a veg life

(posted by Emily) 29 June 2015 Istanbul, Turkey 39,766 steps (18.23 miles) Monday was another early morning for us. After another great breakfast at Black Tulip, we walked up to the Hagia Sophia area in order to be on time for the opening of the Basilica Cistern at 9am. We wandered the neighborhood a bit, taking in another calm morning and views of the museum. While we waited for the istern to open, we found a spot on a bench nearby and made a new friend, who followed us over to our seats. Almost as soon as Rick said, "I don't think she'll jump up here," we had a seatmate. The Basilica Cistern is an underground water storage area named for a basilica that was once in existence on top of the subterranean cavern. Of all the museums and exhibits we've seen here, I think this one was my favorite. The lighting was spectacular, and it was quiet and calm so early in the morning. There is music playing inside, adding to the mystical mood.  In the back corner of the cister...

(posted by Emily) It's that time of year again..... The time where I don't really have a lot of great food ideas, and the lunches and dinners we are eating get a little repetitive. So, it's time to get back on Pinterest and revisit a few great recipes we haven't made in a while! Most of these make enough for leftovers, too, which is awesome! Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas via Brazilian Beans and Rice via Vegan Lasagna via Curried Tempeh Lettuce Wraps via Falafel Bowls (adapted from this recipe ) Jennie's White Beans and Greens Soup via Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers via Mango and Avocado Summer Rolls via Have you tried any of these before? Looking forward to trying something new? Let us know what you think! --E&R

(posted by Emily) Thursday 17 July Daily Step Count: 24,246 Our trip to Venice on Thursday was a bit later in the day, so we had a chance to sleep in and head down to Campo di Fiori for breakfast.     fruit cups We ended up walking to the train station (per normal, though I tried to convince Rick to take the bus) and we got on our train. We had heard that Italian trains are a bit unreliable, and not always very nice, but overall, our experience ws fine. There were some delays at the stops, but train was nice enough. I just wished we hadn't been put at a table of four, and that the air conditioning worked a bit better :)  walking up to the train The train passed through Florence and Bologna, and it was fun to see the Italian countryside. Eventually, we were passing over the lagoon and in to Venice.  Italian countryside--lots of sunflowers! passing over the water hello, Venice! There aren't reall...