Turkey

Grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine or a cold one for going through this update - it's long! Nate and I have been on a road trip for the last 3 weeks through Turkey. We are back in Istanbul enjoying the last few days before we fly home to Colorado on May 16. But, let's not get teary-eyed now....we would love to share our last few moments before the sentimentalism sets in.

First stop - Saffranbolu
So, we rented a tiny Peugot from a rental place in Istanbul and cruised out of the city on April 21 around 2:00 pm....not bad with a city of 14 million (Nate, was that fun?) Our first stop in Saffranbolu, a small town known for its excellent restoration of Ottoman houses. We stayed in a great little old Ottoman house/pension and the first morning we were walking around, getting our fix of the local saffron Turkish delight and checking out some of the shops when we ran into two brothers, Mehmet and Ahmet. Well, we were invited to Mehmet and his wife, Semra's house for dinner. What a fun night of eating, laughing and Nate vs. Mehmet in FIFA soccer video games. The red scarf I'm wearing in the picture was actually given to me. It was part of Semra's dowry and I tried to refuse, but no use; there just can't be enough words to be said about the hospitality in Turkey.

Second stop - Amasra
We wanted to see the Black Sea so we drove from Saffranbolu to the small coast town of Amasra. The highlight was eating some mullet and enjoying the beautiful views from breakfast. Speaking of, we are currently trying to wean ourselves off the massive Turkish breakfast...

Third stop - Amasya
Some old Pontic kings decided they wanted to be buried above this old Ottoman city, so they made holes in the side of the mountain and now 5 of them are happily resting above the rest of the town. Beautiful place to wonder around the back alleys, along the brown river-side and enjoy a load of tea.

Fourth stop - Cappadocia (Goreme)
My dear friend, Ana Rosa, and her husband Jose Antonio gave us two nights at a pension in Cappadocia as our wedding gift....I don't think I've ever stayed somewhere like this before. Kelebek Pension is an amazing oasis set amongst the fairy chimneys of the unique (and Utah-esque) landscape in Cappadocia. Nate and I spent hours on the terrace drinking tea, coffee, wine, eating breakfast, reading, writing all while looking out at the impressive landscape. The highlight was staying at Kelebek and taking runs and walks through the many valleys that surround the area. It is something like a mix between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands (Needles area), but imagine old societies and civilizations making these houses in the landscape and painting beautiful frescoes in the caves. It is truly amazing and one of the highlights of our trip. We were originally supposed to stay 2 nights, but ended up with 6 because we loved it so much. Thanks, Covarias!

Fifth stop - Sirince
A small village in the hills set amongst olive trees and orchards, we spent a few days here meandering through the cobblestone streets and taking it easy. We stayed at a small pension where we had too many cups of tea every morning along with the huge spread of cheese, olives, bread, tomatoes and cucumbers that made up our breakfast. It was also a great spot to day-trip into the old ruins of Efes (Ephesus), an old Greek/Roman city dating back almost 2,000 years. Think Rome, but this site has not had to compete with a huge city; its true vast expanse is completely incredible, especially the old library.

Sixth stop - Alacati
Old cobblestone streets lined with beautiful stone houses. Alacati used to be a Greek settlement back in the day and has now been amazingly preserved and has some amazing restaurants and cafes where you can easily while the day away. It was the perfect place to relax before heading back to Istanbul.

By now you can probably tell that one of our major loves of travel is food...so here is a little summary of what we have indulged in so far in Turkey:

- Turkish Cay (pronounced like chai in India)...they even have vendors who sell it at the parks. What a nice way to spend a spring day.
- Turkish kaveci (Turkish coffee)
- Kebaps (chicken, meatballs, beef)
- Baklava
- Pide Doner (meat sandwich, think gyro minus the sauce)
- Cheese, glorious cheese!! (from feta to cheddar to salty mozzarela)
- Olives
- Sweets (from rice pudding to keskul, which is a yummy white mush of sweetness)
- Ayran (yogurt drink)
- Stuffed veggies
- Simit (bagels sold by street vendors)
- Fresh fish (from sandwiches to squid to sole)
- Dried fruits and nuts
- Stawberries!! Everywhere...
- Turkish delight - our new favorite we found in a small village that has saffron flavored T.D.

I could go on and on, but it`s about time for another cup of tea about now...

First, we would like to thank so many of you for helping with this part of the trip. We could not have done it without you all for your ideas, recommendations and hospitality (thank you especially to Michael & Dominique for hosting).

We are now on a tour of Turkey with our little Peugot rental, but we spent about 10 days in Istanbul and loved every second of it. From walks through the city to exploring the wonderful markets to the sights (Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia) to dinners with new friends to beers on the Galata Bridge (cheers to Ana Rosa) to a Turkish bath....it is really hard to sum up, but after a couple months of being completely dirt bag, we found Istanbul to be a welcome contrast (staying with friends, hot showers, some new clothes - out with the hiking pants!!) to the last couple months. The best part of the city, though for us, was sitting down at the parks for picnics of cheese, bread and fresh strawberriıes and watching the world go by. It is such an interesting place to visit and the tag line `Where East Meets West´ is totally true and fascinating. And, I think the only other place that could rival in hospitality could be Japan. The Turks are truly wonderful and willing to help in any case. In fact last night we were invited to a total strangers´ house in a small town of Safranbolu to have dinner with him and his wife. Here are a few pictures to sum up the wonderful 10 days we had in Istanbul. We are excited that we get to go back for a few days before heading home to Colorado on May 16. And, after a very fun experience with a Turkish doctor, I also got a clean bill of health....here we come Baklava.