EDITORIAL

Merhaba . . . .     

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Hide & Seek

Why the English language is difficult to learn:
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
3. The soldier decided to desert this dessert in the desert.
4. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
5. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
6. They were too close to the door to close it.

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A sandwich walks into a bar; the barman says “Sorry, we don’t serve food in here”.

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Wedding Celebrations

            

ISTANBUL TRIP

Nobody should miss the Yerebatan Cistern, a massive underground chambers of hundreds of rescued columns from earlier buildings providing the water supply for Istanbul in the 4^th century.  Its atmosphere is enhanced with coloured lights and appropriate musak but still an awful size and impressive brick vaulted structure.

Around the Sultanahmet area are streets full of old ottoman houses, now in various states of decomposition, some restored as glamorous hotels now in the "charming hotels of Istanbul" category, adjacent to those almost collapsing.  We saw again, a lady in the street, in flip flops, chopping up a tree trunk wearing a tee shirt and long skirt, snow up to her ankles.  The houses are timber framed and clad, overhanging upper storeys, subsiding frontages, large flue pipes sticking through windows belching out black smoke: a scene out of Dickensian London, apart from the flip flops.  Wandering through here takes you back to another century.

        

From Sultanahmet there are streets of terraced timbered houses leading down to the Kumkapi fish dock, during the day a quiet area, but at night a glamorous area of expensive fish restaurants set around a central square, hung with coloured lights and throbbingly alive.  The fish dock still has a vibrant fishing fleet and ingeniously displayed fish with varieties not seen elsewhere.  Up from here towards the main drag and tram lines is another area that gets going in the evening, the leather area where at 10 at night the streets are a mass of hand carts and porters with piles of offcuts littering the streets where the sweatshops turn out shoes and clothing.  Early

morning, however, it's Sunday quiet and totally cleared up. 

At the top here is the Laleli area, better quality shops and businesses and another fine mosque with shops beneath to encourage worships to turn up.  It's up at the first floor - any mosque not built on the ground floor has much warmer floors for wet, cold besocked feet - has a ramp up which the sultan was carried and with a further accessible balcony for the ladies, all carpeted in the tulip motif.

Back from here along the main road you arrive at the main bus area and the Covered Bazaar and then the tea garden set in the Sultan's Mausoleum with its intricate headstones, interesting relaxing area, gozleme and water pipes brought to order and frequented by students from the adjacent University. It was at this point that the snow turned to slush and its was time to go home, picking up the free shuttle bus from the town centre out to the otogar - an amazingly vast edifice its own central bazaar and multi-layered bus terminii - for the night bus home.

Topkapi Palace, set spectacularly overlooking the junction of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, is a day's visit if you take in the Palace, Harem and Treasury (45 mill the three, hardly a snip), but by then you would be at saturation point.  There is enough to satisfy any keen appetite with just the Palace and grounds, the mosques and ancillary accommodation (and a good free toilet underneath the restaurant).

With outside arcades also tiled and exterior courtyard along one side, it's a good place for a sketch and peer over into the market areas below.  This market is very local and excessively busy all and every day.  It sells domestic and hardware stuffs and has wonderful paper and card shops selling raffia, paper carriers you would never think to find here, gold thread and cords - a bizarre mixture of items at bulk buy prices.  Worth a day's meander.

The Grand Bazaar, worth half a day, however, at the other end of the scale is a tourist haven, and needs a good map to get around with mysterious courtyards you'll never find again, upmarket and downmarket tea shops, toilets worth noting the position of, several police stations, post office, dozens of entrances, a maze of streets, highways, passages and several fountains and mosques.  The old part in the centre is brick vaulted and contains jewellers and antique shops, more select and elitist than elsewhere.  This time around we were not so bothered by the vendors:  last year it was impossible to walk and muse on the glorious colours and atmosphere without being constantly tripped up by the touts, although this time one did get a hold on Dudley's leg and got dragged along.  We revisited shops we had been entertained in last year, remet old 'friends', were welcomed with a French wine and cheese lunch at one carpet shop, and didn't buy a thing.  Great entertainment value, as long as you don't want to buy.

A must visit is to the Roxelana Hamam between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, now restored by the Ministry of Culture and run as a carpet shop selling best examples of local handwork. 

Pat ‘Eowyn’

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Sea Fare

  

Sift the flour with the mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste into a bowl.  Rub in the margarine or butter until the mixture resembles fine bread-crumbs.  Stir in the milk and mix to a firm dough.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Divide the dough in half.  Roll each piece out to 15-18cm circles and place on a large greased baking sheet. (Alternatively press into round cake tins)  Part bake at 200º C (400º F, gas mark 6) for 10 minutes. 

Arrange the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the onion, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the salami and cheese over the pizza and top with the olives.  Bake for a further 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked and the cheese is brown and bubbling. 

Sunday Outings

Despite everything the weather has thrown at us we have managed quite a few successful outings since the last edition. Almost certainly this is because Ron & Julie were out of the country for a while. Outings to the Karain Caves, the Camel Trail, Hobbit Valley plus some more localised outings have been well attended and very much enjoyed by all those taking part.

(The Camel Trail – Lunch Stop)

One or two cases of bruised feet and aching knees but luckily no serious injuries (except some pride)

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Valentine’s Day Party

Roses were very kindly given to all boats from Geoff (Sooty Albatross) and Chris (Aventura). Thanks.

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The B-B-Q’s

had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who assisted with the organisation and all those who provided the wonderful deserts.  Next was our mass outing to Finike where we were treated to a truly wonderful day. Carlag had managed to obtain sponsorship from some of the local companies who between them provided much of the food and drink including a truly splendid cake from one of the new hotels in Finike.

Kemer did manage to perform well in the games this time with special mention to Paul, Mekkie, Christer and of course the indomitable Hasan. Unfortunately Antalya have had to delay their BBQ until the 12^th April and some of us will miss this having already departed en-route for our various summer cruising grounds.

   

WEATHER INFORMATION

        

The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

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CAPTION COMPETITION

              

‘I could get to like this!’

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Medical Advice

The following important medical advice has been received from one of our liveaboards: Please ensure that you do not get your sensitive bodily parts too close to the water jets in the hot tub – especially three days before your wedding!!

The source of this information has been withheld for reasons of embarrassment.

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Definitions:

B.O.A.T. – Bring Out Another Thousand ($)