Istanbul, Turkey and off to Ephesus

Thursday, April 22, 2010

This morning was the last of the free tours we had to choose from. The buses left from the Convention Center at 9:30. Mary Ann stayed in with her cough giving her trouble last night, so I accompanied Jerry and the Hellmans on the Turkish Cuisine Course. Augie went with Mary Anne Hegedus (Steve was also not feeling well), Joanne and Shelli to the Istanbul Archeology Museums.

They loaded up two buses for the Cuisine Course and took us all to one restaurant on the Bosphorus. Standing in front of a map of the 17th century Ottoman Empire, the chef gave us a history of Turkish cuisine, followed by a demonstration of how to prepare an eggplant dish (all of the eggplant dishes we have experienced here in Turkey have been awesome!), how to use grape leaves to make dolmas, fried or baked pockets made with filo dough, and another type made with semolina flour. The waiters came around with samples for us to try.
Next we were taken to the Spice Bazaar, where all of your senses are on overload as you try to take in all the sights, sounds, smells, and colors of the market. All of the vendors offered us samples of the nuts, Turkish Delight, teas, and spices. We also sampled the brazed lamb and flat breads, and bought a few samples to take home.

We made it back to our hotel with just enough time to gather together our bags and head back down to the lobby to meet our transfers to the airport for our flight to Kusadasi and Ephesus. On our drive from the airport to our hotel, we all remarked on how similar the countryside here is to Southern California.

In a short time, we arrived at our hotel for the next two nights, the Charisma Kusadasi. What a sight! This is a beautiful hotel right on the coast, with a huge infinity pool and lounge chairs and umbrellas lining the coast. We arrived just in time for sunset and the first thing you see when you walk in the front entrance is the panoramic ocean view in front of you. We were offered a welcome drink and sat down to enjoy the sunset. Rhonda and Brian were enticed to put on their suits and go for a swim, even though the water was pretty cold.

Breakfast and dinner is included in our stay, and dinner was served at 7:00 pm. Even though we had eaten on the plane, we couldn’t resist the tempting array of dishes they offered in their buffet. My favorite part of every meal here is the salads and vegetables. There are so many different combinations of vegetables, grains, and beans that we never seem to encounter the same dish twice. Mary Ann favors the meat dishes and Augie is always drawn to the breads and desserts.

They offer free internet here, so we ended the evening by checking our email and catching up on the blog.