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Lausanne, Zürich, Paris…

Feb 12th, 2010
by yogafoodtravel.
3 comments

As you guys know, we lived in LA for about 8 years, and the only snow we saw while we lived there was either far away on top of the mountains (in the rare days when the air was clear enough you could see them from Topanga), or at the park across from our house. And yes, the one across from our house was human-made snow. It was the cutest thing to see little kids playing in their snow gear while their parents hung out watching them in tank tops… I know what you’re thinking, “only in America,” right?

Needless to say, I missed snow in those 8 years. When we were in Vancouver last December it started snowing and I was beside myself happy. Now the thing is, it’s been snowing in every single city we’ve been in since then! Istanbul, Ankara, Lausanne, Zürich, Paris… So you need to be careful with what you wish for because you might actually get it!

Lausanne was simply amazing. Neither of us had ever been there before, so it was a new experience for both of us. Our hotel was right by Lake Geneva and we could step out to see the beautiful mountains across, as well as all the cities around the lake; including Evian, yes where Evian water comes from. Lausanne is a pretty small city (120-130,000 people), so Chris doesn’t understand why all Turks know so much about it. I had to lecture him on the Lausanne Treaty signed in 1923, which led to the recognition of Turkish Republic as a successor to the Ottoman Empire. So we all know it…

We took a great class with Christine on Friday night and then taught workshops over the weekend at her studio. What an amazing community! They welcomed us with open hearts and Chris made sure they worked their a**es off! With an open heart of course. =) It was great pleasure to see our friend Muriel come all the way from Paris to join the workshop. We will also get to see some of our new friends from Lausanne in Paris this weekend.

On Sunday, we took a two hour train to Zürich, and for the whole week Chris subbed for Olive at Yogalives while she was doing a yoga retreat in Thailand. The community there is also very dedicated and strong. We got to see some of our friends from previous visits and also met lots of new people. Our dear friends Stefanie and Eli from Vancouver just moved back there, so we got to spend some time with them as well. Stefanie’s brother Claus even welcomed us with an evening of fondue and rocklets the night we got there. Yummmm…

While we were in Zürich, we even got to meet an old friend of mine from high school!

We then hopped back on the train for Paris. So far we took classes with Rajeev and Anne (she just got her Anusara Certification this week! YAY!), did a teachers’ practice yesterday, went to Versailles, had fabulous dinners with friends and tried to stay warm the entire time.

We have workshops coming up this weekend, and then we head back out to Istanbul. I now need to figure out how I’m going to fit all the fondue I bought in my suitcase without making it go over the weight limit! :\

By the way, I don’t think I had share this pic with you guys. It is from the window of lululemon Beverly Hills (we miss you!!!!!!):

January 2010

Feb 2nd, 2010
by yogafoodtravel.
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Yes, we really should update our blog more often. I agree…

Well, let’s get to it then.

We started 2010 with a “Chris Chavez Challenge” at Cihangir Yoga in Istanbul. It was a week-long challenge with 1.5-2 hour classes with Chris everyday. You can imagine Chris made sure it was challenging. I got to practice as well and it was a real treat. With so much time on the road it is difficult to get a practice in regularly, so I loved the challenge. So did 30+ other people…

Then we went to Yoga Darsan in Ankara for a weekend workshop. Özlem and her kula were simply amazing. The studio was beautiful, the host wonderful and the community just lovely. We practiced, went out for lunches and dinners, and planned many trips together for the future. Stay tuned for the details on that one; there will be some cool surprises…

We then went back to Istanbul and spent another week and a half just enjoying the city.

Last couple of days of the month we went to Lausanne for workshops with Christine Jaccoud at her studio. What a treat! We had students coming all the way from Paris to join us in the fun. And Christine is coming to the Paris workshop to see us again in a couple of weeks.

We are now in snow-covered Zurich, teaching Olive’s classes at Yogalives. Going wonderful so far.

I do have lots of photos to share with you from all these workshops and classes, but unfortunately I left the cable to the camera in Istanbul. I will upload them in a couple of weeks.

