Well this is the last entry from our 2007 travels - it is being posted a month after getting home, but a lot has happened since the last blog........
We left Cape Town on Sept 23, driving north to Vrendendal, a wine growing region about 3 hours north west of cape town. Driving out of the city I was amazed ( again) at the calla lilies growing in the ditches. I suppose they might find cattail or purple loosestrife exotic as well. I was certainly impressed with callas.
The drive was spectacular, up through a mountain pass, descending into highly cultivated fruit farms - citrus, sugar cane and grapes. In the mountain was a dam which was built to provide irrigation to the farmers. the irrigation system is miles and miles of concrete sluiceways that meander along the road with offshoots to the farms. The process of regulating who gets what water is very sophisticated , and the irrigation system is obviously critical to the survival of the vineyards. where there are not cultivated fields there is often scrub brush that borders on desert.
Our driver's name was Tenille. When she introduced herself to me I said - you are probably too young to know about them, but in my day there was a popular singing group named the captain and Tenille. She said - oh I know. Their piano player was named Ken, and my parents called my brother Ken. They were big fans. She however was a big fan of Celine Dion. That's what we listened to in the van heading to Vrendendal.
It was interesting to see the different citrus orchards at different stage of development. some were cultivars that blossomed early and fruited early. There were some orchards wit fruit ready to pick, and others where they ha just started to bud. Same with the grapes. Some filed looked like the vines were dead, because they had not started to leaf out. Others were completely green with leaves.
The lodge where they booked our reservations was lovely. The view went for miles and was spectacular. fields and fields and fields of grapes. the lodge was part of a vineyard and they sold quite a lovely red wine. But the place had NO PHONE. Not only no internet, No PHONE. there was not eve cell phone reception. I am sure the organizer chose the place because it was so spectacular, but I felt very out of touch. no one could have contacted me if necessary. The same happened when we headed to Pretoria - lovely quaint bed and breakfast, fun decor, good food, not a bad location, but NO PHONE. South Africa is a very modern country and there are lots of hotels with phones and internet and business centers, so I know it was possible to put us in a place where we were in communication, but that was not the case. Quite frustrating.
Under the Apartheid regime in south Africa people were categorized as black, indian, coloured or white. colored meant there was mixed blood - could b part white, black, indian, chinese, whatever. the community we visited in Vrendendal was a coloured community. they had bee moved off fertile land on the river delta to make way for poor white farmers. Because the group was a coloured group, there was no tribe, no tribal leader, and the group was at odds with each other. A person can argue with the merits of there being a powerful authority that is not elected, but at least the first two communities were not fighting amongst themselves - the tribal authority took charge of issues and decide them.
The second day of our stay in Vrenedendal was a national holiday - Braie Day. Braie is barbeque. so one of their big national holidays is a barbeque day. you've got to love a country that has its priorities straight.
It was getting cold in South Africa in these days. By the time we hit Pretoria it was quite cold at night. meanwhile I heard that they were ahving plus 30 degrees at home.
there are some interesting sayings in South Africa. I you walk in front of someone here you would say "excuse m". there thy say " sorry sorry".
On our last day in Vrendendal we went to the ocean the Atlantic Ocean, but on the eastern part of it. Sure enough it was cold. really cold. but it was fun to walk in the surf, and see the miles and miles of sand. and a dead seal.
Our drive to Pretoria was interesting. I was in the van with several Africans, and the talk turned to the biases people have about the various tribes b Africa. first you should know that people are very aware of their own tribe, and very proud that they belong to whatever tribe it is. And although parents hope that children will marry within a tribe, there is not a lot of pressure to do o. but there is advice about which tribes provide suitable mates. Shangan men are gentle and caring. Swazi men a drinkers, lazy and womanizers. Venda women are VERY subservient to their men. they walk on their knees to their man if he is in the room, and never look him in the eyes. Zulu men really want to be the boss. Xhosa men and women are easy to get along with.
Our last couple of days were spent in workhops on Pretoria. Pretoria is outside of Johannesburg. not a bad city I guess, but like Jo Burg is not safe. the B&B was gated, and you dare not walk outside the gate, had to be careful which taxi company you called, etc. If you were an exercise fan you had to belong to a gym - you would not think of jogging in your neighborhood. Bt it was in the tropics, and the garden of our place had several patches of bird of paradise, in blossom. And the jacarandas were starting to bloom. when they are in bloom there is a carpet of purple in the sky - just stunning. and when the blossoms fall off the carpet is on the street.
I will post all my photos on ofoto later and will send you the link
Hope you enjoyed the travels. We and I sure did!!
Mary
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
a few more pictures
some of the people we are working with
new wall hanging with artist
they brought local traditional dancers in to entertain us
busking at the waterfrontShopping in Cape Town
I think cape town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The sun is often shining, and the table mountain looms up behind the city, and the waterfront is beautiful and full of life. Ate my first solid food in three days, and then went with the others down to the Victoria and Alfred malls at the water front ( Alfred is suspected to have been a lover of victorias- I guess she liked guys whose first names started with a).
The waterfront is THE place to be. Lots of little groups singing at various spots, many very nice ships with lovely things to buy, lots of good restaurants and bars, and lots and lots of people. one time we were sitting at a café and a boatload of people got off the Robben Island Tour. Robben island is where nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for so long. They were all women, part of a group I’d say because they were all wearing pale blue shirts, and they were all headed someplace that passed by us, and spontaneously they all broke into song, with a leader starting and the group responding. Absolutely beautiful voices. There was a kind of little dance or shuffle they did as well. They may have been part of a choir, but I don’t think so, because there were some members who were not singing. They were just people who liked to sing..
Well we leave in a couple of hours for verendraal, north of cape town about 3 ½ hours. It is where the oliphants river meets the sea, and we drive through desert to get there. It has no internet access, and spotty cell phone coverage. The community there is being repatriated to land that is now a winery. a couple of days there, then drive to Pretoria for a couple of days of workshops, then drive to joburg, and then we are on our way home. Now that I am feeling better I am back to really enjoying this trip. But I will be glad to get home
The waterfront is THE place to be. Lots of little groups singing at various spots, many very nice ships with lovely things to buy, lots of good restaurants and bars, and lots and lots of people. one time we were sitting at a café and a boatload of people got off the Robben Island Tour. Robben island is where nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for so long. They were all women, part of a group I’d say because they were all wearing pale blue shirts, and they were all headed someplace that passed by us, and spontaneously they all broke into song, with a leader starting and the group responding. Absolutely beautiful voices. There was a kind of little dance or shuffle they did as well. They may have been part of a choir, but I don’t think so, because there were some members who were not singing. They were just people who liked to sing..
Well we leave in a couple of hours for verendraal, north of cape town about 3 ½ hours. It is where the oliphants river meets the sea, and we drive through desert to get there. It has no internet access, and spotty cell phone coverage. The community there is being repatriated to land that is now a winery. a couple of days there, then drive to Pretoria for a couple of days of workshops, then drive to joburg, and then we are on our way home. Now that I am feeling better I am back to really enjoying this trip. But I will be glad to get home
On to the golden horse
Our travel to the next site was a bit convoluted , but we ended up spending a couple of nights at the golden horse casino hotel in Peitermaritzberg. Quite fancy, mostly slot machines as far as I could tell. I blew 100 rand ($14).
The community here had been booted off land that subsequently became a citrus farm and a sugar cane farm. They were quite obviously better off than the first community. I had interesting meetings with the town councilors, and the tribal chief in his home. The most interesting visit though was to lily of the valley – a kind of orphanage for children infected by or affected by HIV-AIDS. 100 or so kids were there ranging in age from infants to 15. they are well cared for in a subdivision sort of facility with 6 kids to a house and a house mother in each of them. We went to one where a dear little baby about 18 months old smiled and reached out her arms to be held. Her house mother was feeding one of the others at the time. She was just happy to be snuggled.
This part of the trip was where my stomach upset started. When I went home after the second day of meetings I slept a bit between visits to the bathroom, and the next day decided not to go to the meetings. Apparently some of the arrangements had got screwed up, so I did not miss anything – just a visit to the traditional healers ( witch doctors) who told peoples fortunes.
I was so glad when our travel to cape town later that day was over – travel is difficult when you have a digestive problem. Decided that given where in the world we were there might be a possibility that I had malaria, so went to the doctor early Saturday morning.
The hotel staff arranged for me to go to the chris barnard hospital, and they took blood tests etc and no malaria, just a stomach problem. When I talked to Bob later on he had the same symptoms, so it was probably something I got in Turkey rather than Africa. Anyway, now I am much better. We had a day off yesterday, and managed to do a little shopping on the waterfront in cape town. That is a happening place.
