Last week, while eating Healthy Salmon Salad, I run into the Silvertooth album by Ethan Daniel Davidson. Soon after I started listening to it, I was very vividly brought back to something. Place: Istanbul. Time: many times, from 2001 to 2007.I first visited Istanbul right after the 9-11. It was supposed to be a one-week trip but I ended up staying for a long time. So long, that even my airline (Swissair) went bankrupt during my stay of two months. Wow. And yes, it was that hip of a city that ever since 2001, I have tried to return to this half-European, half-Asian city whenever I can. During some years, I was even lucky enough to have a contract with a company that had a regional office in Istanbul! 

No need to explain, I love Istanbul and it is one of my all-time favorite cities of the world.

But now back to Silvertooth. In November 2007, I had returned to this super cool, fantastic city with my now husband and some friends for a long weekend. We stayed at the Kybele Hotel and this is also where Silvertooth’s Ethan (guitar, vocals) and Gretchen (guitar) were staying. We became friends and spent a couple of crazy nights together enjoying Istanbul: climbed centuries’ old roof tops, explored mezes and drunk raki. Many crazy photos, too. One of those weekends I would love to time travel back to!

So, while I was having dinner in Paris last week –accompanied by me, myself and Silvertooth– Istanbul suddenly came back to me and I started missing it. And this feeling, urge of returning, has been growing ever since last Wednesday and it does not seem to go away. Istanbul, here I come, soon, I hope.

Silvertooth: http://silvertooth.bandcamp.com/album/silvertooth

The Kybele Hotel: http://www.kybelehotel.com

PS Have you already checked out Pearlspotting’s Facebook page?