Until next time… Stay warm.

2010

Jan 1st, 2010
by yogafoodtravel.
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Happy New Year

So how do you guys like traveling?

Dec 3rd, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
1 comment

Yes, now that we’ve done one full circle and gone back to LA for a few days, this is by far the most common question we get. One that makes us think more about what we are doing and why we are doing it.

We gave up our house, car, and just about all of our possessions in LA and got on the road on August 13th, 2009, and we were back in LA on November 16th, 2009. Almost exactly 3 months. How did these three months go? Let’s see:

– We went to 5 different countries (Canada, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Italy) and many cities.

– Taught at about 11 different studios, met hundreds of great people.

– Ate at probably 50 different restaurants. Even shared meals with an undercover narcotics “carabinieri” in Milan.

– Had many incredibly memorable experiences.

None of these sound bad, right? Well, it’s been an amazing 3 months on the road. We’ve loved (just about) every minute of it. 😉

OK, now the second most common question: What are the challenges?

– Not being able to have a consistent shampoo and conditioner. This is actually quite challenging. We have been trying to find really common brands that work for us, hoping to be able to find the same one all over the world, but it’s pretty much impossible. And since we have only two suitcases with us, we only have so much room and we can only carry essentials. And of course a bad hair day is never an option!

– I miss my black Manduka! They are so heavy that we couldn’t carry our Mandukas with us (Marc graciously let me use his when we were in LA. Thanks Marc!), so we’ve been trying to find the perfect travel mat. No success yet. If you have ideas, we would love to hear.

– This whole weight issue of checked-in bags. We were in many different climates, so we had to take a variety of clothes with us. Some airlines are a little too strict about going over 50lbs for each bag, which I don’t really understand. One time one airline was checking us in for an Air Canada flight and they said it was because of the total weight, fuel consumption, etc. But since I only have 1 bag that’s a couple of pounds over 50 and not 2 bags with 50 pounds each, which I am allowed, you would think 52<100. Apparently not in their procedure manual! If it is Air Canada folks actually checking us in, they seem to be better at math.

– And we miss all of you guys! Where ever you are….

Photo Blog

Nov 4th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
2 comments
Yummm

Yummm

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Beautiful hike in Menziken, Switzerland

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Life is good!

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Swiss lake

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Stefanie & Özlem

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At Jeff Fisher's house in Zurich

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Hmmm.... Buratta.....

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Chocolate & Chocolate

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Rose Bakery in Paris. Soooo good!

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Chris' class at Rasa in Paris. Overflowing into the lobby!

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Mercan Dede and whirling dervishes in Istanbul

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Chris practicing by the seaside in Istanbul

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Anatomy Training in Istanbul

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Bosphorus at dusk

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More Bosphorus at dusk

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Shopping for a dining table in Istanbul

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Seafood restaurant in Istanbul with the Cihangir Yoga crew

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Bambi Cafe in Istanbul

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Milano!

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A little more traditional Milano....

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Wired on espressos

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Finding our way around in Milano

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Wine at every hour of the day...

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Countryside in Tuscany

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Chris admiring the countryside in Tuscany

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San Gimignano was absolutely magical.

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Do I need a caption for this one?

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Shannon Falls in Squamish, on the way to Whistler from Vancouver

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Shannon Falls

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Shannon Falls

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Rock in a tree

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Teacher Training Level 1 in Vancouver

Tunnels & Bridges

Oct 4th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
2 comments

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Two things we learned during the drive from Milan to Montignoso:

A- Chris is one of those distance drivers, who can drive for hours and hours from point A to B and then straight to K to Z, without necessarily needing to be anywhere, or stopping for a decent bathroom or restaurant. You just need to give him a good co-pilot to navigate the tiny roads of Tuscany at 9 pm and find a bed & breakfast that he knows nothing about but passionately feels we need to go to.