The community here had been booted off land that subsequently became a citrus farm and a sugar cane farm. They were quite obviously better off than the first community. I had interesting meetings with the town councilors, and the tribal chief in his home. The most interesting visit though was to lily of the valley – a kind of orphanage for children infected by or affected by HIV-AIDS. 100 or so kids were there ranging in age from infants to 15. they are well cared for in a subdivision sort of facility with 6 kids to a house and a house mother in each of them. We went to one where a dear little baby about 18 months old smiled and reached out her arms to be held. Her house mother was feeding one of the others at the time. She was just happy to be snuggled.
This part of the trip was where my stomach upset started. When I went home after the second day of meetings I slept a bit between visits to the bathroom, and the next day decided not to go to the meetings. Apparently some of the arrangements had got screwed up, so I did not miss anything – just a visit to the traditional healers ( witch doctors) who told peoples fortunes.
I was so glad when our travel to cape town later that day was over – travel is difficult when you have a digestive problem. Decided that given where in the world we were there might be a possibility that I had malaria, so went to the doctor early Saturday morning.
The hotel staff arranged for me to go to the chris barnard hospital, and they took blood tests etc and no malaria, just a stomach problem. When I talked to Bob later on he had the same symptoms, so it was probably something I got in Turkey rather than Africa. Anyway, now I am much better. We had a day off yesterday, and managed to do a little shopping on the waterfront in cape town. That is a happening place.
Finally – some internet access
I have been here a week without internet access- even the fairly nice hotels we stay in are not as well equipped with internet as the budget hotel in Istanbul.
I am sometimes flabbergasted at the wonderful trips I get to take in the name of work. This is one of those times. The flight down from Dubai was in a window seat. The air was clear and it was daytime, so I could see the continent unfold from dry desert sands to scrub bush to the green around Kenya. It was awesome. We were too high up to see animals or people, but could see some roads, and in the united Arab emirates there were some sand drifts like we get snow drifts in the winter. It was a real treat to see Dubai from the air – just like the pictures you see, lots of development, in a particularly orderly fashion. The subdivisions they are building will be spectacular places to live if you could stand the heat.
After a night in joburg I flew to phalaborwa- billed as the gateway to kruger, south africas famous large game park, which is a big attraction for tourists. This little airport caters almost exclusively to that crowd. It is small, open air, with bronze castings of typical park animals scattered around the grounds. The bathroom sink was a backward facing slab with little nipples that produced water when you turned the mushroom handle on the left..
Our work here is to meet with various representative groups to understand their training and organizational needs so that when their repatriated land is turned over to them they have a chance of being successful with it. So we meet with very interesting types. The business group ( primarily women who run little tuck shops on the side of the road) youth groups, various administrative bodies including the tribal chief, men’s groups, traditional healers, health care workers etc etc. it is quite a privilege to be able to meet with all of these people – an opportunity joe tourist does not very often get.
Our meetings in the phalaborwa region were with the mishishimale community. They will be repatriated back to land they were booted off of 50 years ago and since had become a crocodile farm. But when the previous owner left a couple of years ago he took all the crocs with him, so they have to decide whether to raise capital to buy more crocs, or to do something else. It is a beautiful farm, has some accommodations for tourists ( currently not used) and when we were there, a family of hippos, a peacock, and a pack of about 12 warthogs. When we met with the business group it happened to include a lady who made handicrafts, and we bought some lovely things – I got a wonderful wall hanging with guinea hens depicted for 80 rand ( about $15), and some amarula nuts, which taste a bit like pistachios, and grow on a tree outside where we were meeting.
I am sometimes flabbergasted at the wonderful trips I get to take in the name of work. This is one of those times. The flight down from Dubai was in a window seat. The air was clear and it was daytime, so I could see the continent unfold from dry desert sands to scrub bush to the green around Kenya. It was awesome. We were too high up to see animals or people, but could see some roads, and in the united Arab emirates there were some sand drifts like we get snow drifts in the winter. It was a real treat to see Dubai from the air – just like the pictures you see, lots of development, in a particularly orderly fashion. The subdivisions they are building will be spectacular places to live if you could stand the heat.
After a night in joburg I flew to phalaborwa- billed as the gateway to kruger, south africas famous large game park, which is a big attraction for tourists. This little airport caters almost exclusively to that crowd. It is small, open air, with bronze castings of typical park animals scattered around the grounds. The bathroom sink was a backward facing slab with little nipples that produced water when you turned the mushroom handle on the left..
Our work here is to meet with various representative groups to understand their training and organizational needs so that when their repatriated land is turned over to them they have a chance of being successful with it. So we meet with very interesting types. The business group ( primarily women who run little tuck shops on the side of the road) youth groups, various administrative bodies including the tribal chief, men’s groups, traditional healers, health care workers etc etc. it is quite a privilege to be able to meet with all of these people – an opportunity joe tourist does not very often get.
Our meetings in the phalaborwa region were with the mishishimale community. They will be repatriated back to land they were booted off of 50 years ago and since had become a crocodile farm. But when the previous owner left a couple of years ago he took all the crocs with him, so they have to decide whether to raise capital to buy more crocs, or to do something else. It is a beautiful farm, has some accommodations for tourists ( currently not used) and when we were there, a family of hippos, a peacock, and a pack of about 12 warthogs. When we met with the business group it happened to include a lady who made handicrafts, and we bought some lovely things – I got a wonderful wall hanging with guinea hens depicted for 80 rand ( about $15), and some amarula nuts, which taste a bit like pistachios, and grow on a tree outside where we were meeting.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
finally some pictures
I do not have time right now to label all the pictures, but finally have been able to load some. here they are:
a few hours in dubai
well I have a layover of eight hours in Dubai airport, and they have a very modern business center, so thought a few words on Dubai might be in order.
emirates is a very nice airline. they provide you with hot towels, a menu, individual video screens, option of viewing the front or bottom camera of the airplane ( which means you can see what the pilot sees as he lands the plane) and the meal is good. the seat was ample and there was enough legroom. and if you are staying more than four hours in the airport they give you a free meal. not bad for economy class. lots of staff too.
this is a very modern airport. it is quite comfortable temperature wise inside, although outside it was 30 degrees at 6 in the morning. when we arrived we passed a departure lounge. most of the people were wearing white. the men in those long white cotton robes with head pieces like you see in pictures of Arab men, and the ladies in the equivalent. there were some women wearing black, but most were in white . aside from that first departure lounge, I was surprised at how few of the visitors or staff appear to be Arab.
The bathroom was quite a shock . after spending several hours on the airplane there was some urgency in going to the bathroom, and it was modern, and clean, but the facilities were the same hole in the floor we had encountered in Istanbul. a nice fixture, with hose for your convenience, but no seat.
the duty free shopping is better here than any other place I have been. Electronics and gold appear to be the most popular, but the food section also gets quite a bit of action. the guy ahead of me in the checkout was buying lots of Kraft singles and processed spread. I expect the electronics are a good bargain, but did not know of anything I should be buying; and even at duty free prices the gold jewelry was still expensive. So I bought some books, postcards and chocolate.
I have four more hours here. spent a lot of time cooling my heels at the airport in Frankfurt as well. I'll be very glad to stretch out in a bed Johannesburg.
emirates is a very nice airline. they provide you with hot towels, a menu, individual video screens, option of viewing the front or bottom camera of the airplane ( which means you can see what the pilot sees as he lands the plane) and the meal is good. the seat was ample and there was enough legroom. and if you are staying more than four hours in the airport they give you a free meal. not bad for economy class. lots of staff too.
this is a very modern airport. it is quite comfortable temperature wise inside, although outside it was 30 degrees at 6 in the morning. when we arrived we passed a departure lounge. most of the people were wearing white. the men in those long white cotton robes with head pieces like you see in pictures of Arab men, and the ladies in the equivalent. there were some women wearing black, but most were in white . aside from that first departure lounge, I was surprised at how few of the visitors or staff appear to be Arab.
The bathroom was quite a shock . after spending several hours on the airplane there was some urgency in going to the bathroom, and it was modern, and clean, but the facilities were the same hole in the floor we had encountered in Istanbul. a nice fixture, with hose for your convenience, but no seat.
the duty free shopping is better here than any other place I have been. Electronics and gold appear to be the most popular, but the food section also gets quite a bit of action. the guy ahead of me in the checkout was buying lots of Kraft singles and processed spread. I expect the electronics are a good bargain, but did not know of anything I should be buying; and even at duty free prices the gold jewelry was still expensive. So I bought some books, postcards and chocolate.
I have four more hours here. spent a lot of time cooling my heels at the airport in Frankfurt as well. I'll be very glad to stretch out in a bed Johannesburg.
