Kapadokya with the FamFam

The trip to Kapadokya with my family was fantastic!  We stayed at an adorable little place in Goreme.   The owner was incredible helpful.  He steered us to some really wonderful small family owned restaurants where we had some truly incredible food.  I even went back to one of them later and learned how to make Turkish Manti (ravioli).

Showing my parents the incredible rock formations, with their amazing natural properties and unbelievable carvings and churches was really wonderful.  I was so excited to share my favorite parts of my new country with my Famfam. 

We stayed in a lovely hotel which had a great view of the valley of Goreme. 

We had two rooms on slightly different levels.  The rooms themselves were carved into the rock walls of the fairy chimneys.

We shared a balcony which worked out very nicely for post hiking cocktails. 

My parents were game for all kinds of hiking and tromping.  We climbed hills and rocks, looking for the best views. 

This visit to Kapadokya we actually had time to hike in Ihlara valley.  This is a valley about 45 minutes away from Goreme.  To enter the valley you have to climb down about 400 steps because the valley walls are made of sheer rock cliffs.  Into these cliffs thousands of year ago people had carved large and elaborately decorated churches complete with vivid frescos.  There are also many cave-dwellings carved into the rock as well.  

We hiked from the halfway down the valley to the end and saw several lovely churches and lots of cave dwellings. 

  A stream ran through the middle of the valley separating the two sides.  At the end of the valley we wanted to walk back on the other side to see different scenery but there was no bridge.  We intrepid explorers found a shallow spot to cross and trudged through.  The effort to get to the other side was rewarded as the path was beautiful and there were several more churches on that side.  

We also managed to visit a few wineries and take advantage of the regions other natural attractions. 

Wine Saga

It has been beautiful for the past few days. Ne güzel bir gün. The weather is amazing. It has been in the 80's with a delicious breeze. For this reason we wanted to enjoy time out on our balcony. What better way to do this than with chilled white wine (or beer depending on who you talk to.)

So on Saturday we headed to the grocery store. I bought a nice white, threw it in the freezer to chill while I cooked dinner. After cooking dinner, putting the leftovers away, cleaning and reorganizing the fridge (it looks beautiful. A piece of art.) I was ready for my glass of wine on the balcony. I pour a glass. Odd, I thought I bought white, not a Rose. I took a big sip (o.k., guzzle, it had been a long day. I had scrubbed the inside of the fridge.) Oh dear Lord Have MERCY. It was bad. BAD. SPOILED. It looked like sherry and tasted like...well, imagine.

I had been looking forward to this glass of wine for hours. This is not something I can deal with. Bülent and I head to the grocery store to return the wine. Apparently returning items is NOT common in Turkey. But, come on now. I even poured the glass back into the bottle, including the sip I had actually spit back into the glass originally, so that we could see we had not even had a sip. They took it back and gave us store credit, no problems. So off to the wine we went( it was 9:30 they close at 10.) I picked out another bottle, different brand. When we got home I poured a glass, it was the right color. I went out to the balcony with Bülent and his beer, and ook a sip. It was spoiled. No. It can't be I thought. I must be skeeved out, it has to be my imagination.

It was not. It was bad. I poured it out in the sink today. And this afternoon, I bought a third brand of wine, at a different store. It only took three days, but I finally had a glass of wine out on the balcony. And it was as delicious as the breeze.

A Little Different

As you can see, things are changing. I decided to get a little more on top of my blog (and give it a real name). In a few days I will be moving to a new domain, though don't worry, you will still be able to get here through the old address. I know you were petrified. It has been quiet today. I am pretty much well, and had my last antibiotic. You know what that means... My liver can now handle wine! Yay! Bülent is still off the liquor because of his heavy duty meds. He is a little bummed about it, as he just got back from a alcohol free stint in the military barracks. We wanted to go out and, "paint the town red," so to speak. But not at the expense of our livers. So now I am safe, but he is not. Technically I would not be "drinking alone," just be the only one drinking, which has an entirely different connotation. Off the the fridge I go!