Well, you get the picture…

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We had a pretty good breakfast at our hotel, packed our suitcases (one per person, except he is allowed a guitar as well for some reason, yet my shoes stay behind!), and got on the road. We didn’t really know where we were going, except that we were heading south with a few potential places to stop by or to stay in: Parma, La Spezia, Portovenere, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Montignoso. It took us about 25-30 minutes to actually get out of the city and get on the highway in our little Lancia.

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If you know me, you know I like cheese. Consequently we had to see where parmigiano reggiano comes from, and we happened to be in the area, so our first stop was Parma. What a beautiful city it was! We parked the car and walked around for a couple of hours, checked out an abundance of restaurants only to be told to wait for 1 hour for a table. These Italians all eat lunch at the same time!

We ended up walking around the streets and just simply absorbing the beauty around us. Little trivia for you here: University of Parma is one of the oldest universities in the world!

Since we couldn’t eat in Parma, we got back on the road after grabbing a few snacks from a supermercato.

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The couple we had met while having lunch in Milan had recommended the La Spezia/Portovenere area. We thought we could go there and stay the night there if we like it. We could then go to the Cinque Terre area the next day.

Portovenere was, how should I say this, full of tourists of the age group that wear nylons with rubber sandals (you know what I mean?).

Needless to say, we left the area after having some delicious ravioli with some Moretti by the sea side.

Our final back up plan for the day was a bed & breakfast/spa Chris had found online, and it was already 6 pm!

Praise the iPhone & Google Maps! We had no idea where this place was, the directions on their website described the route from Rome, and the paper map we had that Stefanie’s dad had given us didn’t go far enough. We called and made a reservation over the phone (we asked her to email us the directions, but by the time she sent them after our second call to remind her, two hours had passed by and we were almost there) and got on the road.

The entire drive felt like we were either in tunnels or on bridges; it’s quite amazing engineering (yes, I am impressed by stuff like that). Once we left the highway, we traveled another 30 minutes or so on country roads and finally made it, and the place is nice, phew!

We are staying at Borgo La Fornace, about a mile from Montignoso. It’s only been around for a year. It looks like they converted an old building to a spa and built apartments and private residences around it. They have a good restaurant, nice & clean rooms and lots of open space. We will stay here for 2-3 days and then head to another bed & breakfast in a winery that is really close to Florence. While we are here, we’re enjoying the little towns around this area.

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Today we went to San Gimignano per Vladi’s recommendation, and you have to have to have to go there if you are ever here.

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But more about that later. Now we’ll heat up some left over food and wash it down with some red wine from Chianti Hills.

Ah, Italia Mia!

Oct 4th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
1 comment

Yes, from the moment we hit the motor way in our Fiat-like rental, we are saying to ourselves…. “AH!!! Italia MIA!” There’s something about topping out a four cylinder at 80 MPH on the highway that just makes you feel more masculine … I get it now.

Every once in awhile I would roll down the window and honking the horn at no one, I would yell out a few nonsensical words, that with the right accent and the right hand gestures, could be taken for curse words! Ah Italia Mia, I get it… it just feels good.

As we drove into Milan, Ozlem navigated me in with the help of our trusty iPhone, whom we have taken to just calling “i.”

Along the way, Ozlem noticed that on the map there were several towns with the name Olona, my mothers maiden name; BAM! just like that I am Italian… It all makes sense now, my love for leather jackets, my passion for small cars that continuously break down and spew fumes into the cabin and the environment, and of course the rinsing of my mouth after I brush my teeth with a nice 2005 Sangiovese blend (a habit I have taken to only recently, but it seems quite natural).

We checked into our hotel, which was cool.

The next day we walked around the city with no other plan other than to fulfill Ozlem’s desire to see it ALL… on foot! We discovered two things: One, I am what you would call a sprint walker, one who walks quickly from point “A” to point “B” and then needs food, a drink, and a nap and will not be ready to do it again until tomorrow or perhaps the next day; Two, Ozlem is what you would call a distance walker, they can go all day from point “A” to point “Z” and absorb all the interesting facts in between, they seldom need rest and if fed periodically, they can go for days before admitting fatigue.

Exhausted or not… see a park… mats out!

