I’m still combing through pictures from last fall’s trip to Turkey and put together this collection of shots with people in them. From shop keepers, to waiters, to our boat crew, we came away with a very positive impression of the people we met and found their playfulness and humor disarming.
Here’s another bunch of photos from my trip to Turkey last fall. I took my camera when we walked around Istanbul and Bodrum. Shop doors were always open, overflowing with stuff to buy. Somehow, junk food looks more heathy and appealing in Turkish packaging.
I caught glimpses of people working inside their businesses, like this taylor.
And saw many places to sit and eat outside. Yes, those are carpets on the tables. Our hotel was on this street.
The markets were busy and inviting.
Cats were everywhere.
This bakery was just around the corner from our hotel.
There were numerous places to buy souvenirs.
The side walks were extensions of businesses, so covered with tables and racks, that people walked in the street.
Last fall, our trip started with a week on a chartered 40′ boat. After loading up with supplies, we embarked from the town of Bodrum on the southern coast of Turkey.
We thought our “gulet’ would be a sailing ship, but the mast and boom held no sails or rigging. It seems that these traditional style boats are rarely seen under sail and are used primarily as motor boats.
There were 4 passengers and 3 crew, including a cook who introduced us to some wonderful Turkish food.
We had beautiful weather, without a drop of rain.
Our captain took us to some secluded harbors.
It was late in the season, so we didn’t see many other boats except for a few fishing vessels.
Some spots had trails which took us to inland homesteads, like this farm.
This cove is called “Cleopatra’s beach”. Who knows if she ever came here, but it’s on a little island with ancient relics all over the place.
There’s an impressive amphitheatre…
with huge trees growing out of the stone seating.
And what is left of the town’s buildings.
The Mediterranean looked beautiful!
The hills in the background are on the mainland.
One time an ice cream boat came by!
A week on the water was a wonderful, relaxing way to be start our visit to Turkey.
We headed back to Bodrum (I’ll show more in a future post) and flew to Istanbul the next day.
As promised in the earlier post of Turkish Doorways, here is a selection of window pictures, which I took on my recent trip to Turkey. My traveling mates learned to be patient while I stopped to click photos around almost every corner. What is it about windows and doors that makes me stop and look? They frame shapes, patterns and textures that reflect the style and culture of a place, as well as bring a mood of mystery as to what’s on the other side.
I’ve got this thing for doorways, so about half of my pictures from our recent trip to Turkey are of houses and doors. The window pictures are still to come. This tour includes everything, from palaces to run down neighborhoods to ancient ruins.
I’ve never seen so many pomegranates! On the streets of Istanbul, crates were full of ripe, red fruit, ready to be squeezed into juice.
The sweets were beautiful to look at.
I loved the patterns, colors and shapes created in the food displays.
In Bodrum, on the southwestern coast, we went to a market and shopped for food to take on our boat voyage. In anticipation of Turkey’s Republic Day, there were flags and pictures of the country’s first president, Ataturk everywhere. He was some handsome dude!
We stopped at a cove and met a family who were closing up their restaurant for the winter season. We watched the mother cook flat bread over an open fire, which she sold to us. What a treat!
We took over 1000 pictures on our recent trip to Turkey, so I’m busy editing them down to a manageable number. I’ll be showing selected photos during the next month or so. Today’s group shows a variety of places we visited during our 2 1/2 week trip and is a preview of what’s to come. And Happy Thanksgiving or turkey day, as we say here in America!
We’re home from Turkey, still jet lagged and dazed by our experience. From now on, when hearing about Turkey on the news, I will picture the amazing sights, remember the taste of the delicious food and think of the friendly and playful people. I’m going through the hundreds of photos from the trip and will be posting them according to subject matter. Everywhere, there were vendors, from the streets of Istanbul to a remote rocky island with no habitation in sight. The first picture shows what looks to be a real live gnome sitting on a plastic chair. He was selling honey and jewelry on a desolate cove where we spent the night in our boat. We followed the sign to the restaurant, but found it closed for the season. The other pictures were taken in Istanbul, which throbs with commerce.
You could buy brooms, pails and mops…
drink freshly squeezed pomegranate juice…
eat roasted chestnuts and corn…
have your shoes shined…
buy fresh fish…
and nibble a pretzel.
This is our last day in Turkey and I have to share these images from the bazaars of Istanbul. There are textiles galore, with pushy carpet sellers at every turn.
I bought a few meters of this fabric to make into a shirt. I’ll be showing LOTS more pictures of Turkey when I return home.
Just a quick note to reassure you that we are safe in Turkey, far from the earthquake. A funny thing happened while waiting for our flight to Istanbul in the Paris airport. A blog follower named Nobuco from Columbia (S. America) recognized me when we sat next to each other while waiting for our respective planes. I didn’t think I was noticeable, but she asked, “Are you the blogger who sews?”. One thing I have noticed about women my age outside of the US (or New England), is that there are very few of us who keep our hair naturally gray, so we stand out.
Turkey is an amazing country and I’m taking pictures to share later. We’re eating lots of figs.
And Clementines.
SALLEY MAVOR 