Monday, October 03, 2005
Turkish drinks...
Favorite new drink: Ayran: Salty and fizzy cold yogurt drink served with lunch and as a basic refreshment during the hot summer months. Very yummy. I found some in Montreal and it's just as yummy as the one in Turkey.
No so favorite new drink: Turkish coffee: it sucks. Although I had 1 or 2 that were passable, I just can't drink the stuff. Coffee is, last time I checked, a drink. Therefore, it should not be chewed and should not require dental floss once finished.
Luigi was intent on liking it and had some every day of the trip. He still hates it. Even the Turks hate it bc 80% of them drink tea. And, believe it or not, 10% of them drink Nescafe (yes, Nescafe, which I would choose over Turkish coffee any day of the week). Needless to say, our first latte when we got back to Montreal was, quite simply put, orgasmic.
Turkish tea, or Çay (pronounced tchai): basically your every day
run of the mill English tea but very strong. Always served in lovely tulip-shaped glass cups with cute saucers. The average Turk drinks between 5 and 10 a day. If the average Turk happens to be a carpet salesman, he's probably drinking 30.
Beeeeeer: nothing like a nice cold brewski after a day of hiking in the desert. Most widely consumed beer in Turkey ? Efes pilsen.
Originally a small local Turkish brewery, it's now exported to over 40 countries and, well, it was our carb of choice during the trip.
Most fun about Efes is that they sell big 500 ml bottles that are shaped like stubbies. Very satisfying and not as bad-looking as your run of the mill Canadian King can. Best part is the price. 2.5 Lira for a jumbo stubby (2.20$ CDN).
Raki:
clear brandy made from grapes and raisins and flavored with aniseed. Similar to Pernod but more potent. Alcohol of choice with mezze. Served in a skinny tall glass and diluted with water. It kind of grows on you! (We quite like it, actually!).
Turkish wine: Meh! It's alright. Most known wineries are Kavak and Cankaya. The best-selling and actually very drinkable Turkish white wine is called Kavaklidere Cankaya. Don't know what the grapes are but it was similar to a Sauvignon blanc. Still, we stuck to raki.
All of the above pictures taken from the web. We're keen and all, but not the point of photographing our beer.
No so favorite new drink: Turkish coffee: it sucks. Although I had 1 or 2 that were passable, I just can't drink the stuff. Coffee is, last time I checked, a drink. Therefore, it should not be chewed and should not require dental floss once finished.
Luigi was intent on liking it and had some every day of the trip. He still hates it. Even the Turks hate it bc 80% of them drink tea. And, believe it or not, 10% of them drink Nescafe (yes, Nescafe, which I would choose over Turkish coffee any day of the week). Needless to say, our first latte when we got back to Montreal was, quite simply put, orgasmic.
Turkish tea, or Çay (pronounced tchai): basically your every day
run of the mill English tea but very strong. Always served in lovely tulip-shaped glass cups with cute saucers. The average Turk drinks between 5 and 10 a day. If the average Turk happens to be a carpet salesman, he's probably drinking 30. Beeeeeer: nothing like a nice cold brewski after a day of hiking in the desert. Most widely consumed beer in Turkey ? Efes pilsen.
Originally a small local Turkish brewery, it's now exported to over 40 countries and, well, it was our carb of choice during the trip.
Most fun about Efes is that they sell big 500 ml bottles that are shaped like stubbies. Very satisfying and not as bad-looking as your run of the mill Canadian King can. Best part is the price. 2.5 Lira for a jumbo stubby (2.20$ CDN). 
Raki:
clear brandy made from grapes and raisins and flavored with aniseed. Similar to Pernod but more potent. Alcohol of choice with mezze. Served in a skinny tall glass and diluted with water. It kind of grows on you! (We quite like it, actually!).
Turkish wine: Meh! It's alright. Most known wineries are Kavak and Cankaya. The best-selling and actually very drinkable Turkish white wine is called Kavaklidere Cankaya. Don't know what the grapes are but it was similar to a Sauvignon blanc. Still, we stuck to raki.
All of the above pictures taken from the web. We're keen and all, but not the point of photographing our beer.
