This and That

In Antalya we ate in a garden under lemon and tangerine trees. There are over 300 days of sunshine there each year.

When Constantinoble was sacked during the Crusades, it is said the artisans fled to Europe and were instramental in the beginning of the Rennisance (sp).

Wedding dresses in the shop windows are strapless white numbers with very full skirts. One couple in our group saw a wedding couple in Antalya. The bride had blonde streaks dyed in her black hair and was radiant twirling in her full skirt. They asked if they could take their picture and the happy couple posed for them.

Some marriages are still arranged. The prospective groom's family comes to visit bringing sweets. The prospective bride excuses herself to make coffee with the proper amount of foam. If she doesn't like the fellow, she may put salt instead of sugar in his coffee. There is usually a religous as well as legal ceremony. Only 1-2% have only the religous ceremony as the man is not legally bound to the marriage and can walk away. 3-5% have only civil ceremony. Most have both with 200-400 at the celebration!

Couples do not live together before marriage and premarital sex depends on the man's knowledge of birth control. ???

There is no cremation in Turkey. Both weddings and funerals take place outside the mosques.

In 1924 after a war with Greece they had an "exchange of population" and all the Greeks who had been prospering in Turkey had to return to Greece and the Turks living in Greece had to come to Turkey - very painful - one house we stayed in was sold by the forced to leave Greeks for only 10 lira.

Today the lira is worth about 1.5 U S dollars. Even though we have a good rate of exchange, we seem to have spent quite a bit.

Breakfasts ALWAYS have tomatoes , olives, bread, (no croissants) , cheese, and hard boiled eggs. They often have fresh fruit, yogurt, meat, salad fixings ,occasionally cereal, and hot tea - you pour a little strong tea in your cup and add hot water - or Nescafe.

This is the second hotel that we've had a top sheet on the bed.