Friday, September 14, 2007
final day in istanbul
last night we went out at sundown to eat with the ramazan revellers. just up from our hotel is the blue mosque, and there were many stalls set up around for families to eat and chat etc. It was quite an event. for some reason i had been under the impression that ramadan was a whole month of sombreness, but apparently it is just not eating through the day and saving the festivities for the evening. there were many many stalls, but the variety of food was not as great. really the only meal you could get was donair, but there were plenty of different sweets - sugar stuff on a stick, turkish delight, baklava, other pastries, a sort of ice cream, dried fruits etc etc etc. there were little jewelry stalls, and stalls that specialized in turkish coffee. the evening temperature was warmish, and there were lights above the mosque, so the atmostphere was definitely festive.
let me tell you some of the things you can get from sidwalk vendors in istanbul
chestnuts
corn on the cob ( not tasty at all)
donair
chicken rice and chicpeas
fried fish
pretzels, candy on a stick,
assorted nuts
i don't think i told you about going to the turkish bath. they have one in the hotel. it is just like a sauna only with marble instead of wood. you go in there for 30-60 minutes and sweat. i think you maybe are supposed to get on the marble slab and have someone exfoliate all your skin with these tough mitts, but the slab was too hot. and the room was too hot for us, we only stayed about 10 minutes.
have to go pack now, leaving the hotel tomorrow morning at 3:45
let me tell you some of the things you can get from sidwalk vendors in istanbul
chestnuts
corn on the cob ( not tasty at all)
donair
chicken rice and chicpeas
fried fish
pretzels, candy on a stick,
assorted nuts
i don't think i told you about going to the turkish bath. they have one in the hotel. it is just like a sauna only with marble instead of wood. you go in there for 30-60 minutes and sweat. i think you maybe are supposed to get on the marble slab and have someone exfoliate all your skin with these tough mitts, but the slab was too hot. and the room was too hot for us, we only stayed about 10 minutes.
have to go pack now, leaving the hotel tomorrow morning at 3:45
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Some highlights of istanbul
the last two days we went on tours and saw most of the highlights of the area. here is a thumbnail description of them:
Spice bazaar - this is as its name suggests a place where the locals and visitors go to buy spices. the stalls are small, and each has a fine assortment of bulk spices, and some gadgets to attract tourists. there are also stalls that sell turkish delight, and some others that sell handicrafts. the sellers are much like those in the grand bazaar, enough english to attract english speaking tourists, and enough german and italian i expect as well. i was looking at one stall and Bob was ahead of me a bit and the vendor said - come here, see my stall, and i said, i can't or i will lose my husband, and the vendor said, don't worry, you can find another one. the place is a complex of little streets and alleyways and it is easy to get lost, or to find yoruself recovering old territory. I bought some iranian saffron and some turkish delilght - a treat made of sugar and water boiled to a certain stage and flavoured usually with nuts or dried fruits.
boat tour of the bosporus - the bosporus connects the sea of marmara, where istanbul is, to the black sea. it is fairly long, and both sides have many beautiful homes , palaces, mansions etc along the water's edge. Two bridges cross the bosporus into asia, and we travelled on one of them to visit a summer home of the sultans, and then back again. there is a lot of boat traffic on the bosporus. they go in one direction for part of the day, and then boats travelling in the other direction have the use of the strait. there is a lot of traffic, much of it oil tanker traffic. There are little areas along the way. one was a former greek fishing village named tarabya. that is where we stopped for lunch. it was assorted cold mesas, then hot mesas, then grilled local fish. dessert was watermelon.
blue mosque - this mosque is so named because of the blue tiles on the inside. they are quite beautiful,. although the mosque is a little dark and so it is hard to see them. when you visit a mosque you have to take off your shoes, but ladies do not have to wear a scarf on their head. the toursit visiting area is separate from the praying area, so the faithful can come pray even when tourists are there. the caretaker was vacuuming the prayer space when we were there today. There are many many tourists here, especially today when a big cruise ship was in town.
hagia sophia - this was built as a catholic church, after some occupations it was a greek othodox church, and then for a few years it was a mosque. now it is a museum, which means you DO have to pay to get in, but you do not have to take off your shoes. there are some interesting mosaics from the 1100's, and lots of special rooms for the rulers. the special place for the important people was on the second floor, and instead of building stairs they built a ramp so the royalty could be taken up by horse and wagon. it was narrow and slippery. poor horses.
topkapi palace - this was the home of the sultans, and it was very grand. it is situated on the banks of the sea of marmara, and has a lovely view of the european side and the asia side, and of the golden horn which separates the old city from the new city on the european side. from the grounds you can see the "maidens tower" where they kept M in the james bond movie the world is not enough. we visited the treasury which had all the treasures from ottoman times, and all the jewels and gold and opulence was stunning. then we visited the kitchens where they could prepare food for 15,000 people. the pots were enormous, as were the serving dishes. we had a meal in the restuarant there. salad, burek( puff pastry filled with cheese), chicken donair meat and lamb donair meat, rice, potatoes and veges. dessert was a rice pudding. we also visited the divan, where the sultan's advisors met, and the armory where there were lots of old rifles and swords. but the most interesting part was the harem, where they kept the concubines, guarded by the black eunuchs. bars on the windows, sumptuous rooms for most of the occupants, and the whole thing was ruled by the sultan's mother. very very interesting. once they got rid of the sultan in 1923 they did not allow them to return to turkey. when the last sultans grandson was 90 they let him back. the people really hated the sultans, especially since they left the country so poor because of their grand stype of living.
Today is the first day of Ramazan ( not a typo - that is how they spell and pronounce it here). they set up little stalls to sell food at sundown, and that is where we will eat tonite. tomorrow is our last day here - we will probably go back to the spice bazaar, maybe to one of the cisterns, and get packed. our flight leaves very early friday morning, and i am most unlikely to get to a computer again until monday or tuesday.
Spice bazaar - this is as its name suggests a place where the locals and visitors go to buy spices. the stalls are small, and each has a fine assortment of bulk spices, and some gadgets to attract tourists. there are also stalls that sell turkish delight, and some others that sell handicrafts. the sellers are much like those in the grand bazaar, enough english to attract english speaking tourists, and enough german and italian i expect as well. i was looking at one stall and Bob was ahead of me a bit and the vendor said - come here, see my stall, and i said, i can't or i will lose my husband, and the vendor said, don't worry, you can find another one. the place is a complex of little streets and alleyways and it is easy to get lost, or to find yoruself recovering old territory. I bought some iranian saffron and some turkish delilght - a treat made of sugar and water boiled to a certain stage and flavoured usually with nuts or dried fruits.
boat tour of the bosporus - the bosporus connects the sea of marmara, where istanbul is, to the black sea. it is fairly long, and both sides have many beautiful homes , palaces, mansions etc along the water's edge. Two bridges cross the bosporus into asia, and we travelled on one of them to visit a summer home of the sultans, and then back again. there is a lot of boat traffic on the bosporus. they go in one direction for part of the day, and then boats travelling in the other direction have the use of the strait. there is a lot of traffic, much of it oil tanker traffic. There are little areas along the way. one was a former greek fishing village named tarabya. that is where we stopped for lunch. it was assorted cold mesas, then hot mesas, then grilled local fish. dessert was watermelon.
blue mosque - this mosque is so named because of the blue tiles on the inside. they are quite beautiful,. although the mosque is a little dark and so it is hard to see them. when you visit a mosque you have to take off your shoes, but ladies do not have to wear a scarf on their head. the toursit visiting area is separate from the praying area, so the faithful can come pray even when tourists are there. the caretaker was vacuuming the prayer space when we were there today. There are many many tourists here, especially today when a big cruise ship was in town.
hagia sophia - this was built as a catholic church, after some occupations it was a greek othodox church, and then for a few years it was a mosque. now it is a museum, which means you DO have to pay to get in, but you do not have to take off your shoes. there are some interesting mosaics from the 1100's, and lots of special rooms for the rulers. the special place for the important people was on the second floor, and instead of building stairs they built a ramp so the royalty could be taken up by horse and wagon. it was narrow and slippery. poor horses.
topkapi palace - this was the home of the sultans, and it was very grand. it is situated on the banks of the sea of marmara, and has a lovely view of the european side and the asia side, and of the golden horn which separates the old city from the new city on the european side. from the grounds you can see the "maidens tower" where they kept M in the james bond movie the world is not enough. we visited the treasury which had all the treasures from ottoman times, and all the jewels and gold and opulence was stunning. then we visited the kitchens where they could prepare food for 15,000 people. the pots were enormous, as were the serving dishes. we had a meal in the restuarant there. salad, burek( puff pastry filled with cheese), chicken donair meat and lamb donair meat, rice, potatoes and veges. dessert was a rice pudding. we also visited the divan, where the sultan's advisors met, and the armory where there were lots of old rifles and swords. but the most interesting part was the harem, where they kept the concubines, guarded by the black eunuchs. bars on the windows, sumptuous rooms for most of the occupants, and the whole thing was ruled by the sultan's mother. very very interesting. once they got rid of the sultan in 1923 they did not allow them to return to turkey. when the last sultans grandson was 90 they let him back. the people really hated the sultans, especially since they left the country so poor because of their grand stype of living.
