A Temple and Thali

Alright, this post is a bit delayed (as in, 3 days delayed) but it’s better than nothing, right?!

This past Saturday, my teacher from back in the States brought 4 of us yoga students to Srirangapatna to see the Raganathaswami Temple.  I, for one, had never seen anything like it, and was very grateful to have such a cultural experience!  Inside was a stucco image of the Hindu god Raganatha, or Vishnu (it’s one of Vishnu’s temples), among many others and were so ornate and beautifully made and decorated.  There was also a little baby who was brought, naked, to sit on the main image of Vishnu… It kind of looked like a baby baptism does for Christians.  It was so cute!  It made me smile.  🙂

The temple from a distance

Travel Tuesday: Istanbul

Illuminated Interior of the Blue Mosque

I know I mentioned Forum-Nexus in the first Travel Tuesday post I made…and now I shall mention it again.  While travelling around on my study abroad trip to many different cities, we completed our journey in one that I had 1) never been to, and 2) never thought I would ever visit: Istanbul.

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, though is not the capital (that would be Ankara).  It is huge and beautiful, and is probably the most astonishing city I have ever visited; I really did not anticipate that it would be the way it was.  This is what I took from Istanbul:  

Travel Tuesday: Torino

Cappuccinos Amidst Beautiful Architecture

So, I know I’m on a trip right now and should probably post a picture and update about that, but I can’t forget my Travel Tuesday posts!  I think, for now, I’m going to keep them international, though eventually they may be of different places in the US.  For now, I want to share Torino (also known as Turin), Italy.

Torino was the host of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.  As such, they have the perfect venue for skating competitions, and therefore hosted the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships.  Evan and I qualified to compete there and, despite sustaining a concussion prior to leaving, we ended up placing 9th.

After the competition, a lot of us went to visit the old Olympic Village there and were saddened to find it falling apart.  However, the rest of Torino was just incredible!  The city itself is in a beautiful location.  In the northwest of Italy, Torino finds itself surrounded by the Alps for a gorgeous view no matter where you look.  My mom and I spent a day just wandering around Torino, eating at various cafes, looking at statues, and admiring the architecture.

First of all: the food!  I made it a point to try anything Italian-sounding.