Home again...

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Cats, Cows, Carpets…

Since I did not keep up the blog while I was in Turkey and am completing it after the fact, I’ve decided to write by topic…

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Cats

Everywhere we looked, everywhere we went, everywhere we ate there were cats. Many of them were smaller, some were mangy, most were fun to watch. A few were so mangy that I did not get pictures of them, though another teacher did! Store owners and I think possibly restaurant owners fed the cats. I’m sure diners fed them too! We ate in many outdoor settings and there’d always be cats present. One night we were at a restaurant that featured recipes that have been recreated that were popular during the Ottoman era. Of course there were cats, I think three this time that hung around us. One took advantage of a tray that had been left out on the side away from people. This tray was on a small table and the intrepid young cat reached up standing on both hind paws with front paws on the tray trying to reach the bread. This cat was almost hanging solely by the front paws and exerting great effort to get the bread. Unfortunately its attempt was thwarted by a waiter who took the tray away.

Cows

These pictures are for my sister...but there were lots of cows. Bales of hay too but none of the round bales, many rectangular ones so I had little difficulty in identifying which was a cow and which was a bale of hay. (This is a reference to our trip from Oklahoma to Alaska, 2007) Never did learn how to say cow in Turkish though… next trip!

Designs

I was fascinated by the designs that my camera could capture. The carpets and ceramics were especially beautiful. One carpet had a Noah’s Ark design. The design came from near Mt. Ararat.Many of the ceramic designs were hand painted.

Flora

Flowers were everywhere! When we arrived in Istanbul we were told that taxes helped pay for the beautiful landscaping. One day in Cappadocia we walked by an apricot tree. This was in a tourist area, not in an orchard of any kind. Many people were standing it as a man had climbed up and was shaking it so the ripe apricots fell down. After wondering if we should wash them before eating them for a minute we went ahead and tasted the most wonderfully sweet fruit! No one got sick either...

Food

From baklava, to eggplant, to fish and all different kinds of cheeses and salads and kebabs, food in Turkey is as lovely to look at as it is to eat. The fish, with its head on, was lightly fried and the waiters were ready to help diners debone it if one wished. Many of our meals were served buffet style with so many choices. Desserts were fun, many of us would share a selection so we could taste more. Meals were usually long drawn out affairs with course after course being served. Appetizers, salad, soup, main dish and dessert were all served separately. I enjoyed the çay (chai), Turkish tea, served in the tulip shaped glasses along with Türk kahvesi, Turkish coffee, medium sweet please! I bought a Turkish cookbook and hope to try some of the recipes soon.

Kids

Kids in Turkey are a great source of entertainment for everyone. They are allowed most anywhere, anytime. It was not uncommon to see kids up till very late with their parents as they strolled the streets in the evening. Babies and little kids attracted everyone’s attention with most everyone stopping to pinch a cheek or pat a head.

Motorcycles

One day I’ll ride again, but for now I do enjoy taking pictures of motorcycles and thinking about what I'd like to ride. In Turkey there are so many everywhere. Not only adults rode but kids too, that is kids as the driver. Rarely did I see anyone in a helmet.

People

One of my favourite pastimes anywhere is people watching. In Turkey there is much to see! From people in very conservative clothes to the opposite side of the spectrum. At the Tokapı Palace I spoke briefly with a woman from London veiled up so only her eyes peeked out. She and her family were sightseeing in Turkey before moving to Dubai. We met another couple who lived in Dubai but were originally from Egypt and Lebanon. This couple was out on the town as we were. We ended up going to a dance club with them and closing it down.

The morning of one day started with a visit to the Tomb of Rumi, founder of the Melevi Order of Whirling Dervishes. The next night we went to a caravansarai to watch six Whirling Dervishes. Both were a very special treat. I felt a bit odd though watching the Whirling Dervishes as the “show” was their actual prayer service. As they whirled and changed places it was easy to fall under their spell. I got to sit right behind the musicians. Not only men are Whirling Dervishes but women too and not all Whirling Dervishes are Muslims, this was new to me.

Turkish Carpets

Our visit to the Turkish carpets was a show unto itself. Our tour started in the workshop where we learned the history of carpet making, the difference between Persian and Turkish carpets and watched how the women weave the carpets. Some were doing silk on silk while one was weaving wool on cotton. Turkish carpets are woven with double knots. The workshop featured the women who are teachers for others who are learning. After the tour I went back into the workshop and watched the women working. The one who was weaving the wool on cotton invited me to try my hand at a knot. The actual knot is easy but to get the tension and speed takes a long time to learn. They follow a pattern that looks exactly like a cross-stitch pattern.

From the workshop we went to the demonstration of how they get the silk from the silk cocoons, their silk is white in Turkey as the silk worms feed off of white mulberries. Some of the finest silk carpets are wall hangings with the designs so intricate and small they are done under a magnifying glass.

Then we were treated to nescafe, Turkish coffee, çay, soda, wine, Efes, Turkish beer, or rakı- a very tasty anise flavoured liquor. Sitting on cushioned benches around the perimeter of a huge room the master of ceremonies proceeded to have his staff bring out one carpet after another. It was a well choreographed show with the assistants tossing rolled carpets to one another only to be spectacularly rolled out before our eyes. Some carpets were tossed and turned in the air after being rolled out to settle in front of us. One teacher commented it was like a fireworks display with oohs and aahs from all of us as each carpet was more beautiful than the last. The carpets were displayed in one on top of another, we were invited to come close, to walk on the carpets, to see the designs. Many of us took off our shoes first though they assured us that was not necessary!

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Comments

[Dallas]

Welcome Back
Turkey sounds like great fun. Thanks for sharing.