Contrast

This is not a black and white photo.   It's a shot from the roof of the Istanbul Modern in Karaköy on a mıd-January afternoon.

In contrast is the blast of colour a few floors down in Chiharu Shiota's solo exhibition  "Between Worlds"  Part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between  Japan and Türkiye. 

Away Game

 

My late husband was a Beşiktaş supporter. He would follow all their matches on TV but I'm pretty sure he never attended a live match.   He died over 8 years ago now and he could have never imagined that one day our local Bodrum team would play in the Beşiktaş stadium.  But they did, last Saturday, and I was at the game to watch them.  Obviously the home supporters didn't expect much as there were plenty of empty seats but the loyal Bodrum supporters were in good voice despite travelling up to Istanbul by bus (provided free, they only have to pay the 500TL entry fee).

Bodrum played surprising well considering their past form and the hallowed ground they were playing on and the 2-1 score line was a bit unfair as Bodrum were denied a penalty which VAR and most pundits declared valid.  I'm not a seasoned football fan, preferring to watch the highlights rather than a whole match but the atmosphere was electric and for a while we thought we might have a chance.  

Waiting in the cold for all the home supporters to leave didn't do my cold much good and a slight damper to the evening was the police officer outside the stadium telling me to take off my Bodrum scarf as I'd be a target for the home supporters.  Maybe I should stick to just watching Match of the Day. 

Sebze - A Cookery Book

 

 We leave a drab, misty Finsbury Park and less than an hour later we are sipping coffee in a the elegant Oatlands Park Hotel, built on the site of Henry VIII's hunting lodge, in Surrey.  A great way to start Christmas Eve in the UK, thanks to Özlem and Angus Warren.  Özlem and I 'met' as bloggers and  whereas I am happy to just write a post here or there, Özlem has forged ahead teaching, lecturing, writing magazine articles (or mostly having articles written about her ) and producing two wonderful cookery books.   We haven't met up since Covid so when I checked the map and saw that a Christmas Eve supper was only half an hour from the Warren household, I added on a trip to Weybridge to catch up.   I now have my own copy of SEBZE, and a few others were gifted. I would have ordered more but for Ryanair baggage regulations. 

My copy was soon put into action using a recipe for Rice Pilaf with chestnuts, apricots and herb, to go with chicken as my contribution to a New Year's Eve dinner and the dish received a thumbs up.  By now I would have tried out a few more recipes had I not got ill.   Trips to England  come with pros and cons - it's lovely to see friends and family but for once I'd like to avoid the viruses.   

Ozlem's page - Ozlem's Turkish Table  

A Busy Bodrum Sunday for many

 But not for me as I'm still stuck at home with a chest infection. 

Bodrum Spor football team is playing a home match against Kayseri Spor. A top league match between bottom of the division sides so in an attempt to draw in spectators, tickets went on sale for a very small sum and the match is sold out.  Apparently the roars from the crowd can be heard across the other side of town.  Bodrum needs to win this match* 

It's also Camel Wrestling day. Another crowd puller  Tickets completely free and for those that like the testosterone filled atmosphere, not to be missed. Not being able to attend either event, I was going through my photo library looking for suitable photos and came upon this one.

On a very cold winter day,  4 years ago in lock-down,  I came across a lorry parked behind the football stadium. On the lorry was camel in a headscarf.   I've seen stranger things in Bodrum but this peaked my curiosity. It turned out that this was a champion wrestling camel  and because of covid, he hadn't been to any events for a year  and had sunk into depression.  To try and cheer him up, his owner had decked him out in all his parading gear and driven him to Bodrum.  Both owner and camel still looked pretty miserable but I hope this camel is one of the ones strutting his stuff in Bodrum today. 

* They drew 1-1 after having a goal disallowed in the first half.  

Happy New Year from Bodrum

 

This is why I chose to live in Bodrum. Even in mid-winter, we get hot, sunny days.  After a week of cold, wet weather, the first afternoon of 2025 was warm and clear. Like most Bodrumites, what I wear is dictated by the date rather than the weather forecast  so I set off in a jumper and a down coat. By the time I got to the seafront I was experiencing sauna-like temperatures. I had planned to spend the day with my daughter, but I came back from London on Sunday with an unexpected and unwelcome extra Christmas present; a cough which is turning into bronchitis.  I was informed by those dear to me that I not only sounded awful but looked terrible too so all socialising had to be postponed but a walk down to Kumbahçe seemed like a good idea.  As a measure of how ill I feel, the offer of a pint of Guinness was turned down and I sat watching the world go by with a large glass of tea in front of me.   

A visit to the herbalist shop on the way home to buy some olive leaf extract will hopefully put me on the road to recovery.  

Happy New Year.