Markets are one of the best places to experience a culture! It's always fun to meet people, see local products, and buy a souvenir.
Although myself I am from Istanbul, every summer we come to Bodrum, which is a second Istanbul by the beach. Every summer, we can meet with family and friends who come here from all over the world, even from Japan!
In Turkey, it is typical to have a weekly market in every neighborhood. In the town I am staying in Bodrum, there are two weekly markets. Wednesdays, the food and Thursdays the clothing market. Weekly markets are installed with big sailcloth tents tied skillfully to high poles. These tents protect from the sun and partly from rain. The markets are very lively places where you will feel happy!
In the south of Turkey the most typical item to buy is the peshtemal or bath-towel. There are a wide range of prices, depending on the quality of the cotton. I stopped by the wood carver who was selling handmade cutting boards, spoons, back-scrachers, and bowls he made.
I stopped by some artisan shops to see the latest trends in handmade and crochet! I bought some slippers as a start and tried on some jackets. I love this one which was a combination of jean and yarn crochet! I still have a couple weeks to choose! I worked with some of these local artisans for the production of the Mofu Mofu Leads!
I admired this shepard dog resting comfortably in the shade. It is the typical dog breed you will see all over Turkey.
After the market a stopped for lunch in a modest restaurant. I had beans and rice, which is the very typical daily food in Turkey. The beans are cooked with pepper and tomato paste. Some people cook it with onion. The rice is first slightly fried in butter, then cooked in water and salt. A basket of bread is served with any meal. Before I finished my meal, the cook and owner of the restaurant sat at my table with his own plate of rice-chicken-chickpeas that he covered with black-pepper. It is not the typical thing that someone sits at your table without asking, but it did happen this time. The asked if he can sit, after sitting! Hahaha... I was served a plate of very delicious watermelon and a glass of black tea. The cook, Nedim, told me his life story in 5 minutes. He had two marriages, 6 daughters and one son. He did brag about how well-known he was in the town and what a good cook he was. He was, of course very surprised when I said I came from Japan and asked me about the food and how long the flight is. Like in most of the shops, there was a cat sleeping on the chair in the restaurant. The owner really loved the cat but didn't know the name. He said his daughter named the cat but he doesn't know it. He has four more cats at home.
I bought this item from the market, today. What is this? I couldn't tell! If you guess, let me know! I will send it to the first to guesses what it is! I look forward for your guesses!
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