Ataturk
For most people, Ataturk is none other than the founder of the modern Turkish Republic as it exists today.
For Luigi, the word Ataturk served as the equivalent of "Atta girl" and "Atta boy" for the entire length of our trip...
e.g.:
"Aaaatta turk!" she said to the waiter when he poured her an extra glass of raki...
For Luigi, the word Ataturk served as the equivalent of "Atta girl" and "Atta boy" for the entire length of our trip...
e.g.:
"Aaaatta turk!" she said to the waiter when he poured her an extra glass of raki...
Friday, September 30, 2005
Archives & photos
Pour accéder au blog en entier, cliquer sur "septembre 2005" dans les archives...
Il y a toujours du nouveau! Exemple, des photos du Bosphore, de la citerne Basilique, de la Cappadoce et du fameux harem!!
Some of the new posts are under "September 2005" in the archives...
You can click on the photos as well to enlarge them.
Il y a toujours du nouveau! Exemple, des photos du Bosphore, de la citerne Basilique, de la Cappadoce et du fameux harem!!
Some of the new posts are under "September 2005" in the archives...
You can click on the photos as well to enlarge them.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Happy couples in Goreme
Here's a nice pic taken by our friends Rich and Jude, a lovely couple from New Zealand, on our last night with them in Goreme. As you can see from our clothing, the temperature in Cappadocia drops drastically at night. Our days were quite warm (between 30 and 35) and our evenings nice and cool (between 15 and 20).
Here we are with Rich and Jude.
Here we are with Rich and Jude.
The Kelebek hotel & pension
Cet hotel est tellement genial qu'il merite son propre blog.
Niche' dans la colline qui surplombe la vallee de Goreme, nous y avons passe parmi les plus beaux moments de notre voyage.
The feeling you get the first time you step into the Kelebek hotel and onto its ottoman terrasse is one of complete inner peace. The view is spellbinding and the silence of Goreme is only broken by the occasional loud-speaker voice coming from farmers driving through the town, urging people to purchase their melons or announcing the arrival of Kayseri beef.
Five times a day, like in every Turkish town or city, the calls to prayer are broadcast from the minarets. Goreme receives the calls from the Nevsehir mosque, which is 30 kms away. On our third day in Goreme, the public (melon) annoucement was broadcast at the same time as the call to prayer and we only found out about it when we saw Ali, the Kelebek's owner, laughing hysterically...
En s'asseoyant sur la terrasse du Kelebek, on est temoin de petites "tranches de vie" turques. Je me souviendrai toujours du matin ou, de bonne heure en sirotant mon the, j'ai vu une petite madame surgir de sa maison troglodite, suivie par une douzaine de moutons tous plus gros qu'elle. Ils sont entres dans la maison voisine et je ne les ai plus revus de la semaine!
Ou la petite fille aux lulus qui pleurait tellement que ca en etait drole.
Ou les deux madames qui prenaient leur marche a la meme heure a tous les jours.
Voici un beau cliche' de Goreme, la nuit. On dirait des phantomes!
Here are some hotel guests snooooozing on the terrasse...tough life but someone's got to do it.
Niche' dans la colline qui surplombe la vallee de Goreme, nous y avons passe parmi les plus beaux moments de notre voyage.
The feeling you get the first time you step into the Kelebek hotel and onto its ottoman terrasse is one of complete inner peace. The view is spellbinding and the silence of Goreme is only broken by the occasional loud-speaker voice coming from farmers driving through the town, urging people to purchase their melons or announcing the arrival of Kayseri beef.
Five times a day, like in every Turkish town or city, the calls to prayer are broadcast from the minarets. Goreme receives the calls from the Nevsehir mosque, which is 30 kms away. On our third day in Goreme, the public (melon) annoucement was broadcast at the same time as the call to prayer and we only found out about it when we saw Ali, the Kelebek's owner, laughing hysterically...
En s'asseoyant sur la terrasse du Kelebek, on est temoin de petites "tranches de vie" turques. Je me souviendrai toujours du matin ou, de bonne heure en sirotant mon the, j'ai vu une petite madame surgir de sa maison troglodite, suivie par une douzaine de moutons tous plus gros qu'elle. Ils sont entres dans la maison voisine et je ne les ai plus revus de la semaine!
