Sunday November 17
Our last day of luxury. Our last day of conversation with familiar friends! Our last day in a cozy bed. Our last day with 3 coffees and a giant Turkish breakfast waiting for us in a kitchen. Emily arrived (Selin's friend from Athens) and we sat down to our morning feast. I know I've already described the many wondrous and delicious items in such a breakfast, so I'll only highlight a new star: green fig jam, except the fig is whole and imbued with a light honey/sugar taste. In typical Turkish fashion, we took a long time eating and chatting, and before we knew it, the time was 2PM. Unexpectedly, a knock came at the door. Selin was not expecting anyone. It was an unknown downstairs neighbor bringing Selin 'ashure', also known as Noah's Pudding. This treat is a mixture of grains, fruit, and nuts, and is prepared with special prayers for health, healing, safety, succcess, and spiritual nourishment. It was very tasty, and nourishing, in every possible way.
Not wanting to completely miss out on this sunny day, we ventured out for a stroll in a nearby pine tree stand. We completed the outlined 1.5 km loop of the the mini forest, and even found a dead snake in the process. Maybe the snake was faking, it was cold. Next, we went Bandirma's pier. Jenn and I walked out to the end of the pier, an impromptu cat sanctuary, and popular fishing spot; meanwhile, Deniz, Selin, and Emily, held down the for at a tea and hooka shop. When we found these three, they were drinking cay and smoking cappuccino flavored hookah. Again, in Turkish fashion, we tea'd and hooka'd day light away. We lazily returned to the house and relaxed. The finale for the evening was dinner -- Turkish ravioli (manti). Mint, yogurt, olive oil, and mini raviolis stuffed with meat. It was delicious - and filling!
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| Deniz, Selin, Emily, and Madalene closely inspect the dish that just unexpectedly arrived at the door. |
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| Grain, fruit, and nuts in this Ashure (Noah's Pudding). We quickly devoured it. |
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| Looking out at the cargo ships anchored near Bandirma. That water is starting to look really cold. |
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| Madalene, Deniz, Selin, and Emily stroll the mini pine forest loop in Bandirma. |
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| The view of Bandirma from the end of the pier. |
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| Selin slaves over dinner -- homemade manti. |
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| Yogurt, mint, and olive oil. Who knew you would marry so perfectly ? My new mantra for cooking is: use dried mint with reckless abandon. |
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| Jenn, Madalene, and Deniz waiting to dive into the manti. This would be our last feast with friends before cycling off into the unknown again! |