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In the evening, with feet aching and legs numb, we took the tram to a restaurant down the street. AMAZING food amongst the chaos. There was a beautiful old man, I presume the owner, who’s job it was to hug and welcome familiar guests, as well as to walk around to each table and look at the order and then rush into the kitchen to expedite the items after they had already come and we had eaten them. How was I to know what he was asking me!? He spoke to me in Italian and I answered him in Spanish and we both acted like we understood each other…. that’s what worldly Italian men do… Ah, Italia mia!

Half way through dinner a truck pulls around the corner blasting Mexican music. In the back of the truck were a few girls wearing SHORT Mexican skirts and dancing; on the side of the truck was a logo for what I assume is a popular whisky in Mexico. The girls began throwing out hats and out of no where, from all the bar-cafe’s that lined the street, people of all walks of life rushed the truck for their free hat. It is unbelievable what constitutes a good idea after a few drinks.

As we sat and watched in disbelief, I saw the Carabinieri (the police) advance on the truck. The intimidating Carabinieri until that point had just been standing around on the street corner watching the passerby’s .

As we watched the scene unfold, I said, “ah ha! Busted!!! There’s no way that driving around with half naked woman on the back of the truck and blaring music at high volumes while littering the streets with free hats is legal, there’s no way!”

Imagine my surprise when through the crowd the Carabinieri emerged with hats in hand and a look of satisfaction and accomplishment on their faces. Ah, Italia mia… I get it!!!

That night, we slept well and the next morning we had an amazing breakfast before we hit the road…. destination, a place on the coast, suggested the couple sitting at the table next to us at lunch the day before. Ah, Italia MIA!

Oh Istanbul

Sep 28th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
1 comment

It’s a complicated relationship… I love it, and I hate it too. It’s hard to describe…

I had been having a great time here until I had to deal with Turkish customs authorities last week, and I was brought to tears. Why, oh why does life here need to be so complicated? Why do our personal belongings get stuck in customs? And why do we have to hire shady people to take care of our paperwork? Why is every paperwork and every signature we “need” in a different place? Why, why, why?

Finally we gave up our package and left it at customs after spending lots of stressful hours and $$. Lesson learned: “Don’t EVER deal with government people here if you don’t absolutely have to.”

Breakfast Seranade

Sep 15th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
2 comments

By Chris

What a beautiful Istanbul morning… it’s great to be able to feel the seasons shifting. Ozlem and I always laugh, because no matter which  season we are in when we are in Istanbul, there will be always be a moment when we are walking somewhere and I will say, “this is my favorite time of year in Istanbul.”

I found myself getting ready to say the same thing as we sat for breakfast on the balcony overlooking the city under partly cloudy skies. As the fresh breeze carried the scent of the Marmara Sea, with a hint of moisture, and just enough of your typical city smells to remind you that you are in an eight thousand year old city, I noticed something else on being carried on the air, the sound of the accordion being played on the street corner below.

All day long you have trucks driving slowly through neighborhoods or men pushing carts yelling up from the streets the names of the goods or services they offer… anything from tomatoes, fresh milk, or water, to knife sharpening, plastic goods, or “give me your old stuff.”

Every so often, you get the sound of a talented musician walking the streets, the sound of their skills being drowned out by the many taxis, the speeding cars and buses, and of course the garbage trucks.

Today was different, as we sat for breakfast, the air was fresh and quiet as the music approached, it was as if the neighborhood was waiting for the artist to take the stage, he eventually did at the street corner six stories below. After listening for a bit, we took a 5 dollar note and rolled it in a napkin and then a news paper, for weight, and threw it down…. he looked up and played as the wad of paper floated softly down, barely missing getting stuck in the trees by a few inches; he picked it up and stuck it in his pocket and began to play a little louder and a little faster, with a smile!

As he looked up in appreciation, he noticed that there were now other neighbors also having breakfast in their balconies who were appreciating his music. He angled his accordion towards the sky with a sense of encore pride as he traversed the traffic-free street, moving back and forth from sidewalk to sidewalk, he collected money that the summoning neighbors were tossing down to him – it was GREAT!