Today is the first day of Ramazan ( not a typo - that is how they spell and pronounce it here). they set up little stalls to sell food at sundown, and that is where we will eat tonite. tomorrow is our last day here - we will probably go back to the spice bazaar, maybe to one of the cisterns, and get packed. our flight leaves very early friday morning, and i am most unlikely to get to a computer again until monday or tuesday.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
the whirling dirvishes
Last night we went to see the whirling dirvishes. they are a sect of the suffi branch of muslim. they believe that you can get close to god by getting yourself into a trance which they do by twirling around.
the preformance was in the ecxhibition hall of the train station, near the orient express restaurant. the train statiion is one of the ends of the famous orient express railway run, so the reotaurant exploits that twith its name.
there were about 100-120 attendees. the chairs were put in a u shape. first the "choir" arrived. it consisted of 10 people with various intruments. they were dressed in white shirts and black trousers, men and women. two played flute, one the zither, one a balalaika, i think. one played a 12 inch drum that you hold, and a lady played two softer drums that each had a different tone. and there were a couple of ladies who just sang. the first part of the evening was about a half hour perfomrance by the choir which reminded me of the gyoto monks a bit and like the tape we got in nepal. kind of rhythmic with those notes and half tones and quarter tones that you hear in middle eastern signing. this was a religious ceremony for them, and they were all very enthusiastic and serious about everything. I did NOT buy the CD at the end of the evening.
then they left, and then they came back dressed in black robes with very tall brown hats. and then in came 8 dirvishes, men and women, dressed in black robes and very tall hats, with full skirts hidden under the robes. then there was more singing. then the dirvishes took off their robes, bowed to each other, did a kind of soft march around the room bowing frequently, then went back and dropped the robes and started twirling. first slow, and then faster. it was not the speed that was so impressive, but how long they kept twirling. i dont know why they did not fall down. their heads were cocked to one side, which might be helpful in keeping them upright, i don't know. then after about 15 minutes or so they stopped, went back into formation, bowed some more, then started twirling some more. all the time there was music from the choir. they twirled this time even longer and even faster. their skirts were different colours and it was quite a sight. finally it ended, but you could not clap because we were viewing a religious preformance.
the preformance was in the ecxhibition hall of the train station, near the orient express restaurant. the train statiion is one of the ends of the famous orient express railway run, so the reotaurant exploits that twith its name.
there were about 100-120 attendees. the chairs were put in a u shape. first the "choir" arrived. it consisted of 10 people with various intruments. they were dressed in white shirts and black trousers, men and women. two played flute, one the zither, one a balalaika, i think. one played a 12 inch drum that you hold, and a lady played two softer drums that each had a different tone. and there were a couple of ladies who just sang. the first part of the evening was about a half hour perfomrance by the choir which reminded me of the gyoto monks a bit and like the tape we got in nepal. kind of rhythmic with those notes and half tones and quarter tones that you hear in middle eastern signing. this was a religious ceremony for them, and they were all very enthusiastic and serious about everything. I did NOT buy the CD at the end of the evening.
then they left, and then they came back dressed in black robes with very tall brown hats. and then in came 8 dirvishes, men and women, dressed in black robes and very tall hats, with full skirts hidden under the robes. then there was more singing. then the dirvishes took off their robes, bowed to each other, did a kind of soft march around the room bowing frequently, then went back and dropped the robes and started twirling. first slow, and then faster. it was not the speed that was so impressive, but how long they kept twirling. i dont know why they did not fall down. their heads were cocked to one side, which might be helpful in keeping them upright, i don't know. then after about 15 minutes or so they stopped, went back into formation, bowed some more, then started twirling some more. all the time there was music from the choir. they twirled this time even longer and even faster. their skirts were different colours and it was quite a sight. finally it ended, but you could not clap because we were viewing a religious preformance.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
buying a carpet in turkey
There are some things you should kow about buying a carpet in turkey.
first of all, carpet sellers can spot a foreginer from miles away. they will approach you , ask you where you are from, tell you about people they know in canada, and are so polite and charming you cannot be rude to them. they will invite you to have a drink - turkish tea, apple tea, turkish coffee or nescafe. sometimes wine. and then they show you their rugs. they have two or three helpers who RUN to get the drinks, or the rugs, or to roll them out, or to roll them up. and it is explained to you about carpets, and kilims, and embroidered rugs, and double knotted rugs with nap, and density of knots etc and the meaning of various patterns. and then you haggle about price. you cannot get them down too much, but you can ususally get it for about15-20% less than the starting price.
we did not know all of this pefore. but now we have all this knwoledge. as well as some new carpets. oscar and kati bought several rugs in istanbul, and one of our stops in cappadochia was at a rug factory. they showed you the silk cocoons and how they get the silk from them, and then how they dye the silk, and then the ladies actually making the carpets...one was working on one that they expected would take her 18 months. they are beautiful, and the market for antique rugs appears to be even more robust than for new carpets. many of the rugs are made in the homes rather than in factories. and they are truly beautful. if money were not a factor, space would be. you could not possibly bring home all the rugs that you like. we had no intention of buying a turkish rug, but we did. kind of goldish and bluish. and oscar and kati bought another .
yesterday we also saw a pottery factory where they shape and then paint the bowls and plates and tiles. they were beautiful, but it would be crazy to try to bring one of them home. and they were not cheap. smallish vases were about $400.
we also saw cave churches and more cave homes. some of these homes were occupied as recently as 1972. the government moves people out of them when erosion makes them usafe. i may not have mentioned before, but all of these cave dwellings also have pigeon houses as part of the complex. they ate pigeon meat, and the eggs, and used the droppings for fertilizer and the egg whites for paint. pigeon houses are small houses carved into the rocks where the cave homes are. we also saw mushroom rocks - rocks where the erosion created a cone shaped rock with a large boulder sitting precariously on top. lunch yesterday was in a cave - it was turkish ravioli with a yogurt and broken wheat soup. dessert was figs and apricots in syrup.
it was a mad rush at the airport to return to istanbul. no one respected line ups, and we had to be just as pushy as anyone else to get a boarding pass. but i must say the staff at the airports are patient and helpful. we were really impressed. and no matter how short the flight you got something to eat.
today kati and oscar went to the conference, and bob and i took laundry down the street to a guy who weighed it and said to come back at 5 for it. then we took the tram to the main station, walked along the waterfront and over the galleta bridge. the bridge is lined with men fishing. shoulder to shoulder. some people selling live bait, like shrimp, and little minnows. we saw only one person bring anything in, and that might have been the live bait rather than catch. apparently many turkish men are unemployed, so there is lots of opportunity to fish, and to play backgammon, and to smoke a water pipe. we returned by taxi ( taksi). that was a wild ride. honking is am important part of the safety of cab rides, and sometimes getting through a street with other vehicles is like threading the eye of a needle. and all the time the taxi driver was cursing at the stupids who were in his way.
tonite we go to a ceremony of whirling dervishes, and will probably visit one of the sumptuous palaces of the sultans. we will not be buying any more rugs.
first of all, carpet sellers can spot a foreginer from miles away. they will approach you , ask you where you are from, tell you about people they know in canada, and are so polite and charming you cannot be rude to them. they will invite you to have a drink - turkish tea, apple tea, turkish coffee or nescafe. sometimes wine. and then they show you their rugs. they have two or three helpers who RUN to get the drinks, or the rugs, or to roll them out, or to roll them up. and it is explained to you about carpets, and kilims, and embroidered rugs, and double knotted rugs with nap, and density of knots etc and the meaning of various patterns. and then you haggle about price. you cannot get them down too much, but you can ususally get it for about15-20% less than the starting price.
we did not know all of this pefore. but now we have all this knwoledge. as well as some new carpets. oscar and kati bought several rugs in istanbul, and one of our stops in cappadochia was at a rug factory. they showed you the silk cocoons and how they get the silk from them, and then how they dye the silk, and then the ladies actually making the carpets...one was working on one that they expected would take her 18 months. they are beautiful, and the market for antique rugs appears to be even more robust than for new carpets. many of the rugs are made in the homes rather than in factories. and they are truly beautful. if money were not a factor, space would be. you could not possibly bring home all the rugs that you like. we had no intention of buying a turkish rug, but we did. kind of goldish and bluish. and oscar and kati bought another .
yesterday we also saw a pottery factory where they shape and then paint the bowls and plates and tiles. they were beautiful, but it would be crazy to try to bring one of them home. and they were not cheap. smallish vases were about $400.
we also saw cave churches and more cave homes. some of these homes were occupied as recently as 1972. the government moves people out of them when erosion makes them usafe. i may not have mentioned before, but all of these cave dwellings also have pigeon houses as part of the complex. they ate pigeon meat, and the eggs, and used the droppings for fertilizer and the egg whites for paint. pigeon houses are small houses carved into the rocks where the cave homes are. we also saw mushroom rocks - rocks where the erosion created a cone shaped rock with a large boulder sitting precariously on top. lunch yesterday was in a cave - it was turkish ravioli with a yogurt and broken wheat soup. dessert was figs and apricots in syrup.
