We took the 9 am bus from Izmir to Denizli and then the mini-bus from Denizli to Pamukkale. We arrived about noon.  Turkish buses are a bargain.  Just as on an airplane you can choose to watch a movie, tv, or listen to music on your individual viewing screen with headphones.  Unlike an airplane the only language choice is Turkish.  The bus stewardess bring you drinks and snacks!  An odd thing did happen not far from Denizli.  The bus pulled to the side of the road and stopped where there were several polis and jandarm cars parked. (Police and some other kind of military police.)  The ones sitting in their cars were smiling. The ones standing around had auromatic weapons.  The one who boarded the bus and took our passports as well as the id cards of the Turkish passangers wasn’t smiling and was carrying a pistol; but he wasn’t scary.  After about 5 minutes the bus stewardess came back onto the bus and redistributed our  passports and id cards.  No one seemed to know why it had happened.  Linda and Michael hadn’t experienced it on their trip the day the day before to Pamukkale.  I wondered if things went more smoothly for the Turks because Randal and I were there and no one wanted an international incident.  But that could just be my imagination running wild.

Pamukkale is a cute little resort town and when you finally see the photos you’ll know why.  The food here is really good too.

Ru

DoraMac

Keep Going Sox!

Dinner at Burak’s

One evening Linda and Michael came to our side of Sultanahmet and we all went to dinner at the cafe next door to our hotel. Earlier in the day I had checked the menu and it seemed pretty reasonable though more expensive than our favorite lunches of cheap, tasty chicken shawarma wraps.

Burak himself!

He told us he was 24.  We’re not sure if something was lost in translation because he had so much restaurant experience it didn’t seem possible.

Our table overlooked the Sea of Marmara.

While we ate our dinners, Burak treated us to a plate of his version of humus, a plate of flavored rice and finally some Turkish Delight for dessert.  He also gave us really nice copies of the April Istanbul travel guide; you can see it on the table.

I had grilled eggplant (aubergine here in Turkey) “kebap” with lamb and wonderfully fragrant rice, grilled tomatoes  and greens.  I ate bread and humus and still made room for dessert.

Turkish delight for dessert because Burak wanted us to try them.

They are quite good and not as sweet as you might expect.  It has a gum drop consistency and these had a pistachio nut in them.  Though small, you didn’t eat it in a single bite, but savored the taste.  At the Grand Bazaar we tasted an “all natural” version made with chopped pistachio nuts, cranberry juice and honey and it was wonderful and very expensive.  The Turks love their candies, pastries, puddings and bread!  Turkey has really wonderful food!

Passover food for Linda.

After we had ordered our meals Burak brought us some bread that looked like Challah and told us it was like Jewish bread.  We told him we were Jewish and then things really took off.  Burak’s Jewish grandfather had come from Germany helped by Turkish Muslims because they were in the textile business (I think he said textiles) and were friends.  His Grandfather also lived in Israel for a while but eventually settled in Turkey.  .  His brothers are named Isaac and Jacob.  Linda had mentioned that she wouldn’t be eating bread after our evening meal because Passover was about to start.  Burak raced away to find the phone number for a restaurant that prepared Kosher food and Passover food.  Linda didn’t pursue the option but has resisted all of the wonderful bread for days.  Michael and I aren’t so good.

While we were eating a young couple came in with a small child.  We overheard them speaking and realized it was Hebrew.  They lived near Jerusalem but were on their way to Spain for vacation.  We were focused on our own meal so only spoke with them a bit: they weren’t there very long with a small child.

Keeping with a food theme, this was my meal the day we visited the Grand Bazaar.

We were cold and wet and deliberating on the purchase of some bronze dervishes so stopped for tea but then ate soup as well.  Garbanzo soup, bread and tea really warms and fills you.  Linda and Michael did buy the larger dervish and I didn’t buy the small one and now I sort of wish I had…..  Tea is served in lovely “tea glasses.”

A tea seller at the Grand Bazaar

You see tea sellers everywhere and they are usually male. I love the delicate tea glasses and maybe will buy some when we are back on DoraMac.  I tried holding a cube of sugar in my teeth and drinking tea through it as my grandparents might have done but the cube just melted all at once.

Randal buys a “shawarma” near the Spice Bazaar

Vertical piles of meat, lamb, or chicken are cooked and then sliced to be piled into pita bread or wraps.  We love them.  I think we’ve had one a day since we’ve been in Turkey.

Nuts, fruits, Turkish candies, cheese, salami were sold at the Spice Bazaar.

And cheese!

Every morning I eat bread and this wonderful white cheese.  I haven’t blimped up yet but I don’t know why.  We eat a huge breakfast and a medium lunch and then often skip dinner because we’re just not hungry. However, last night in Izmir we ate dinner and it was truly wonderful.  We ate bright green and red salads, warm crispy bread and for my meal I ate grilled sardines!  I’d read about them in my travel books and they are truly wonderful, a very light white fish.  I washed my meal down with lovely, light white Turkish Agora wine.  I’d ordered a glass but got a half liter bottle so I had more than I normally drink.  (No I didn’t drink it all.)    Randal had beefsteak and beer with his salad and bread.  Then, when we were truly stuffed, the manager brought out a plate of soft white cheese covered with real blueberries that were sweetened mostly from the sun.  Randal and I ate it all!  I was so full and it was so wonderful.  Emniyet 1367 Sakak No. 14 Cankaya Izmir is the address if you ever find yourself in Izmir.  I have no photos because we were only going out for a quick, light meal around the corner from our hotel.

Turkey has bread and cheese and lamb and fish and vegetables and pastries and and and….It is a great country for eating!  And there’s so much to see, Asia and Europe mixed together. You should come here!