East meets West in Istanbul

Istanbul deserves a blog of its own. A remarkable city of 13 million people it sprawls over the beginning of Asia and the end of Europe over a rippling carpet of hills separated by the epic Bosphorus Straits. There are things to explore wherever you go. At the end of the tour we switched to a hotel in the area of Sultanhamet, a bit touristy as it holds the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, A cistern of Justinius and the Hippodrome of the Roman period,Topkapi Palace and more things of legends. Once your mind wraps around those things you wander the streets and bazaars and try to take it all in. We wandered our last day to the Egyptian Bazaar aka the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar- is it ever. There are all world nationalities wandering around everywhere. We helped a Yemeni man take a picture with his family, you hear French, German, English, Aussie English and Arabic of all kinds. The Turks are friendly wherever you go and willing to help with your questions. Over all the cosmopolitan atmosphere is the call to prayer echoing over the traffic and hustle and bustle. I cannot imagine a more exotic place. 

East meets West, poor and rich, smells and sights. From sultans to seamen there is a sense of real history and cultural blending far beyond our current era. Tour guides rattle off periods of history more than a thousand years ago and one has a sense of being rather inconsequential to the stream of things. 

We wander through the streets, mostly filled with men hawking their wares, cats are everywhere, some of the nicest cats we have ever seen roaming a city. I saw no trace of rats, undoubtably they are there but for such a crowded city that is not wealthy the streets were in pretty good shape. Traffic is horrendous, pollution a serious problem. We cough, they cough and smoke their turkish tobacco. Pockets of tourists sit in squares with hookahs and sweet smelling smoke and we are constantly surrounded with things to buy. Everywhere. Rugs, food, evil eyes, jewelry, housewares, costumes, textiles and on it goes. A bit overwhelming to say the least. We rest for tea or cherry juice in the shadow of another fabulous mosque.

Turkey 4 en route to Ephesus

Modern Turkey is fast encroaching of traditional Turkey. Women in full Muslim dress chat on cell phones with shiny nikes on their feet. Solar water heaters are easily seem on concrete houses and high rises, alongside satellite dishes and ceramic chimneys. In one town we passed through the bottles on the roof signified an eligible woman to marry. Break the bottle, court the woman.

I suspect that in another ten years the old Turkey will be that much harder to find. Mores the pity. The good thing is that education is a priority. I am hopeful that that will also encompass environmental education as the countryside is so beautiful yet there is evidence that the people do not quite comprehend the effects of pollution yet. For so many people to be captured in the places like Istanbul and Denisli it will take some public service programs to balance the conditions of habit. Biggest industries in the area that we have driven through, cotton (denim is a big export for Levis, Lee’s and Wrangler), olive oil, hazelnuts, pomegranates. In the roadside rest stops there is a guy who stands pressing oranges and pomegranates for the most delicious juice. You feel taller and healthier drinking it. 

Tourism is a huge business and one has to remember that it has always been so. This, the passageway between the Orient and Europe has, for centuries been innundated with multilingual, multicultural groups. We are often joined and passed by germans, Chinese, Spanish, Russians and many others. Some of the gypsies selling “evil eye” trinkets and cotton balls have mastery over words of English, predpominately, “Lady” and “Money" Bartering gets old and we long to just pay the price that's owed. That is not the culture. We continue to haggle.

Turkey 3 Antalya

 

Turkey is as varied as any country but much much more historied. It is the beginning of the Tigres  and Euphrates Rivers, the walking place of St. Paul and others, the spot of mythology and of culture. We have passed through the bread basket of the country beween Kapadokya and Antalyan the Mediterranean and have now passed once again over the Taurus Mountains that run the length of the country to the south and head toward the Aegean and the Greek influenced coast.

Predominate crops seem to be- at this time of the year- pumpkins and others of the squash family You see them in the fields and stacked by the houses,as restaurant ornaments and being picked for seeds. Fields are interspersed with grazing land and shepherds can be seen with their dogs among the now dry grasses.

The rivers influence don’t run far into the country. It is very dry where we are right now but there are free flowing rivers that are well known for their trout (deliciously enjoyed for yesterday’s lunch). Goat cheese is presented with every breakfast and dinner buffet. Wine is the drink of choice for Turkish meals, also beer. Raki, the synonym for Turkish ouzu is drunk for celebrations, gatherings and pick me ups.

When you look into the villages, and during weekends you see parents with their children everywhere. It is a matriarchal society and families are centermost in the Turkish culture.. It is also a very interactive culture, by that I mean there is much hugging, arm and arm and other close contact that is  a characteristic of daily life. 

They are friendly people.

I like it here.

Turkey II Kapadokya

We are quite in love with this area of Turkey as I was told we would be. The rugged dry beauty is just astounding. We forego-ed (forewent?) a balloon ride today although the next time we come it will be on the list. Awesome place to balloon and the weather was great. We wandered around the open air museum at Goreme and saw a number of churches carved into the rock dating back to the 4th century. We also walked around this cute Greek town before lunch. Following lunch we stopped at a local family's house and met some terrific women who had great senses of humor.