it was a mad rush at the airport to return to istanbul. no one respected line ups, and we had to be just as pushy as anyone else to get a boarding pass. but i must say the staff at the airports are patient and helpful. we were really impressed. and no matter how short the flight you got something to eat.
today kati and oscar went to the conference, and bob and i took laundry down the street to a guy who weighed it and said to come back at 5 for it. then we took the tram to the main station, walked along the waterfront and over the galleta bridge. the bridge is lined with men fishing. shoulder to shoulder. some people selling live bait, like shrimp, and little minnows. we saw only one person bring anything in, and that might have been the live bait rather than catch. apparently many turkish men are unemployed, so there is lots of opportunity to fish, and to play backgammon, and to smoke a water pipe. we returned by taxi ( taksi). that was a wild ride. honking is am important part of the safety of cab rides, and sometimes getting through a street with other vehicles is like threading the eye of a needle. and all the time the taxi driver was cursing at the stupids who were in his way.
tonite we go to a ceremony of whirling dervishes, and will probably visit one of the sumptuous palaces of the sultans. we will not be buying any more rugs.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Cappadochıa
today we flew ınto Caapdochıa. ıt ıs ın the center of the country. the maın cıty ıs keyaserı - named eıther for ceasar or for the kaıser of germany dependıng on the tıme frame. ıt has vast tracts of land that appear to be barren but ın fact produce much of the crops for the country. the maın crops that grow here are wheat and sunflowers and potatoes and squash ( for the seeds). they also grow grapes here but they grow them as bushes not as vınes. we have had some turkısh wıne and ıt ıs quıte nıce.
the purpose of comıng was to vısıt the strange geology ın these parts and the cave dwelllıngs that resulted from thıs.
the early chrıstıans were pursued by the roman legıons and found thıs spot ın the ottoman empıre that seemed safe enough for them. they buılt churches and dwellıngs ın the soft rock around here. the dwellıngs were so well hıdden that altough they date from 100 AD they were just dıscovered about 40 years ago. you would not belıeve the tunnels and caves and storage places and ventılatıon shafts and more tunnels and mıll stones to keep out the bad guys and more storage places and spots for wıne etc etc. the caves have a nıce constant temperature and were comfortable even ın the harsh wınters and very hot summers. today the caves are used to store cıtus fruıts grown on the medıtteranean coast. they are brought here because after spendıng a few months ın the caves here they are plumper and more valuable than when they are pıcked. potatoes are also stored ın the caves. ıt ıs ınterestıng to see them grown above ground and then rıght below where they were grown they are stored.
our lunch was a stew cooked ın a terracotta pot and covered wıth bread. no butter or oıl or lıquıd ıs used just the juıces from the meat and veges. when ıt ıs ready the bread ıs opened and thrown out and we eat the stew. ıt was lovely. dessert was watermelon. the stew was preceded by a tomatoeand yogurt soup and by a salad.
we are at a classy hotel tonıte - not what we are used to. swımmıng pool bıg rooms ınternet cafe. tomorrow we do some more sıghtseeıng around here ın partıcular the mushroom rocks and then head back to ıstanbul
sorry about the punctuatıon ın thıs note. turkısh keyboards take some gettıng used to
the purpose of comıng was to vısıt the strange geology ın these parts and the cave dwelllıngs that resulted from thıs.
the early chrıstıans were pursued by the roman legıons and found thıs spot ın the ottoman empıre that seemed safe enough for them. they buılt churches and dwellıngs ın the soft rock around here. the dwellıngs were so well hıdden that altough they date from 100 AD they were just dıscovered about 40 years ago. you would not belıeve the tunnels and caves and storage places and ventılatıon shafts and more tunnels and mıll stones to keep out the bad guys and more storage places and spots for wıne etc etc. the caves have a nıce constant temperature and were comfortable even ın the harsh wınters and very hot summers. today the caves are used to store cıtus fruıts grown on the medıtteranean coast. they are brought here because after spendıng a few months ın the caves here they are plumper and more valuable than when they are pıcked. potatoes are also stored ın the caves. ıt ıs ınterestıng to see them grown above ground and then rıght below where they were grown they are stored.
our lunch was a stew cooked ın a terracotta pot and covered wıth bread. no butter or oıl or lıquıd ıs used just the juıces from the meat and veges. when ıt ıs ready the bread ıs opened and thrown out and we eat the stew. ıt was lovely. dessert was watermelon. the stew was preceded by a tomatoeand yogurt soup and by a salad.
we are at a classy hotel tonıte - not what we are used to. swımmıng pool bıg rooms ınternet cafe. tomorrow we do some more sıghtseeıng around here ın partıcular the mushroom rocks and then head back to ıstanbul
sorry about the punctuatıon ın thıs note. turkısh keyboards take some gettıng used to
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Things you were probably wondering.......
today we took a bus tour of the city, and saw just how big it was, and how very busy the port is. we also saw remains of buildings built many thousands of years ago. the big excitement was that the prime minisinter was eating at a restaurant nearby, so the police were out in force. here are some things you may have been wondering about
PEOPLE - the people here are a very friendly, gregarious lot, especially those in the stores. they wear all manner of dress from short shorts to full black dress-coats with just the eyes showing. about a quarter of the women wear some kind of head scarf, and mostly it is brightly coloured and matches their outfit impeccably. people walk arm in arm a lot. men with women, women with women, and men with men. you see very little boys who probably should be in school trying to sell things to the visitors, or working at little restaurants.
FOOD - everything we have eaten here is delicious. there is a lot of lamb, and no matter which way they cook it it is tender and tasty. salads are fresh, and nicely presented. there is always pita bread, and it is fresh. restaurants are less likely to serve alcohol here than in hungary. you are more likely to get coffee or tea. we had wine with our meal last night, turkish wine, and it was a lovely red wine. breakfast is sliced meats, cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, bread, regular coffee, tea, some cereal and pastries. the one i really like is cigar shaped phyllo dough with spiced feta inside. For dessert today we had something which startred as a disk of shredded wheat, was soaked in honey and butter and grilled. tasty.
TOILETS - well the toilets here are varied i must say. the one at todays restaurant was fancy. it had three dials near the toilet seat and I have no idea what they were for. the instructions were in japanese. the label said essence. the sink had little containers that had q tips and make up pads. then there was the toilet at the bazaar. it was sort of open air - you had privacy, but the top of the stall was open to the air outside. and it was just a hole in the floor - porcelain fixture, but the fixture was just three inches tall. you had to flush when you were done, but since we weree not used to that sort of toilet had to be very careful in its use.
SAFETY - you feel very safe here. there are the regular police, the tourist police, and the traffic police. they are young, men and women, and seem well trained, and are friendly, and are everywhere. today the prime minister of turkey was eating at a restaurant near the haghia sofia, and we saw about 20 of them run up the hill to guard the restaurant and the sidwealk outside. when we were in the grand bazaar yesterday they were at the entrances and on the floor. although people are prepared to charge you too much for something, i think they would not steal from you or short change you.
NOISE - Istanbul is wuite a noisy city. you regularly hear the call to prayer, which i find makes this place very exotic. loudspeakers are used, so you get to hear it no matter how far away you are from a mosque. It is often a back and forth chant - someone at one mosque sings something, and someone at another mosque either repeats it or sings something in response. There are cars on the go at all hours of the night, and there is a tram nearby that whirrs along on a regular basis. Then there are the helicopters, and sometimes horns beeping or police sirens wailing.
WEATHER - so far our weather has been wonderful. a little chilly in the morning, but sunny and warm through the day, no rain so far .
tomorrow we head for cappadochia and konya. cappacochia has wonderful geology, and konya is the home of the whirling dirvishes.
PEOPLE - the people here are a very friendly, gregarious lot, especially those in the stores. they wear all manner of dress from short shorts to full black dress-coats with just the eyes showing. about a quarter of the women wear some kind of head scarf, and mostly it is brightly coloured and matches their outfit impeccably. people walk arm in arm a lot. men with women, women with women, and men with men. you see very little boys who probably should be in school trying to sell things to the visitors, or working at little restaurants.
FOOD - everything we have eaten here is delicious. there is a lot of lamb, and no matter which way they cook it it is tender and tasty. salads are fresh, and nicely presented. there is always pita bread, and it is fresh. restaurants are less likely to serve alcohol here than in hungary. you are more likely to get coffee or tea. we had wine with our meal last night, turkish wine, and it was a lovely red wine. breakfast is sliced meats, cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, bread, regular coffee, tea, some cereal and pastries. the one i really like is cigar shaped phyllo dough with spiced feta inside. For dessert today we had something which startred as a disk of shredded wheat, was soaked in honey and butter and grilled. tasty.
