, which can be visited for free, have rich collections. 

Sidewalks are wide, clean, it is comfortable to stroll on the streets (this is not always possible in other American cities). Nevertheless, there is no liveliness, which is found in European cities. At night time, downtown becomes empty. However, Georgetown has a European liveliness to it. 

Georgetown has beautiful homes and streets as well as charming shops, cafes and restaurants. 

Without a doubt, Georgetown is one of the towns that are most worth visiting in D.C. and even in the entire country.

Last night, we had dinner at a restaurant called Rosa Mexicano and we really enjoyed it. The guacamole sauce here is the best I ever had. I can say that it is the best Mexican restaurant I have ever been.

After work hours, we met with F.’s high school friend, his wife and 4 year old daughter. Husband and wife work at the Department of Justice. Just like most people working in D.C., instead of living in the city, they live in Virginia. Every day they commute for around 2 hours each way. In the mornings, they bring their daughter with them and drop her off at the nursery. In the evening, they pick her up after work. Another high school friend of F. with whom we met afterwards also lives the same way. I remembered again how hard life is in the US compared to Europe. In the US, people only liv for work. They cannot enjoy life, spend time with their children or go on holidays.

When I saw F.’s friends’ daughter, my heart sank. I miss L. so much. 

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Dallas & Fort Worth, Texas

07/01/2013, Monday, Dallas, Texas

We arrived in Texas last Friday night, and F. 's first stop was again the emergency room. He was shaking on the plane. L. has diarrhea. She is very uncomfortable. Two sick people in the family again... This time we are staying with Ç. and causing them such discomfort. L. cries a lot, does not eat anything. Quite a difficult situation...

Our first day in Texas was spent visiting F.'s high school friend and a distant non-blood relative. This was when we first saw Texas' s straight, wide and empty land as well as endless roads.

We have seen the street where Kennedy was shot, which is in the city center of Dallas. 

It can be considered as a quite small, typical American town center. We were not able to see many people on the streets.

Fort Worth city center (an hour away from Dallas) is also similar, but a bit livelier, with a population browsing the streets.

Fort Worth Stockyards is a proper Texan cowboy town as I pictured in my mind. 

Of course, at the moment it is quite touristy, but at least it can be considered authentic.

Here it is possible to see oxen, called Longhorns, with horns of spectacular beauty as well as cowboys wandering on their horses (all for tourists, I am sure). 

Nevertheless, this is exactly how I would imagine a cowboy town to be.

Beverly Dr., Hillside Park neighborhood in Dallas is an area of large wealthy estates. But the most eye-catching and memorable sight in Texas for me have been the highways.

It is as if the entire state is knitted with roads and highways. Roads built over roads are like a science fiction film, reminiscent of another planet.

The Southfork Ranch in Murphy where the famous soap opera Dallas was filmed, as everywhere in Texas (probably because of the current season), is covered with dry yellow grass, and in fact is not worth a visit. 

Most of the episodes (indoor scenes) were shot in a studio in Southern California. 

Outdoor scenes were filmed in front of this farm house, which is actually quite small. 

The current owners now redecorated the inside of the house, but in fact while the series were filmed, there was still a family living in here. The actual size of the house does not correspond at all to what appears on the screen. It is incredibly small.

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