Turkish Delight: Ankara

November 10, 2009

Turkey was truly delightful! We spent our time in three different parts of the country: Ankara, Cappadochia, and Istanbul. Our time in Ankara was shaped by our reunion with our good friends. Special friends we have known since our time in Japan. Not only do we all enjoy each others' company (not an easy thing to do when you have a total of four adults and six kids) but we are also able to travel together. That's really not an easy thing to find! We have traveled together in Japan, Thailand, The States, and now Turkey. They graciously hosted us and shared their favorite parts of Ankara with us: the castle, the local market, the Hammam (Turkish Bath), the simit (large sesame seeded bagels),the friendly and generous nature of the Turks (the kind boy who shared his Ben 10 cards with the boys, the friendly grandmothers and gentlemen), the joys of Turkish chai/tea, their crazy dance game, and the warmth and love of their home (despite the fact that we shared some bad germs with them: Noah announced his arrival in Ankara with a high fever and some dramatic vomit in the airport...after we signed paperwork declaring we were entering Turkey free of illness and undergoing fever scans). Minus the yucky sick stuff, our time in Ankara was a great way to begin our Turkish adventure.
Mom2Isabel said...

Love the reference to C.S. Lewis' The Lion, THe Witch and The Wardrobe chapter!
I don't know which picture I love the most. The rooftops with Mei Mei are just gorgeous in the geometry. The rich colors of the spices (?) and peas are perfect for this autumn season. ANd the sesame seeded (?) bagel-like goodie... i am still hungry just thinking about it.

So glad to see you are bad online. Thought of all of you this week as the pecans are starting to drop off the tree in the backyard. Can it really be that it's been over 2 years since the kids were collecting them out back?

boatbaby said...

Looks fabulous! I have always wanted to visit Turkey, thank you for sharing!

Heather said...

I can't decide either which photo I love most! They're all wonderful: the colors, the composition, the eloquence. I'm glad you had a great time with good friends and so sorry about the sickness. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the trip!

likeschocolate said...

What a fun adventure! I have always wanted to go to Turkey!

Dawn Suzette said...

How wonderful to share time with great friends. Sorry to hear that Noah was sick... at least he got through the checkpoint! :)
Your photos are beautiful... so cool to see you fully soaking up being in a new part of the world... it is awesome!

Dana said...

Beautiful. My husband goes to turkey a couple of times a year at least. Says it's okay to visit, but he wouldn't want to live there, especially Ankara. What do you think? oh, and, I have to know: did u get some carpets? Do tell!

Unknown said...

Welcome and glad to hear you had a wonderful trip! There are some great things about Ankara and sounds like you discovered many! Especially with friends.

Pat said...

Lucia, I am feeling the love of this trip. So wonderful to see you and the Solley 6 together again. Noah has grown by lampposts and is a complete hunk, icking notwithstanding. And Mei Mei! Oh my. You're a gorgeous family. Don't forget that Paris is not that far from Sicily in case you're thinking you need/want the French experience.

Cami said...

I do love a dramatic vomit in the airport. Always the best way to start a trip!

turkishbackpacker said...

Hi,

Sorry for interrupting :)

This is a nice trip report.

I am trying to put up a website about people's experiences in Turkey.

www.iwasinturkey.com

Would you be interested in publishing this article on my site with a referral back to your blog?

Let me know what you think.

You can reach me via info@iwasinturkey.com

Thanks in advance.

Latest Instagrams

© Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish. Design by FCD.