turkey: it’s not just for thanksgiving anymore
June 1st, 2009 | Written by hurricanic
This morning came entirely too early, but we found ourselves at the Adana airport at 7:15 a.m. as planned. Shortly thereafter, we were on a plane to Izmir and snoozed our way there. Upon arrival, we got our rental car and immediately began heading towards Ephesus. On the way, we decided to explore a little village up the hill a bit. Let’s say…eight kilometers or so. We drove up the mountain a bit, seeing rows and rows of olive trees lining the hillsides. It was beautiful, to say the least. Finally, we made it…and Şirince ended up being more than we had hoped for.
Şirince reminded me a ton of Tuscany: clay tile roofs and cobblestone pathways. Furthermore, the locals were so friendly and very much welcomed our arrival. (Ours and the half dozen tour buses that were there as well.) Apparently this little village is known for its wine so all the rich little travelers come looking to enjoy the fruit of their vines.
We spent the first part of the day walking the backroads of the community, coming along the cutest little goat in its barn who sang a bit to us. We were also welcomed into the home of a sweet old woman for Turkish tea, but politely passed. We then saw the remains of a great little church. St. John’s, I think it was.
It was then we discovered the cafe of Ayşe. Thıs sweet woman invited us in to the most incredible view of the village. From her cafe balcony, we overlooked the community from a height, enjoying the breeze and what quickly became my favorite meal so far during my time in Turkey. We had come hoping for gözleme; we ended up leaving also having manti (a Turkish ravioli of sorts pronounced “man-tuh”), dolma (rice stuffed cabbage heads – much yummier than they sound), and the best black olives I think the earth has ever produced. Ayşe grows them organically in her backyard, and I’m serious…I normally HATE olives. These? I could eat them all day. They literally fell off the pit. Unbelievable. She gave us warm bread from the oven, Turkish tea (of course), and allowed me to experience Turkish coffee for the first time. Not too shabby. My favorite part of the experience, though, was that she let me photograph her and her daughter at work in the kitchen while they prepared our meal. A one of a kind opportunity.
After lunch, we explored the village a bit more and I was able to buy a handmade tablecloth by a local woman. She was so proud of her work, and it’s insanely beautiful. We then went and tasted the wine made in the community. Somehow, now, I have to get four bottles of wine home with me. This will be a first. One of the bottles is a blend made special by the family who owned the winery. The young man selling the wine, who was notably wearing a “free hugs” t-shirt while he worked, told us he doesn’t make the family blend available to everyone. I was tempted to think it was all a sales tactic, but sure enough when we asked to buy two bottles (one more me, one for my hosts) he literally stepped into the side room, moved away a bench, and climbed under to retrieve our bottles. Nice. And dinner club? I’m bringing home something special for you. Just you wait.
We left for Ephesus and stumbled upon a woman tending her goats on our way. Curtis, again, displaying ninja driving skills, successfully turned our rental car around in record time and Annie, my beloved translator, hopped out with me. She approached the woman, explaining my desire to photograph her at work, and within minutes we found ourselves in her field capturing the moment. I owe all the brilliance of the opportunities I’ve had photographically this week to the Millers and their willingness to ask people if they mind me taking their pictures. I would’ve never been this bold on my own.
Ephesus proved to be as amazing as everyone has told me it would be. I was breathless more than once. Yes, I climbed a ton of stairs during our time there, but the beauty of this ancient city and what remains is astounding. I’m so glad we had the afternoon there. I still can’t believe I’m walking the steps that I’ve studied and learned so much about over the course of my life. Unreal. After we left, we stopped by the sea again…this time the Aegean. Not as pretty as the Mediterranean, but I’m not going to complain. I mean, really. Everywhere we go, I’m like, “Ephesus? Check. Aegean Sea? Check.” I can’t believe how much I’ve been able to experience in just a week. I love my life.
We headed back to Izmir and made ourselves comfortable in our hotel before heading out to dinner. Not knowing the city super well, we decided to head towards the water..and upon our arrival, the most beautiful view of the harbor awaited us. We enjoyed a pretty great dinner and have made ourselves back to the hotel to get some rest tonight. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open at the computer, so hopefully my wit and banter will return tomorrow. For now, all I can say is wow. This was one amazing day.
My dearest Kelly, I hope you know that I love you even when you are witless.
Good thing you’re bringing back wine! Kodak and I have been sipping from the bottles in your fridge, and by sipping, I mean gulping. Kodak is a sloppy drunk. Yakinda Gorusuruz! (Sorry, but I don’t have the dots and squiggles to type it correctly).