The End of Our Trip

Now that we're back home, I'm finding it difficult to get back into the travel blog...but I feel like I have to tie up loose ends. I think, being in a place where I rarely heard English, the blog was a refuge for me...a place where I could say all those things I wanted to, reflecting, like talking to friends on the phone. Now that I'm home, I am so happy to be back in my little familiar world, wanting to dig right in and (gasp!) clean out my refrigerator, pay bills, get the garden in shape (it is amazing what weeds can do in a month!)

Our last days in Istanbul consisted of lots of visiting...to us and from us...people trying to get in one last meal, one last hug, one last message to my DH. We had a delightful meal at the home of my DH's best childhood friend. His mom made this incredible yogurt-based soup (here we are again...there are so many varieties of these!) It was slightly chicken-based, with a touch of tomato paste, fresh parsley, rice, herbs...it was perfect. Little Sir actually ate a whole bowlful ( he rarely eats a whole portion of anything...2 french fries, and he's done!), and then dived into the grilled chicken and salad. Grilling is pretty common here, but I don't think they sell charcoal (which, surprisingly, is not coal, but made from wood. Go figure.) Most people have hibachi-type grills they use on the roof with a wood fire, and a wire-mesh device the meat is placed in, with handles to flip it over. I had bought one of these awhile back, but didn't really have the hang of it. Gonna try again. For dessert we had bowls of cherrries...soooo good.

Our last real outing was to a "piknik" farm. I'd like to do a word-origin search on that...don't know who borrowed the word from whom. The idea all started when some gentlemen from fil's home village (he and mil were not born in Istanbul, but in a mountain village, some 10 hours away, and came here when they got married...they still have property there) came, selling tickets to a fund-raiser for the home village. Apparently this is a common thing...they know the neighborhoods in the city where people tend to come from certain villages, and do these fundraisers. The tickets were to a piknik farm, the day before we were to fly home. After much discussion, we decided to do it...I had everything packed the night before the piknik, with clothes set aside for both the piknik day and travelling.

In the morning, one of DH's cousins and his wife came to pick us (Little Sir, 2 of the kiddies, their mom, sil, mil, Yeter-Anne) up with a friend of theirs...they in their Fiat mini van (very interesting looking...like a bread box with sliding windows in the passenger seats and a big cargo area in the back), and he in a little Renault. ("Petrol" is much more expensive in Europe than in the States, so most people drive little 4 cylinders...most gas stations I saw posted prices at about the equivalent of $2 American per liter...a liter is close to a quart, so figure $8 a gallon for regular. Yeah. Makes me not want to whine so much.)

We drove to the area where the piknik sites were, about 45 minutes away, all winding mountain roads, with many scenic overlooks to the Bosphorus. Apparently, pikniking is very big here...people do it in large groups...always with a grill. As we got closer, we could see banners in various locations, indicating what group was in that site. We never found the one we had tickets to, so the cousins took us to a piknik farm. I really don't know how much he paid for our tickets, but as with most things here, it was nothing by American standards.

As we drove into the farm entrance, we could see a large stonework grilling pit, with various meats roasting on spits. What a smell! We directed to park on the grass (pretty deep...I was on the outlook for ticks, but never saw any...the only bad thing about the day...DH had warned me they have something worse than Lyme's here, with no treatment discovered as yet...ughhhh.) Then, on to our site...real tables and chairs, with real tablecloths and flatware, set up under tenting to keep the sun off. Right nearby were playground things...a big swing for a bout 8 people to ride on, regular swings and slides, lots of things geared to adults to ride as well as kids. Throughout the farm were strolling Turkish folk musicians...nice touch.

Once we sat at the table, waiters came and took our orders...drink orders and meat orders...you order what you want to cook yourself! Then, they started bringing out the food. Everything was served family style. For an appetizer, there was a platter of some of that roasted meat we had seen...pretty sure it was lamb and turkey. The typical salad, of tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, lettuce, lemon was on the table, with fresh bread, and fresh yoghurt! I have never had yoghurt like this before. At home, I usually buy Stoneyfield farm organic yoghurt (a staple on our table)...skim for us and full-fat for Little Sir. I don't know if this was made from sheep or goat or cow's milk, but it was amazing. Even if I wasn't a yoghurt fan, I would have flipped for this.

Then, they brought a grill, already lit and at the perfect stage to cook on, which the men situated where they wanted it so as to not smoke us out. Then came to platters of meat, seasoned and ready to grill: chicken, kofte, shish-kebabs, lamb chops, little beef steaks, lamb kidneys. What an idea...like an outdoor restaurant, in that you have waiters, but still grilling yourself...no prep, no mess afterward. The ladies got to sit and be served all day...very nice.

After eating, we explored the various playground sites, and soccer and volleyball areas, and...to Little Sir's delight...horse rides. He had never ridden a horse before (he sat on one when smaller, but I held him the whole time...let the horse take a few steps, then took him off, as he was scared) and couldn't wait to get in the saddle. He took several rides, and kept going back to visit the horse throughout the day, to feed him sugar cubes and other treats.

It was a thoroughly relaxing day, our last one before the long trip home to America, and I savored the view of the mountains and the sea one last time. Back at the house, we quickly walked into town to buy sweets to bring home: baklava, helva and Turkish delight (lokum)...all of these, when prepared properly, with all their varieties and eaten while fresh, are exquisite and part of this experience. Then, a bit later, showered and last-minute food packing done, the last visitors started to arrive, some bringing gifts to bring home to DH (his best friend has sent matching t-shirts for DH and Little Sir from his favorite soccer team, which is the champion and just had its 100th anniversary.) Ladies stayed and chatted over chai and baklava, trying to get in all that last-minute conversation.

Then, early in the morning, it was pack the freshly-baked borek (by auntie and grandma) for DH, have a quick breakfast, and get into the taxis (2...we a send-off party) to head into rush-hour Istanbul traffic to Attaturk International Airport.

I will finish our airport experiences later...Little Sir is up (our body cocks are not fully adjusted yet...I've been up since 4 am.)