TOILETS - well the toilets here are varied i must say. the one at todays restaurant was fancy. it had three dials near the toilet seat and I have no idea what they were for. the instructions were in japanese. the label said essence. the sink had little containers that had q tips and make up pads. then there was the toilet at the bazaar. it was sort of open air - you had privacy, but the top of the stall was open to the air outside. and it was just a hole in the floor - porcelain fixture, but the fixture was just three inches tall. you had to flush when you were done, but since we weree not used to that sort of toilet had to be very careful in its use.
SAFETY - you feel very safe here. there are the regular police, the tourist police, and the traffic police. they are young, men and women, and seem well trained, and are friendly, and are everywhere. today the prime minister of turkey was eating at a restaurant near the haghia sofia, and we saw about 20 of them run up the hill to guard the restaurant and the sidwealk outside. when we were in the grand bazaar yesterday they were at the entrances and on the floor. although people are prepared to charge you too much for something, i think they would not steal from you or short change you.
NOISE - Istanbul is wuite a noisy city. you regularly hear the call to prayer, which i find makes this place very exotic. loudspeakers are used, so you get to hear it no matter how far away you are from a mosque. It is often a back and forth chant - someone at one mosque sings something, and someone at another mosque either repeats it or sings something in response. There are cars on the go at all hours of the night, and there is a tram nearby that whirrs along on a regular basis. Then there are the helicopters, and sometimes horns beeping or police sirens wailing.
WEATHER - so far our weather has been wonderful. a little chilly in the morning, but sunny and warm through the day, no rain so far .
tomorrow we head for cappadochia and konya. cappacochia has wonderful geology, and konya is the home of the whirling dirvishes.
anonther city that never sleeps
we arrived in istanbul at 2 a.m. the night before last. security at frankfurt was no more stringent than at other times, so i guess they figured they had all the bad guys collected up. istanbul is a large city, and it is very much alive. lights all over the place, airplanes arriving at all hours of the day. our hotel was chosen on the basis of location and value, so although it is in a very happening area of the city, it is small, and not a lot of amenities. but there is a very ample breakfast in a dining room that overlooks the sea of marmara, and can even be taken out on a balcony, and internet access in the lobby. we did not spot the air conditioner upon arrival, and spent the first night sweating a lot. things are fine now that we found it. when we were having breakfast yesterday morning the harbour was just full of traffic. many ferries, oil tankers, saiboats, yachts. overhead were always at least one helicopter. you could see for miles, and the clouds were pretty over the water. it was a wonderful start.
then oscar kati bob and i headed for the grand bazaar. on the way we took time to stop at a couple of carpet sellers. they always offer you tea when you go in, and tell you their family story. they all seem to be kurds and have relatives in new jersey. they are the last reamining members of their families to be in this trade. and one fellow told me in a quiet voice that the little purses i was looking at ( and had seen about 3 million of all around the city) were made by his daughter who was trying to get together enough money for school fees. and they all have not only a carpet store, but also a restuarant which they will take you to right now. they probably all speak 10 languages and can be equally convincing in all of them. but you never felt threatened. it was all kind of fun. lunch was at an outdoor stall on one of the main drags. it was like a toasted pita with meat and veges and fench fries inside. I asked for juice and a dear little boy who must have been only 10 squeezed oranges behind the counter for my drink. the others got bottled water or pop.
the grand bazaar is immense, and all the guide books tell you not to pay what they ask, to beat them down. oscar got pretty good at it, but i was not able to do more than get them to throw extra stuff in. oscar and kati looked at several rugs and got a nice one for their bedroom. i think they will get some more. and they got a lovely plate. ceramic plates and bowls etc are very nice here. not cheap, but lovely. we got a nice bedspread. kind of goldish and shiny with a turkish design. not that expensive i guess , but more money than i thought i'd ever spend on a bedspread.
on the way back we stopped at a little park place between the hagia sophia and the blue mosque. we just sat and wathced the people go by. about a third i guess were locals, and the others tourists like us. all manner of shape and size and dress and age. we bought pretzels from a local vendor. they also sold corn on the cob on the street and today i think we will try that.
our hotel is in the tourist area, and there are many many many restauratnts. the wait staff at one of them were smitten with kathy and me, and convinced us that we should go back there after roamiing the streets, so we did. lovely meal of lamb for me, mixed casserole for bob and oscar. kathy had a chickn dish with vegetables much like they have in hungary.
well there appear to be other patrons of the hotel waiting for the computer so i should close.
we are off on a city tour today maybe, or maybe we will walk over the gallata bridge to beyoglu. it is another lovely day, and tomorrow we are headed for cappadochia and konya.
who know, we may even do more shopping.
then oscar kati bob and i headed for the grand bazaar. on the way we took time to stop at a couple of carpet sellers. they always offer you tea when you go in, and tell you their family story. they all seem to be kurds and have relatives in new jersey. they are the last reamining members of their families to be in this trade. and one fellow told me in a quiet voice that the little purses i was looking at ( and had seen about 3 million of all around the city) were made by his daughter who was trying to get together enough money for school fees. and they all have not only a carpet store, but also a restuarant which they will take you to right now. they probably all speak 10 languages and can be equally convincing in all of them. but you never felt threatened. it was all kind of fun. lunch was at an outdoor stall on one of the main drags. it was like a toasted pita with meat and veges and fench fries inside. I asked for juice and a dear little boy who must have been only 10 squeezed oranges behind the counter for my drink. the others got bottled water or pop.
the grand bazaar is immense, and all the guide books tell you not to pay what they ask, to beat them down. oscar got pretty good at it, but i was not able to do more than get them to throw extra stuff in. oscar and kati looked at several rugs and got a nice one for their bedroom. i think they will get some more. and they got a lovely plate. ceramic plates and bowls etc are very nice here. not cheap, but lovely. we got a nice bedspread. kind of goldish and shiny with a turkish design. not that expensive i guess , but more money than i thought i'd ever spend on a bedspread.
on the way back we stopped at a little park place between the hagia sophia and the blue mosque. we just sat and wathced the people go by. about a third i guess were locals, and the others tourists like us. all manner of shape and size and dress and age. we bought pretzels from a local vendor. they also sold corn on the cob on the street and today i think we will try that.
our hotel is in the tourist area, and there are many many many restauratnts. the wait staff at one of them were smitten with kathy and me, and convinced us that we should go back there after roamiing the streets, so we did. lovely meal of lamb for me, mixed casserole for bob and oscar. kathy had a chickn dish with vegetables much like they have in hungary.
well there appear to be other patrons of the hotel waiting for the computer so i should close.
we are off on a city tour today maybe, or maybe we will walk over the gallata bridge to beyoglu. it is another lovely day, and tomorrow we are headed for cappadochia and konya.
who know, we may even do more shopping.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
last day in Budapest
Well today was our last full day in Budapest. we leave tomorrow for Istanbul. through Frankfurt. just after the terrorist arrests and the threat of an imminent event at the Frankfurt airport. security will be very tight probably, but we have 6 hours in Frankfurt and surely can get through in that time.
we went to a shopping mall today in the center of town. called the West End Mall. it had very nice stores, inclusing many very nice shoe stores. we did not buy much , but looked a lot.
then tonight we went to a concert at the new concert hall. the music was compősed by zoltan kodaly ( pronounced co-die). He was a Hungarian composer who died about 40 years ago. he and bela bartok were buds, and went around the country collecting folk tunes, which they set as pieces for choir and orchestra and other combos of instruments. The concert was exceptional. first a number of his songs were performed by a girls choir from a nearby town. they were wonderful, wore ethnic costumes , had clear pretty voices, wonderfully directed, and it was a real treat to hear them. Then there was a solo cello performer who played another piece by Kodaly, which was modern, and a little long, but he was a virtuoso and it was a treat to hear him play. then there was intermission. I always think it interesting to see how they do intermission in different cities. in budapest they have all kinds of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, and these huge pretzel shaped breads. not really pretzels, because they were not chewy, more like a light bread or a pastry.
in the second half the orchestra played one piece which was tunes from a musical based on an epic poem about a traveller from hungary who roamed the world. it was wonderful. they had 5 bass players, and someone who played the hammered dulcimer, plus a bunch of other outstanding musicians. after that piece they played 'dances from gallant', a town in hungary.
well tommorrow we will be on the road, and not likely to get to a computer. maybe the next time I will be able to download some pictures
we went to a shopping mall today in the center of town. called the West End Mall. it had very nice stores, inclusing many very nice shoe stores. we did not buy much , but looked a lot.
then tonight we went to a concert at the new concert hall. the music was compősed by zoltan kodaly ( pronounced co-die). He was a Hungarian composer who died about 40 years ago. he and bela bartok were buds, and went around the country collecting folk tunes, which they set as pieces for choir and orchestra and other combos of instruments. The concert was exceptional. first a number of his songs were performed by a girls choir from a nearby town. they were wonderful, wore ethnic costumes , had clear pretty voices, wonderfully directed, and it was a real treat to hear them. Then there was a solo cello performer who played another piece by Kodaly, which was modern, and a little long, but he was a virtuoso and it was a treat to hear him play. then there was intermission. I always think it interesting to see how they do intermission in different cities. in budapest they have all kinds of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, and these huge pretzel shaped breads. not really pretzels, because they were not chewy, more like a light bread or a pastry.