Ou la petite fille aux lulus qui pleurait tellement que ca en etait drole.
Ou les deux madames qui prenaient leur marche a la meme heure a tous les jours.
Voici un beau cliche' de Goreme, la nuit. On dirait des phantomes!
Here are some hotel guests snooooozing on the terrasse...tough life but someone's got to do it.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Ca sent la fın...
On est de retour a Istanbul et on quıtte demaın.
Il y a de nouvelles choses dans les archıves.
New posts ın the archıves.
Went last-minute shopping in a small bazaar near the hotel. Nice relaxing change from the Grand Bazaar.
Il y a de nouvelles choses dans les archıves.
New posts ın the archıves.
Went last-minute shopping in a small bazaar near the hotel. Nice relaxing change from the Grand Bazaar.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Lazy day boat trip
We spent the day on a 40 foot gullet, sailing between Kalkan and Patara and stopping to snorkel in crystalline waters.
Ultimate relaxation. Perfect way to end the trip. Only decisions were: which body part do I tan ? do I feel like taking a swim ? and when should I have my next beer?
The dot in the water is me!
Ultimate relaxation. Perfect way to end the trip. Only decisions were: which body part do I tan ? do I feel like taking a swim ? and when should I have my next beer?
The dot in the water is me!
The British Invasion
We have the sneaking suspicion that the Brits are planning to colonise Turkey.
And they're starting with Kalkan.
What was once a quiet fishing town, one of the oldest Lycian ports, is now a full-blown British resort, where all prices are in pounds (and Turkish Liras for the occasional Canadian tourist), where french fries (chips) are served with everything (including exquisitely grilled sea bas) and where talks have ensued in order to have the mosque converted into a church. Shameful and unfortunately quite representative of what seems to be a generalised problem on the Med coast.
En gros, a Kalkan, on ne se sent pas en Turquie. Ce n'est pas dutout laid mais c'est bourré de boutiques qui vendent à des prix ridicules et il n'existe plus grand facteur de rattachement avec le pays, à part les vieilles maisons qui sont demeurées sensiblement intactes et les jeunes serveurs ou vendeurs turcs qui vous parlent très poliment mais qui, clairement, ne doivent pas non plus se sentir tout a fait chez eux. Il semblerait que les Britanniques plus âgés vendent leurs maisons pour s'en acheter une à des prix qui sont encore très bas à Kalkan. Le phénomène s'est répandu à Kas, Bodrum, Marmaris et Fethiye (soit les grandes "villes" qui forment le sud-ouest de la côte de la méditerranée en Turquie).
De ce que nous avons compris en parlant à des turcs, la tension monte graduellement et ça risque de mal finir. On craint des attentats à la bombe et on se plaint du fait que le gouvernement réagit trop lentement.
Cela étant dit, il y a de nombreux turcs qui profitent grandement de ce marché très lucratif. La plupart des propriétaires de boutiques et de restos sont encore Turcs alors leur marge de profit est considérablement plus élevée a Kalkan puisqu'il peuvent se permettre de hausser les prix. Voila le dilemme. Tant et aussi longtemps que le lucre et la commercialité passeront avant l'héritage culturel et historique de la côte, le problème persistera.
As for Patara, it is too far away from everything to be completely overun but you never know what could happen if the right people were convinced to turn a blind eye. The first real estate office catering to foreigners opened in Patara this summer. That, in itself, is something to worry about a little.
And they're starting with Kalkan.
What was once a quiet fishing town, one of the oldest Lycian ports, is now a full-blown British resort, where all prices are in pounds (and Turkish Liras for the occasional Canadian tourist), where french fries (chips) are served with everything (including exquisitely grilled sea bas) and where talks have ensued in order to have the mosque converted into a church. Shameful and unfortunately quite representative of what seems to be a generalised problem on the Med coast.