After a few songs, he stopped to play softly for a baby in a stroller and then walked off down the street… the sounds of his accordion trailing behind him and fading with the breeze. After a few minutes, the sounds of the traffic resumed and a helicopter flying over head reminded me that yes, we are in a modern city 8 thousand plus years old.

This is my favorite time of year in Istanbul!

Me so far!

Sep 11th, 2009
by yogafoodtravel.
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Entry by Chris

Sitting having breakfast in our balcony in Istanbul… my first free time to write in weeks!  We have been pretty much non-stop since we left LA, what a ride it’s been.  Ozlem wrote about Switzerland, so I will take you through our Paris adventures and bring you into the present.

As always,  the density of Paris is an explosion on the senses …. which are easily stimulated as you carry everything you own up 6 flights of steep narrow stairs! Our legs are still sore.

When I read the description of the apartment, I thought “perfect! top floor, lots of light…” I had no idea that you could build a staircase that climbs a 1,000 feet in a 5 or 6 story building – I say 5 or 6 because the ground floor  starts at 0 – and yes I know, they use meters!

Ozlem in chocolate heaven!

Ozlem in chocolate heaven!

Days were filled traversing the city by foot just checking things out and finding great places to have lunch, coffee, or just hot chocolate. Our nights were generally spent having dinners with friends, drinking a “little” wine (as one must do when one is in Paris), and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night – yes, I finally made a tourist trip to the Eiffel Tower.

A night time visit

A night time visit

The highlight of the trip was BY FAR the workshops that we had at Rasa Yoga – THEY ROCKED!

Day 1 was packed out! Day 2 was PACKED OUT!!! We were wall to wall and mat to mat – literally – and we still had students coming in… we opened the studio doors to the lobby, cleared the furniture, and had students practicing in the lobby all the way to the entrance door – it was AMAZING!

A well deserved savasana

A well deserved savasana

The energy of so many people coming together just for the experience of it was truly heart filling, the light that filled the room was unbelievable. There was such a wide range of studentship present, from teachers to casual practitioners to students that had never stepped foot in a yoga studio before – the energy was so contagious and we all moved in harmony with one another and we all left feeling happy and full just for having had the opportunity to experience such a magical moment.

The next day we left for Istanbul, an even denser city and with even more explosive explosions on the senses – if that is even possible.

We caught a taxi right outside the airport. A taxi ride in Istanbul is always an exciting adventure… since you don’t understand what the taxi driver is yelling at all the cars… it kind of feels like you are just sitting back watching it all on TV, this gives you a false sense of security which allows you to just sit back and enjoy the views of the Bosphorus.

Day 2, practice on the edge of the water – it was good news and bad news! The good news was that my phone was dry and well.. as you can imagine, the bad news was that nothing else was. It’s never doing a handstand on the cement ledge over looking the water that gets you…. it’s the wind that blows your mat into the water while you are tying your shoes that does it!

As I satisfyingly finished my practice on my favorite two and half foot ledge, I heard my phone fall and hit the cement… but something was wrong with this picture… the mat my phone was sitting on was gone!!! It was just here… where did it go?! No… it couldn’t have…. yes, there was my mat floating on the current… pulsating in the mossy green water – very yogic actually – I had to laugh!

It’s weird how your first instinct is always to just reach out 15 feet and grab it with your hand our toes… it’s also weird how 18 + years of practicing and teaching yoga doesn’t prepare you for this – retrieving your mat without getting wet.

Yes, I thought about just leaving it out there… as I weighed the environmental impacts vs the me getting wet impact … I realized that my mat was drifting out… so in I go! Surprisingly warm… I laughed all the way home.

Last night was the first night of our Advanced Anatomy Teacher Training, it ROCKED!!! The practice was intense and the level of studentship is through the roof… it’s going to be a GREAT couple of weeks!!!!

Ok.. I am a little wired on coffee… I have tried to take a drink every time I hit “return”… I’m feeling the juice, I should probably walk it off!!! Actually, I think I will head down to my favorite ledge for a rematch!!!!

Love!

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