in the second half the orchestra played one piece which was tunes from a musical based on an epic poem about a traveller from hungary who roamed the world. it was wonderful. they had 5 bass players, and someone who played the hammered dulcimer, plus a bunch of other outstanding musicians. after that piece they played 'dances from gallant', a town in hungary.
well tommorrow we will be on the road, and not likely to get to a computer. maybe the next time I will be able to download some pictures
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Wining and dining in Sumeg
Monday we headed to Sumeg, a tourist town northwest of the western limit of lake balaton. Lake Balaton is a very large lake in the middle of Hungary. it is 100 km long and 20 km wide, and very shallow. because it is so shallow it warms up quickly in the spring, and stays at a nice temperature through the whole summer. motor boats are not allowed, but there are many sailboats, and many hotels, motels, pensions etc. One of the towns on the Lake is Tihany. you park and then climb up a hill past many little tourist shops to a very old church with links to the Benedictine monks. near the church is a little cafe with exotic ice cream dishses. we ate on the balcony overlooking the Balaton. it was peaceful and beautiful.
Katis sister marjke lives in sumeg. she and her husband robbie run a toursit business that provides accommodation, horseback riding, riding lessons, hunting, wagon rides etc. because it was september there was lots of room for us. Robbie is keen on maintaining old traditioins and from time to time participates in hussar ceremonies and events, complete with traditional costumes and activities. supper that night was fried chicked and french fries with assorted salads. afterewards we went to a little wine taverna and tasted 6 different types of hungarian wines. one was from the tokaj region but was not made with the tokaj processes, the others were from wineries nearby. there was a sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvingon, shiraz, muscat, resiling and one other. very tasty indeed, but the quantity made the walk home a little treacherous.
today we headed to a new spa near sumeg. there are many hot springs in hungary because of the geology of the country, and many many many spas. the last time we were here we went to an open air spa that was like a lake. today we went to an indoor-outdoor spa. There were several pools at different temperatures, spots where there are showers coming down, other spots where from time to time there are bubbles coming up, and one circular area that has a current that just takes you along around and around . supper tonite was at a spot run by another tradition keeper friend fo Robbies. the floor was rocks, the tables were long picnic tables with benches; sheepskins and goat skins lined the walls, and there was a gypsy trio providing entertainment. I had goose leg. the others had pork hock, chicken, or pork tenderloin. the six meals were all served on the same great tray, and you put on your plate what you wanted. we had apricot palinka before the meal, and a nice white house wine with the meal. dessert was a potato flour pastry filled with cottage cheese or plum jam, and dusted with brown sugar and flour. since we polished that off they also provided hungarian cheese cake. it is more like a dessert square than our cheesecake, and the filling is lighter.
Tomorrow we spend some last time in Budapest, and attend a concert of music by Kodaly in the evening.
Katis sister marjke lives in sumeg. she and her husband robbie run a toursit business that provides accommodation, horseback riding, riding lessons, hunting, wagon rides etc. because it was september there was lots of room for us. Robbie is keen on maintaining old traditioins and from time to time participates in hussar ceremonies and events, complete with traditional costumes and activities. supper that night was fried chicked and french fries with assorted salads. afterewards we went to a little wine taverna and tasted 6 different types of hungarian wines. one was from the tokaj region but was not made with the tokaj processes, the others were from wineries nearby. there was a sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvingon, shiraz, muscat, resiling and one other. very tasty indeed, but the quantity made the walk home a little treacherous.
today we headed to a new spa near sumeg. there are many hot springs in hungary because of the geology of the country, and many many many spas. the last time we were here we went to an open air spa that was like a lake. today we went to an indoor-outdoor spa. There were several pools at different temperatures, spots where there are showers coming down, other spots where from time to time there are bubbles coming up, and one circular area that has a current that just takes you along around and around . supper tonite was at a spot run by another tradition keeper friend fo Robbies. the floor was rocks, the tables were long picnic tables with benches; sheepskins and goat skins lined the walls, and there was a gypsy trio providing entertainment. I had goose leg. the others had pork hock, chicken, or pork tenderloin. the six meals were all served on the same great tray, and you put on your plate what you wanted. we had apricot palinka before the meal, and a nice white house wine with the meal. dessert was a potato flour pastry filled with cottage cheese or plum jam, and dusted with brown sugar and flour. since we polished that off they also provided hungarian cheese cake. it is more like a dessert square than our cheesecake, and the filling is lighter.
Tomorrow we spend some last time in Budapest, and attend a concert of music by Kodaly in the evening.
Monday, September 3, 2007
What a weekend
Well we had a very wonderful weekend in Tokaj ( pronounced toak eye). It is one of the famous wine growing regions of Hungary, and like other wine growing areas we have visited in other places, is very civilized. clean streets, small scale to towns, well kept homes, constant atmosphere of party, lots of places to stay and to eat. Our first stop was at the home of Erzos mother, who lived in the town. she had an ample lunch of leszo, salads, bread, and palinka ( local liquor, drunk before breakfast, and then at many opportunites thoughout the day). Down the street from her house was a tall tower with a stork nest on top. up from her house was the town square, with a statue, wine museum, and quiet little shops. Erzos brother Willy, a business management professor in another town, and her uncle Fere, a horticultural professor, joined us. one of uncle feres students ran a winery in the area, and agreed to give us a visit, even though he does not normally do that.
The vineyard was extensive, and the fruit hung heavy on the vines. where we visited it was all white grapes. after inspecting the plants we went down down into the wine cellar. apparently the tokaj wine needs several things found only here, which is what makes it different from other wines. the requirements are
grapes that require the longer than usual summer they get in this area
the moisture from the nearby river which floods in the spring and keeps the land moist all summer
the yeast/fungus (bactrytus???)that grows only in this area and has a symbiotic relationship with the wine
a fermentation and aging process that depends on the presence of oygen.
the caves where the wine is aged and the yeast thrives
When we visited the wine cellar this yeast was very obvious - on the walls, on the floor, on the barrells, on the bottles. it is white and fuzzy while it is alive, and black once it dies.
The museum in Tokaj showed the various varieties of grapes that are here, none of which have names even similar to those in germany or south africa, and there were about 60 of them. The museum also showed the code of conduct that vinters must adhere to, which includes hospitality, so as to maintain the reputation of the region.
Supper that night was at a wine tavern, and consisted of potatoe pancakes and salad, a dish popular in this region, especially since it is close to the slovakian border, and this type of pancake is essentially slovakian food.
We stayed at a little pension that night ($40) and had a breakfast of omelet, meats. breads etc at erzos mums place, then off to see a prőtestant school, a exhibit about saint elizabeth of hungary, and a fort.
That night was a party back at ester and atillas, grilled chicken, vegetable skewers ,mediterrranean salad, lovely eggplant dip, potatoes, and creamed corn and peas, with the last of esters birthday cake for dessert. and lots of beer, wine and palinka
we are off shortly ro go to sumeg, a tourist town about 3 hours from here. katis sister marjke has a tourist attractiion based on riding and hunting with horses.
The vineyard was extensive, and the fruit hung heavy on the vines. where we visited it was all white grapes. after inspecting the plants we went down down into the wine cellar. apparently the tokaj wine needs several things found only here, which is what makes it different from other wines. the requirements are
grapes that require the longer than usual summer they get in this area
the moisture from the nearby river which floods in the spring and keeps the land moist all summer
the yeast/fungus (bactrytus???)that grows only in this area and has a symbiotic relationship with the wine
a fermentation and aging process that depends on the presence of oygen.
the caves where the wine is aged and the yeast thrives
When we visited the wine cellar this yeast was very obvious - on the walls, on the floor, on the barrells, on the bottles. it is white and fuzzy while it is alive, and black once it dies.
The museum in Tokaj showed the various varieties of grapes that are here, none of which have names even similar to those in germany or south africa, and there were about 60 of them. The museum also showed the code of conduct that vinters must adhere to, which includes hospitality, so as to maintain the reputation of the region.
Supper that night was at a wine tavern, and consisted of potatoe pancakes and salad, a dish popular in this region, especially since it is close to the slovakian border, and this type of pancake is essentially slovakian food.
We stayed at a little pension that night ($40) and had a breakfast of omelet, meats. breads etc at erzos mums place, then off to see a prőtestant school, a exhibit about saint elizabeth of hungary, and a fort.
