Turkey Tour 2007- Recap

Anita

Turkey Tour 2007 - Recap
by Anita Donohoe

For two weeks, we touched the sights, sounds, fragrances and tastes of Turkey. Tulips of all colors were blooming everywhere. Did you know the tulip came to Holland from Turkey? We enjoyed visits with new friends and old, we saw ancient sites and where we had lived and played, we spoke our limited Turkish at every opportunity and ate Turkish food three times a day.

The next Turkey Tour is on the calendar for 1 – 15 June 2008. This time, we will visit eastern Turkey and Ankara, Cappadocia and Istanbul.

After some 15 years of trying, Isa and Sema are a complete family as of November 06 when Nazli was born. It was a very difficult pregnancy, which makes them treasure her even more. You can see how happy and proud they are.

Isa is an exceptional guide with a wealth of knowledge about Turkey, its history, culture and people. He brings each site alive with his historical tales of what life was like in its time. He made sure we had lunch with a Turkish peasant family so we could experience the culture at its heart.

Isa, Nazli and Sema

Although we ate three meals a day, all wonderful Turkish food, we burned those calories each day as we listened, walked, climbed and wandered. His sense of humor was delightful, and he often had us laughing as he told jokes on the Black Sea People, where his genes go back through his grandmother.

Atalay was our patient and kind driver. We were able to meet his daughter as we left the Kariye Museum. He was always there to hand us down as we exited the van.

Atalay, our driver, and his daughter

In the Melitos parking lot he found a block of marble and placed it as a stepping stone. On another occasion, I forgot my rug in the van overnight, which he assured me was safe, but he hid it from me the next morning. He had a quiet sense of humor and enjoyed playing harmless jokes on us. He kept a cooler full of bottled water between the front seats, which Isa would dole out on a frequent basis.

Ataturk's profile in the Tarus mountains

Ataturk’s reposing profile can be seen in the natural formation of ridges in the Tarus mountains. Ataturk’s secular influence remains evident even today as Turkey continues to evolve towards its peak of education and modernization while maintaining its rich culture.

We found Grandmother in the valley of Kapadokya (Turkish for Cappadocia). She is a strong peasant woman who wears the headscarf for practical rather than political reasons.

On the way to our hotel in Canakkale, we stopped to use an ATM at the entrance of a resort for officers of the Gendarme. Ali was eager to practice his English with us. He did very well, perhaps because Ataturk is looking over his shoulder.