That ıs not a typo. The Turks call it a "pazar". I think that's where we got the word "bazaar" from. There are several different versions of this.
Every Saturday, ın lıttle neıghborhoods, vendors arrıve at the crack of dawn to turn the maın street into a shoppıng mall. First, they tent the whole area in, then set up to go untıl about 9 pm. There are farmers' stalls with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, cheeses and olives, toys, shoes, household items like small electric appliances and vacuum parts, and lots and lots of clothing vendors. I have always done very well at these. I partıcularly like the Turkish skirts, whıch are of good quality fabric, long, fully lıned and have desıgns dıfferent from what we find ın the States. Most cost between 5 and 15 American dollars. Each time, friends gıve me orders to buy some for them.
Saturday mornıng, we were awakened quite early by the sounds of the men and their trucks setting up. Little Sir got up and looked out the window at the street below, saw a truck full of toys and got all excited. He could barely wait until they were all set up and we could go shopping.
We went wıth Ulaş, Yeter-anne (DH's grandmother), Elif-anne (mil), Fatma (sil), Nilüfer and Refiye (aunts), and Özge (17-year-old niece, the only one I can speak English with). I was lookıng for bedding and towels, for the "new" house. I didn't find what I'd had in mind exactly, but I did like what I found. Fatma bought me a really nice bedset and towels for the kitchen and bathroom, in colors I wouldn't have thought of, but whıch will go very nicely. The colors are so much more intense here, and Turkish cotton is wonderful. Also, I found nıce skirts for a friend, and a paır of sort-of-harem-style black pants for myself that look very dressy and comfortable, too.
Elif-anne bought lots of fresh fruit...aprıcots, peaches, cherries, grapes, nectarines. It ıs the custom here to sit out on the "balkon"...beautıfully tiled balcony wıth chairs for all...and eat fruit and drink tea in the cooler summer evenings. Family and friends will sit and talk and laugh for hours. Istanbul, being the great cıty that it is, sprays for mosquitos, so you can actually enjoy the time without beıng tortured by insects. "Karpus" (watermelon) is also very plentiful and popular.
The end of the long, hot "pazar" day is over, and the men are packing everything up. Once the stalls and tents are gone, the town sends the street cleaners. The streets are first swept and garbage removed, then the bıg washer-truck comes and scrubs down the streets. All the hustle bustle is over, the stars are out, and through the kitchen window I can see the lınes of white and red lights, the signs of dıstant traffic in another city that never sleeps.
3 comments:
So glad you made it safe and sound. To have such a wonderful large and loving family is priceless.
Do they have the seedless watermelon there? We have been getting beautiful fruit at the market this year. DH brought home organic blueberries from a customer's trees. Can't get enough of them. And have actually found blackberry bushes that we have been picking from. Not many make it to the house!
I can only imagine how clean every other city would be if they cleaned it every week!
Thank you for taking me on your journey. I love seeing it through your eyes. you have a gift of bringing it all alive. Maybe you need to write a book about it.(I AM serious)
miss ya
ok, forget the email I just sent,
it was a "duh"moment. Now, can I come over and play??
Hi Janet & Patty! Thanks for reading and commenting!
They may have seedless watermelon, but I haven't seen it. They are small and round, a little bigger than our cantelopes.
I love blueberries! They were cheaper at home this year than I remember. Don't see them in Turkıye, but they may have finished already...they're a little ahead of us in seasons.
Maybe 1 day all this blogging will be a book...hmmm.
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