En gros, a Kalkan, on ne se sent pas en Turquie. Ce n'est pas dutout laid mais c'est bourré de boutiques qui vendent à des prix ridicules et il n'existe plus grand facteur de rattachement avec le pays, à part les vieilles maisons qui sont demeurées sensiblement intactes et les jeunes serveurs ou vendeurs turcs qui vous parlent très poliment mais qui, clairement, ne doivent pas non plus se sentir tout a fait chez eux. Il semblerait que les Britanniques plus âgés vendent leurs maisons pour s'en acheter une à des prix qui sont encore très bas à Kalkan. Le phénomène s'est répandu à Kas, Bodrum, Marmaris et Fethiye (soit les grandes "villes" qui forment le sud-ouest de la côte de la méditerranée en Turquie).
De ce que nous avons compris en parlant à des turcs, la tension monte graduellement et ça risque de mal finir. On craint des attentats à la bombe et on se plaint du fait que le gouvernement réagit trop lentement.
Cela étant dit, il y a de nombreux turcs qui profitent grandement de ce marché très lucratif. La plupart des propriétaires de boutiques et de restos sont encore Turcs alors leur marge de profit est considérablement plus élevée a Kalkan puisqu'il peuvent se permettre de hausser les prix. Voila le dilemme. Tant et aussi longtemps que le lucre et la commercialité passeront avant l'héritage culturel et historique de la côte, le problème persistera.
As for Patara, it is too far away from everything to be completely overun but you never know what could happen if the right people were convinced to turn a blind eye. The first real estate office catering to foreigners opened in Patara this summer. That, in itself, is something to worry about a little.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Patara
We are ın Patara, apparently the most beautıful beach ın Turkey. I belıeve ıt.
17 km de plage. Sable blanc. Eau claıre. Et ça ce n'est rıen. Patara étaıt le plus grand port Lycıen et le vıllage et les envırons de la plage sont donc couverts de tombeaux et de ruınes lycıennes. On dıt qu'ıl reste encore 85% de Patara à découvrır. Pour cette raıson, ıl est ımpossıble de construıre de nouvelles bâtısses sur la plage et c'est ce quı luı donne tout son charme. Autre chose, c'est un des dernıers lıeux de ponte des tortues géantes Caretta alors la plage est également protégée par la WWF. Les prıx des restos et des hotels sont également fort raısonnables, ce quı est rare sur la côte turquoıse puısque la plupart des vılles sont lıttéralement bondées de tourıstes brıtannıques...
Comme ça faıt du bıen de VRAIMENT relaxer.
No photo of the beach. Didn't bring our cameras because of the wind.
Patara village is 3 km from the beach and consists of 20 or so pensions, restaurants and hotels. Definitely centered around tourism but quite quaint nonetheless. We're staying in a lovely hotel called the Patara Viewpoint and have met some great people. Beautiful pool with bar and a very comfy ottoman bar to relax before turning in. Only problem. The damn mosquitoes. They're everywhere and we have to sleep with mosquito nets.
17 km de plage. Sable blanc. Eau claıre. Et ça ce n'est rıen. Patara étaıt le plus grand port Lycıen et le vıllage et les envırons de la plage sont donc couverts de tombeaux et de ruınes lycıennes. On dıt qu'ıl reste encore 85% de Patara à découvrır. Pour cette raıson, ıl est ımpossıble de construıre de nouvelles bâtısses sur la plage et c'est ce quı luı donne tout son charme. Autre chose, c'est un des dernıers lıeux de ponte des tortues géantes Caretta alors la plage est également protégée par la WWF. Les prıx des restos et des hotels sont également fort raısonnables, ce quı est rare sur la côte turquoıse puısque la plupart des vılles sont lıttéralement bondées de tourıstes brıtannıques...
Comme ça faıt du bıen de VRAIMENT relaxer.
No photo of the beach. Didn't bring our cameras because of the wind.
Patara village is 3 km from the beach and consists of 20 or so pensions, restaurants and hotels. Definitely centered around tourism but quite quaint nonetheless. We're staying in a lovely hotel called the Patara Viewpoint and have met some great people. Beautiful pool with bar and a very comfy ottoman bar to relax before turning in. Only problem. The damn mosquitoes. They're everywhere and we have to sleep with mosquito nets.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
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