Spring Break-Amasra

Our last day in Istanbul was a bit stressful since Obama was about to make an appearance. We had planned to go to the Aya Sophia, but we couldn't get in until later that day since Obama was visiting it. As the morning went on, more roads were becoming closed off, and more police officers were beginning to appear. Our hotel was right in the midst of the whole parade route and was apparent things were about to get very crazy. So we scrapped all our plans and decided to high-tail it out of there before we got blocked in for hours. And so we were off to the little village of Amasra, on the Black Sea. It was about a 4 hours drive to Amasra. On the way, we stopped at a Burger King, where I got to bust out my Turkish skills. That's really where those skills come in handy. Cause when you want a Whopper, you don't want a language barrier to prevent you from getting it. And you want to be able to say "without vegetables" so you don't end up getting a nasty parasite again! That is truly "survival" Turkish.
When we got to the coast, it was amazingly beautiful. We stopped at an overlook where we could see the vast Black Sea and the village below. Our pension that we stayed in was right on the water. We climbed down to the rocks below and got some great pictures. In the distance we could see a tiny island that is apparently inhabited by tons of rabbits (ok, we only saw some birds, but apparently there are supposed to be rabbits).
The village Amasra was quaint and cute, with cobblestone streets, with reminders of the Romans-old churches and crosses on archways. One afternoon we walked out as far as we could on a seawall. Afterwards, we ate at a fish restaurant. Tim's parents were brave and ordered whole little fish that were fried. We also got an Amasra salad, which is famous for being huge and very artfully arranged. The vegetables are cut into flowers and shapes and the whole beautiful mess is sprinkled with an oil and vinegar dressing. Very tasty! For dessert, they brought us some complimentary yogurt (unsweetened) covered with honey and nuts. Pretty tasty!
Our breakfast the next morning was one of the best we have had in Turkey. Breakfasts usually consist of lots of bread, olives, tomatoes, and cheese. At the pension in Amasra, we had some amazing bread that was fresh from the oven, incredible fruit jams, cheese pastries (so good!!!) and vegetables. The ladies who prepared it were dressed like many Turkish women- heads covered with brightly patterned scarves, shirts and skirts with bright patterns, bright colored socks and slip-on sandals. They were jovial and hospitable. I enjoyed getting to use my Turkish with them.
After a day in Amasra, we headed back to Ankara, stopping in the town of Saffronbolu on the way. Saffronbolu is apparently the home of saffron. It is a well-preserved historical town, a place who has been conquered by many different groups through the centuries. The town reminded me a lot of a town my friend Micah and I went to in Albania. It's not too surprising, considering that their histories were probably similar. First, being taken by the Romans, then eventually be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. In this town, we went through a museum of the area and had a nice little lunch. The lady who ran the place, had to leave in the middle of our meal because of the call to prayer. She gave us a little buzzer to use in case we needed her while she was at the mosque. I hope Tim and I can go back since there are many more things to do there, including going to a very, very old hamam (Tim will be on his own!), and hiking, kayaking, and climbing around in caves.
What I loved about Tim's parent's visit is that they got to see different areas of Turkey. Turkey is a very diverse country, with a variety of different landscapes and rich in history. Driving to these different areas gave all of us a chance to really see what this country and its people are like.