Living in Turkey for a number of years has been a privilege and a pleasure. This vast country has given me some unforgettable memories of people, places and events, too many to list but here are my highlights in no particular order:- The freshest of fruit and vegetables, nothing can compare to the taste of fresh strawberries in April or honeydew melons in May. I have enjoyed the crispiest of salads and the tastiest of juices. Who cannot juice in Turkey – the fruit and vegetables just cry out to be juiced. Listen for them next time you visit the bazaar. This one inevitable follows on, the bazaars where everything is so fresh and vibrant, like a walk through a colourful art gallery. I once was given half a loaf of bread by my Turkish friend and guide so I could taste the cheeses, I tried so many I could not remember where I had been and where I had not. The vendors joined in enthusiastically with this, sitting me on a rickety stool and just filling me up with cheese. I could eat nothing else all day. The scenery, everything from beaches to mountains. Beautiful and awesome whatever the season, although travelling in the mountains in a blizzard can be a bit scary. The desserts, I could write reams about the desserts here, from the famous baklava to lesser known but equally delicious milk puddings. All come with a sense of the history of Turkey. The people, I am so thankful for the Turkish people I have met and consider friends. Of course I am not naïve, there are people out there who will hurt or cheat you but let’s face it isn’t there all over the world? I have found the hospitality, curiosity and welcome from Turkish people is in part why I am still here. The way of life – now this differs for everyone but I have learnt to take a step back, to not forward plan all the time, which irritates my European visitors no end when I will not be drawn into making set plans. Again the ‘boş ver’ attitude can be irritating but with tact and understanding not insurmountable. Last for this list, I really could go on for pages, Turkish ‘dizi’ (TV serial), especially ‘Muhteşem Yüzyıl’, along with thousands of other fans I watched this without fail when it was on, missing evenings out to do so. I loved the interpretation of the history (not a factual series), the characters, the colour and the drama. I can watch it again and again! Even made my guests watch it and they found to their delight with only a little help from me with translation (I got irritated when interrupted in my viewing) they could enjoy viewing it too. I have added just a snippet from YouTube to enjoy. I hope you enjoy sharing some of my special moments that make Turkey very important to me, as I mentioned there are many more, like a certain Tarkan concert at Aspendos but that is for another post, I am off to watch some more episodes of Muhteşem Yüzyıl. Muhteşem Yüzyıl – with English subtitles