Sunday Nov 10
Good Morning World! 10:30 AM and Deniz and Selin whisked us off to another amazing Turkish dining experience: breakfast along The 'Bos. It began with Selin giving us a taste of Istanbul driving, the fast pace, the winding roads, and the chaotic dance between cars, pedestrians, scooters, trucks, and motorcycles. Arriving safely (phew), we settled in on the patio of Ihlamur Cafe. Listening, we could hear the light, easy conversation, and the clinking of teaspoons on glass - stirring cai. Looking around, we could see many boys and men fishing along the shore, and stray dogs basking in the sun just waiting for a gentle soul to donate their leftovers. And always, the Bosphorus was trafficking tourists, massive cargo ships, and little wee boats too. "Think of the Bosphorus as a busy highway," we were told. We're beginning to see why. Minutes after sitting down, a quick exchange between the girls and the waiter ensued, and then an EXPLOSION: every square inch of table was covered in cheese (5, or 6, kinds!!!), green and black olives, tomatoes, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, borek (philo pastry rolled feta cheese), kaymak (rich clotted cream used as spread with honey), jam, hazelnut butters, and baskets of simit and ekmek (begal, white and brown bread). As if that wasn't enough, menemen (onions, green pepper, tomato, olive oil, and egg scramble), had to wedge its way in as well. Then, asked if we had tried sucuk (dried ground beef sausage made with garlic red pepper, cumin, and garlic).... Well, oh yes, order that too! Suffice to say, we couldn't possibly eat it all and the dogs had a mighty feast as well.
Next up: an afternoon relaxing at a lovely slow pace with hooka (nargile). Back in the car, this time moving very slow in standard Istanbul Sunday traffic, we headed for Dalfino Cafe, the upper deck, overlooking 'Bossy. The glorious sun shown down on us. The menu had many Turkish coffee options (including odds flavours which Madalene insisted on trying), and many hooka tobacco flavours. After much consideration, we settled on green/red apple. I know what you're thinking. Hooka is smoking! No, I don't smoke. I have no interest in smoking. But! This is Istanbul, Turkey. This is one-time (ehmmm.. a very few time) experience, and experiences are what life is about! That aside, the flavour was very smooth, delicious even, and we had a very relaxing couple of hours enjoying the sun, the cai, and Turkish coffee, and hooka. Now, when I'm cycling into a cold headwind, I remember this afternoon.
This day wasn't over yet. The girls had more! Back at home, Selin magically whipped up a delicious lentil soup with my new favourite spice: cumin. Sadly, the magic hour then came when the local soccer teams EU and Asian Istanbul kicked off. Meaning, it was the time for Selin and Deniz to head back to the EU side in the lull. They left us, with big bellies, and an even bigger two storey apartment in our hands. What to do with so much space and heat? We're so used to living ! Adapt, quickly. :)
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| Deniz is explaining something. I can tell by the hand gestures. |
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| I count five types of cheese in this photo alone, and this doesn't cover the entire table! |
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| Bagels, bread, olives, cai, oh my! |
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| The bread spread options are numerous, encouraging you to eat more bread. Will it be PB, jam, honey, butter, or... kaymak (a rich clotted cream) |
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| Always the fresh stuff: tomatoes, basil, green peppers. So colourful, and delicious. |
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| How will Jenn decide what to eat first!! |
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| Now Deniz is laughing at something. I can tell because she is laughing. Now we've moved on from breakfast place to hooka place. However, the 'Bos is always near by. |
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| Green and red apple = tasty and delicious. |
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| Selin stoked the hooka coals so they were ready for smooth sailing. Correction, I have no idea what she did. But, she did something, and when I tried it, all went well and smooth. |
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| Madalene gave it a whirl, and managed not to enter into an immediate coughing fit. |
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| Whooooooo are you? |
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| We basked in the glorious blue skies and warm sun. A very memorable Sunday! |
