Turkish Muse

Iznik pottery

Before setting off for Iznik last Friday, I fully intended to buy several hand-painted tiles, some for me, some for my dad. And then.... and then.... well, I am not sure what happened.

I suppose if I had to guess, I would say that before Jeff and I -- really, I should be honest here: it was just me who wanted to buy tiles -- began looking in earnest for some famous Iznik tiles, we visited the Iznik Museum, which is full of gorgeous pottery unique to the region, and that must be where I got the idea to buy pottery instead of tiles.

And so...I came away with this.....

Isn't the craftsmanship just gorgeous?

 

A few pieces are for me and a few are for my dad. And, granted, while it's not much, it's a nice start to a Iznik ceramic collection, don't you think?

Psst...Dad...this is the one I'm sending to you:

 

P.S. Also, keep tabs on Turkish Muse for a three-part series from my lovely husband, Jeff, on listening to, playing and learning about the saz....

Oil wresting, Iznik style

On our first day in Iznik last Friday, we were advised to check out the local oil wrestling match just a few hundred metres from our motel. Since I have never seen oil wrestling in Turkey -- I know! Shame on me! -- I hauled Jeff over to what looked like someone's backyard to see a bunch of hot, sweaty men covered in oil attempt to wrestle in the hot afternoon sun.

It was not a pretty sight.

See the guy on the right? Guess where his hand is going....

Yup, you guessed it...

The guy on the left doesn't seem to be working too hard, does he?

We got to the match pretty late in the day and I think it was nearing the end. All these guys lined up are awaiting to hear the results of the day's matches. They don't look particulary...err...well....fit, do they?

I shouldn't talk, really. Put me in a field in the middle of the afternoon in July and expect me to wrestle and I'd last 3 minutes before I fainted from sunstroke.

It just makes me want to go to Edirne all the more.

Strolling along Iznik Lake

The weekend getaway that we took to Iznik was absolutely stellar. The sleepy little town on the shores of Iznik Lake was just what we needed to recharge our batteries and get away from Istanbul's hustle and bustle. We stayed at the lovely Çamlık Motel, right along the lakefront, and next to one of the town's best fish restaurants, the Çamlık Restaurant.

The lake stretched for as far as the eye could see; sometimes I felt as if I were looking at the ocean, The breeze off the lake was clean and cool and refreshing, unlike the air off the ocean, which feels salty and sticky.

On Friday evening, we joined the other local families and strolled along the lakefront, admiring the sunset over the water. A section of the lakefront near our motel is used for sunbathing, grilling and swimming....

We ate dinner at the restaurant next to the motel both nights just to enjoy the sun setting on the lake.

Sigh....isn't it gorgeous? Iznik is so peaceful, so quiet and tranquil, the perfect antidote for too much time in Istanbul.

We also spent the weekend exploring the town, its musuem, mosques and oil wrestling. More to come this week!