That night was a party back at ester and atillas, grilled chicken, vegetable skewers ,mediterrranean salad, lovely eggplant dip, potatoes, and creamed corn and peas, with the last of esters birthday cake for dessert. and lots of beer, wine and palinka
we are off shortly ro go to sumeg, a tourist town about 3 hours from here. katis sister marjke has a tourist attractiion based on riding and hunting with horses.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Friday in the big city
Friday was a beautiful day weather wise. Sunny, not too hot, a bit of a breeze. It was a perfect day to sightsee. first we went to a castle recently restored that at one time had been the hunting villa of the Hapsburgs. They had a lot of the display devoted to Erzabet Karolin, or Sissi as she is known here. She was a queen that lived in the 1800's, was much loved by the people of both Hungary and Austria, but not liked as well by the royal court. a bit like Diana. Her wedding gown, and paintings of coronations and weddings etc were very prominent in the displays. She was killed in the late 1800's by an anarchist. Since her death there have been movies, plays and musicals based on her story.
Then we took the go train into Budapest, and walked along the danube, crossed the train bridge over to the Buda side ( prominent in that movie with Eddie Murphy about the invisible plane), went up to the top of the hill in the cable car, and roamed around the castle area, stopping for ice cream at the Hilton. The place was abuzz with tourists, many of them Engish speaking. There was a very large group of spanish speakers as well. The view of the city and the Danube from the ramparts up at the castle is breathtaking. As the sun changes the vista changes as well, and the light on the white stone of the parliament buildings can be really wonderful. My computer here does not have the right software to download photos, so they will have to be added later, but it was a perfect day for sightseeing and for taking pictures.
Along the Danube on the Pest side is a memorial to the Jews in Hungary who were killed in the second world war. It consisted of bronzed shoes placed here and there along a cement walkway on the edge of the danube. it remembered the times when they were lined up here and shot, their bodies falling into the river.
that evening we went to the home of Imre ( Katis brother) and his wife Erszo. Erszo had prepared a lovely meal of chicken marinated in honey and lemon, greek salad, peas in a creamy liquid, corn in a creamy liquid, risotto with vegetables, a composed salad with tomatoes peppers and eggs, and an elegant ice cream cake for dessert.
Today we head for Tokai, a wine making region of the country. I exect we will do some wine tasting.
Then we took the go train into Budapest, and walked along the danube, crossed the train bridge over to the Buda side ( prominent in that movie with Eddie Murphy about the invisible plane), went up to the top of the hill in the cable car, and roamed around the castle area, stopping for ice cream at the Hilton. The place was abuzz with tourists, many of them Engish speaking. There was a very large group of spanish speakers as well. The view of the city and the Danube from the ramparts up at the castle is breathtaking. As the sun changes the vista changes as well, and the light on the white stone of the parliament buildings can be really wonderful. My computer here does not have the right software to download photos, so they will have to be added later, but it was a perfect day for sightseeing and for taking pictures.
Along the Danube on the Pest side is a memorial to the Jews in Hungary who were killed in the second world war. It consisted of bronzed shoes placed here and there along a cement walkway on the edge of the danube. it remembered the times when they were lined up here and shot, their bodies falling into the river.
that evening we went to the home of Imre ( Katis brother) and his wife Erszo. Erszo had prepared a lovely meal of chicken marinated in honey and lemon, greek salad, peas in a creamy liquid, corn in a creamy liquid, risotto with vegetables, a composed salad with tomatoes peppers and eggs, and an elegant ice cream cake for dessert.
Today we head for Tokai, a wine making region of the country. I exect we will do some wine tasting.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Thursday in the big city
today we went into budapest proper. first stop was the market - 2 floors of things hungarian. on the bottom floor are the food stuffs - sausages, meats, spices, vegetables, honey, nuts, cheeses, and more of the same. a large space in a very large building for all the things you need to make a good goulash. on the top floor are the tablecloths, t-shirts, embroidered vests and blouses, various crafts, and a sort of food court. the building was architected by the same fellow who did the eiffel tower, and is very impressive.
next we went to the museum of applied arts. the special exhibition today was of ceramics by early people in íhungary and Transylvania, as well as a different exhibit on glassware by a french fellow and by tiffany. there was a substantial colelction of treasures from the esterhazy's as well. they were prominent in the history and the culture of Hungary. Hayden was sponsored by the Esterhazys.
then we walked the streets of downtown budapest, vaci utca and other streets as well. there is a fine music store off one of the side streets, and near by is a shop that sells marzipan. Supper tonite was at Sir Lancelot, a restuarant that features food prepared medieval style, and patrons eat with their fingers. deer, bear, rabbit and boar are on the menu.
There are many sunflower fields around budapest. The drop has now ripened, and waht you see are stalks about 4 feet high with black heads about 4 inches across. I presume somone will cut them down and take them to a processing plant soon.
next we went to the museum of applied arts. the special exhibition today was of ceramics by early people in íhungary and Transylvania, as well as a different exhibit on glassware by a french fellow and by tiffany. there was a substantial colelction of treasures from the esterhazy's as well. they were prominent in the history and the culture of Hungary. Hayden was sponsored by the Esterhazys.
then we walked the streets of downtown budapest, vaci utca and other streets as well. there is a fine music store off one of the side streets, and near by is a shop that sells marzipan. Supper tonite was at Sir Lancelot, a restuarant that features food prepared medieval style, and patrons eat with their fingers. deer, bear, rabbit and boar are on the menu.
There are many sunflower fields around budapest. The drop has now ripened, and waht you see are stalks about 4 feet high with black heads about 4 inches across. I presume somone will cut them down and take them to a processing plant soon.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
first day in budapest
last night we arrived safely in budapest - met by many relatives of Kati's, including Ester ( her niece) and Attila, our hosts. our timing was impeccable, because it was ester's birthday, and attilla had prepared a hungarian goulash, cooked on an open fire for the whole afternoon, seasoned with paprika and red wine. it was served over spaetzle noodels, and with a cucumber salad. dessert was birthday cake which was a walnut torte iced with marzipan. cake doesn't get much better than that. ester and attilla's place is spacious and new, with tasteful decorations and a well landscaped back yrd including a firepit, smoker, swimming pool, and a BEER TAP. That is for the times when you don'wat to drink palinka ( made from blueberries, distilled after fermentation) or campari.
today is our first day in budapest. we are taking it easy to recover from the long trip and the time change. first off is a walk in the neighborhood. the houses here are very nice - of brick construction faces with a composite material that looks like cement, but brightly colored. all homes have fences, most have at least one dog, so a walk can generate a lot of noise with all the mutts coming to pass judgement on the newcomers. there is much vegetation, most of it edible. peaches, pears, apples, quince, grapes etc. also many varieties of flowers, including a lot of hyacinth, and a surprising number of bamboo trees.
in the afternoon we head to nagykata, where margitnanny lives in the home where kati's parents used to live. margitnanny is about 8ö, and was waiting at the gate for us to arrive. she had proibably been standing by the gate for an hour waiting for us. she had a lovely meal ready - soup, potatoes, chicken, and cucumber salad.
today is our first day in budapest. we are taking it easy to recover from the long trip and the time change. first off is a walk in the neighborhood. the houses here are very nice - of brick construction faces with a composite material that looks like cement, but brightly colored. all homes have fences, most have at least one dog, so a walk can generate a lot of noise with all the mutts coming to pass judgement on the newcomers. there is much vegetation, most of it edible. peaches, pears, apples, quince, grapes etc. also many varieties of flowers, including a lot of hyacinth, and a surprising number of bamboo trees.
in the afternoon we head to nagykata, where margitnanny lives in the home where kati's parents used to live. margitnanny is about 8ö, and was waiting at the gate for us to arrive. she had proibably been standing by the gate for an hour waiting for us. she had a lovely meal ready - soup, potatoes, chicken, and cucumber salad.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Our European vacation, 2007
Hi all
Kati, Oscar, Bob and I are headed to Hungary and Turkey on August 27 . Kati, Oscar and Bob return home on Sept 15 and I go on to South Africa for two weeks. I will be posting vignettes and photos as we go along. Here is our itinery:
August 27 fly to Budapest
Sept 6 fly to Istanbul
Sept 15 return home ( Bob, Kati and Oscar)
Sept 15 travel to Peitermaritzburg via Dubai and JoBurg
Sept 21 fly to Cape Town
Sept 27 go to Pretoria
Sept 29 start journey home
There will be more the first chance I get at a computer.
Mary
Kati, Oscar, Bob and I are headed to Hungary and Turkey on August 27 . Kati, Oscar and Bob return home on Sept 15 and I go on to South Africa for two weeks. I will be posting vignettes and photos as we go along. Here is our itinery:
August 27 fly to Budapest
Sept 6 fly to Istanbul
Sept 15 return home ( Bob, Kati and Oscar)
Sept 15 travel to Peitermaritzburg via Dubai and JoBurg
Sept 21 fly to Cape Town
Sept 27 go to Pretoria
Sept 29 start journey home
There will be more the first chance I get at a computer.
Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)