Hi there! Pickle Deli Square is a collection of my experiences living, eating, and traveling the world. Currently an expat based in Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
Back to School: Cooking class in Chiang Mai
The one activity I planned for Chiang Mai, besides seeing the temples in the city center (which took all of 3 hours), was a cooking class. I chose Baan Thai Cookery School, and signed up for a full-day course...
Bangkok Airways: "Asia's Font-happy Airline"
Bangkok Airways likes to call itself "Asia's Boutique Airline," a cool slogan and based on my experience, well-deserved. But they seriously need to hire a graphic designer who can create some Corporate Identity guidelines!
Trip Report: BKK-USM-BKK-CNX
Flying Bangkok Airways, "Asia's Boutique Airline," from Bangkok to Koh Samui, back to Bangkok, and on to Chiang Mai, with lounges even for economy class passengers!
Koh Samui
Hmm, what can I say about Koh Samui? I came here to see one of Thailand's beach destinations, go kayaking, and just get caught up on housekeeping matters. And I accomplished just that...
Activity Review: Kayaking around Angthong National Marine Park
I decided to spend one of my days on a kayak trip around Angthong National Marine Park, with Blue Stars Kayaking...
Trip Report: IST-BKK
Flying Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Bangkok...
Closing thoughts on Turkey
I grew fonder and fonder of Turkey from when I first got here, and was quite sad to leave...
Lodging Review: Hotel Ersu, Istanbul
I can definitely recommend Hotel Ersu in Istanbul, actually the 3rd hotel in Istanbul that I've stayed at in my 2 weeks in Turkey...
What's showing in art: Istanbul...interrupted
There is A LOT going on in Istanbul, and I've only gotten to scratch the surface. A day exploring art galleries interrupted by demonstrations and tear gas...
McDecor: Istanbul edition
The McDonald's in Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa didn't tempt me inside, with menus largely the same as the US. But Turkish McDonald's had some interesting menu items...
Turkey's OTHER desserts
Trying a dessert made out of chicken, among other Turkish desserts previously unknown to me...
Sign Language: Warning signs in Turkey
Throughout my two weeks in Turkey, I've gotten the feeling that Turkish people have a perpetual twinkle in their eye. At least when they're talking to me. Maybe they're laughing at me inside... But in any case, this undercurrent of humor translates to their warning signs, which have an amazing diversity of designs...
Back to School: Cooking class in Istanbul
I like the idea of learning something new in my different ports of call (like Spanish in Buenos Aires), so I decided to sign up for 2 half-day cooking classes with Cooking Alaturka...
Lodging Review: De Waterkant Village, Cape Town
I highly recommend De Waterkant Village in Cape Town. It fit my criteria of "close enough to restaurants to walk to dinner, safe enough to walk back afterwards" perfectly...
Lodging Review: That's It Guesthouse, Pretoria
This is the only one of my trip's accommodations so far that I cannot recommend...
Lodging Review: Pousada Dona Zilah, Sao Paulo
I highly recommend Pousada Dona Zilah. I was all set to go back to hostel living, but I was also determined to stay in the Jardins neighborhood for its relative safety and easy access to restaurants and shopping...
Lodging Review: O Veleiro Bed & Breakfast, Rio de Janeiro
I was really frightened by all of the reports of Rio being a dangerous city, so I decided to choose a bed & breakfast in the quiet, non-touristy, largely middle class neighborhood of Botafogo...
Wall art: Brazil
After my last post about graffiti in Istanbul, I realized I never got around to posting about the graffiti I saw in Brazil...