Yesterday we went to look at the amazing rocks and went into the underground cities. Had a cool guide who knew the caves like old friends. I didn't think I would be able to do the closeness thing but it worked out fine. I just had to stop thinking about where I was! We went to a fabulous pottery place that was a bit too dear but we gave in to the Turkish carpets today and they are sending them via UPS. The food is interesting and we are finding out how to get the most out of our hotels. We of course, would like to wander more but keep up with the group. The dynamics are settling out better and the guides are getting into the groove. We learn how to sneak away quick and buy figs, apricots and nuts from the vendors in the squares. I take little pictures here and there. Seems like I take pictures all the time but then I weed through them and wish I had taken more.


Tomorrow we are off again, toward Ephesus.

Topsy Turkey

We have concluded a couple days of Turkey. Hard to believe. Catching up with the jet lag has been a surprisingly challenging experience. Getting old? Maybe. But still willing, so there you go. We are currently waiting for a small domestic flight to take us to Kapadokya in southern Turkey. 

Istanbul was interesting, very large and crowded. We saw the equivalent of the mall in DC, a very small area including the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar (very Grand) and a hurried visit to Topkapi Palace which, although lovely, was hard to compare to the Generalife in Granada Spain. As a fellow group member reminded me Spain is richer and the climate quite different. 

Nonetheless the tiles of the mosques were quite lovely and the architecture truly a work of achievement in what we saw. The photos will attest to that. The Ottomans, the Hittites, the Romans, the this and that, it’s a lot to absorb.

 My Favorite Thing of the day- the streets.

This is a city of 13 million people. I had no idea. It is on two sides of the Bosphorus straddling Asia and Europe and the flavor of the city reflects the diversity of the heritage. Young tatooed people, older women in full muslim dress, sassy boots and European suits. Istanbul seems to have it all. I look forward to wandering around when we come back in a week plus. The people are friendly and the food fresh and good. Istanbul is no bargain when it comes to shopping or eating but it is a city and we are seeing pretty much the tourist area. Our hotel was modern and clean, a nondescript Hilton and had the most sumptuous breakfast display. 

There is a marathon taking place in the city today, running from Asia to Europe, or perhaps it is the other way around but streets will be closed and there is an air of excitement prevailing. Can it be a metaphor for the world? Istanbul certainly is a good indication of a global sampling. It has been interesting to think of the centuries of tourists that have passed through here, so much history and trade for thousands of years. A good place to observe and reflect.

Mushrooms

Just because I haven't written does not mean that life is dull. The mushrooms that have been popping up everywhere lately are awesome. So awesome that I have been really getting into them. Look at these. Don't eat these. I cooked some up and had a tasty bite, meaty not bad flavor. Then I found them identified on the internet. They were not some sort of chanterelle mushroom as I imagined. They were Jack-o-lanterns and could give major gastric upset for several days. Luckily there were no such effects for me and so feeling as stupid as I was I threw them out. Only to find later that if I had taken them in a dark room they would glow. How cool was that! I was just stupid here all the way around. But look at some of these other non edibles. You have to admire just their sheer showmanship
If you were a smurf this would be your kind of place. I do wonder when you see nibbles taken out of poisonous mushrooms, where is the little dead body? Or does something eat it  that it doesn't affect. If so, what?
The whitish ones are a form of fly agaric-not edible and easily discernible but very picturesque. I can't figure what the grouped ones are but I did not want to eat them. Wiser? I am proof that old dogs learn new tricks.

Where are the fairies?

Mea culpa

Maine is a beautiful place. I need to remind you of that because you may not be here and myself of that because I am. In the summertime everyone who lives here, rich or poor has guests come in. That is a Maine thing to do. It is not designated on license plates as Vacationland for no reason. During the summer the weather is clear as a bell and the water literally sparkles. Hard to beat. Add wildlife and water breezes and you remember why you're here. Case in point, here's a picture taken from the Pemaquid Point lighthouse.

The other thing that Maine excels in is local produce. Farmers markets are on Saturdays mostly but some places like Brunswick nearby has them a couple times a week. That makes it particularly nice for me who is into everything about food, textures, smells, combinations and consumption. Let me show you what I mean. This beautiful little goat cheese was wrapped like a presentwhich I was delighted to open, smell and consume.

I have a lot of food pictures and will write accordingly. 

When guests come you try to figure out how many places you can take them to so that they will love Maine too, although there are mixed reviews whether we should do this as we want people to come spend their money here but we don't want it to be crowded. We love our summer guests and love the quiet of the following seasons. A catch 22. It is easy to dawdle about taking people around. One place that was new for me this year was the Botanical Gardens near Boothbay- Awesome. Check it out for yourself. These ceramic sculptures were scattered in the gardens. A multi-seasonal spot that I will return to.

For those of you who enjoy active events you can't beat the hiking and boating. A lot of people come up to Maine and never see the shore- I personally think they are crazy but to each their own.  This past weekend was the Maine Marathon for those of you who would like practice before the Boston. For me, a kayak paddle is just the ticket, although I like a quiet day and a winding River. The Androscoggin, just off our property fits that bill well and is conducive to wildlife on the wing.

All of these pictures I took with company. Company gets you out, gets you going, gives motivation. That is why I haven't written in a while. I will improve over the winter months when no one comes to see us. It does have it's own special beauty and last year we had a milder winter than Washington, I'm just sayin'.... book now.....