My warmest Christmas: hummus instead of noël turkey!

Yesterday it was Christmas according to the christian catholic tradition.

Me and my friend went to a daily journey to the near city of Hatay. It is located in the southern-easternmost point of the Country. Actually the latitude of the district of Antiochia tells everything about its origins: it was once a part of Syria.

And still the city keeps the arabic traditions, visible in little things starting from the food.

I tasted a delicious Hummus, in a small place within the historical centre called "çayircilar". It cost so much time to us to find this place and my afternoon turned into a mission in finding this precious meal.

I remembered the felafel eaten in my country and still I was sure to find a lot of it in Turkey but I was sadly surprised when I realized that the idea of a "turkish felafel" is just an utopia :) as here is meat everywhere apart from the special Nohut Durum, a sandwich made of spicy chickpeas and salad but still far from the idea of hummus and felafel. I learned so by experience that the food I was longing for was typical of more arabic countries, and here the chance to taste it: the trip to Hatay, in the arabic latitude.

So the man carefully prepared for me a take-away package - as the departure time was so close to arrive. Firstly, a stratus of the sweet hummus. It is a godly creamy paste made by pressing with a wood spoon chickpeas, sesame seeds, lemon, salt and olive oil. Upon it, some red pepper seeds were spreading and soon the olive oil, fresh tomato, persil and other vegetables prepared in a lemon juice and vinaigrette. Some bread to accompany this dish and it's done! 

Ready to taste the Hatay hummus while waiting that Yana finishes her visit to the Archeological Museum, located on one side of the river that cross the city.  What was inside the museum? I don't know and still remains a mystery to me so rather ask to Yana to reveal the content of this historical heritage.

How possible is not to mention, talking of the food in Hatay, the sweet pumpkin sold in Tatlaci where also the "churro" is prepared.

They both are very very sweet, the first made of a round bread fried in oil and sugar, the second is a slice of pumpkin put in sugar and cooked with that, also fried.

It is a popular snack and it is very tasty !

This last picture shows a special snack shop for pumpkins where everything is made to recollect to the orange Cinderella's carriage as also here a perpetual sense of Halloween is felt.



It's now time to be back to Antep, our turkish provisory hometown, and the last bus is going to leave in a few minutes, but not before having share with you this image: a frame of a poetical warm xmas-sunset, for the most exotic noel I have ever spent ! Merry Christmas!

Aşure

Amazing people sometimes live in the neighborhood. So our very old stone house, standing next to two more. In one there is a garden, but the residents do not, there is growing, grenades and many toys lying around the tree. In the dark, it may even seem that all this fruit. But in the second, a high wall fence lives a wonderful woman. Her husband has recently died, the children live in other places, so that it all alone. Despite all the troubles, this woman never ceases to amaze me. So much warmth and kindness in her eyes and words, so much love in her smile that every meeting with her makes me happy even for a minute.

The idea of ​​good people do not leave me on my way to work, and probably not by accident. So it's time to think about the salvation of mankind. Glues, or at the best part. Especially strongly this idea excites Muslim countries. Most people have heard the legend of Noah, and I'm no exception. 

But it turned out that I did not hear anything. Ashur word or ten, I heard only here. According to legend, after forty days of wandering, supplies ended in November. And then he heard the voice again, he and his family are the remains of seeds mixed in a vat. The result is a very tasty, which gave people the energy to survive until the fortieth day of travel and land on Mount Ararat. According to legend, the first Ashura had over 40 ingredients. Today, their number does not exceed 15.

Every Turkish city, in every Turkish village, every family has its own version of Ashura. Remain unchanged only chickpeas, beans, wheat and a variety of dried fruits. This week taken to be more kind and generous people. Though the kindness and generosity in this city always enough. Today on the streets of the city in the parks is free distribution of Ashur, the government share with people, and neighbors with neighbors. Perhaps I even manage to try it. However, this can be a sweet end of any dinner or just dessert warm on a cold day or night, when all of us do not have enough heat.

So last autumn days share with me a delicious new discoveries. And my heart is warm and cozy, as it should be in November, when the sun hid behind the clouds. Do not forget though to figure.

Kıbrıs part II . An International sense of hospitality!

Let's continue the story of the trip which now starts being pretty old...

This wants to be a tribute to the great and warm HOSPITALITY of Turkey and not only.

Thanks to Couch Surfing but not necessary I found wonderful persons during my excursions out of Antep.

For example in Nicosia I stayed three days in a little interesting house - a typical cipriot one - small and linked to other similar houses within a residential district. Onur my host welcomed me as if I were his far away living cousin and draw a fantastic map of the aerea which is a real labyrinth :-) Even with his help, I got lost several times during my trip to the greek side.

Because he is turkish, he cannot go on the other side which is so european, with all the negative that this word can include: international shopping centers, crowded and expensive bar and cafés, shopping offers and sales everywhere and the typical flux of a touristic capital on a summer day.

There is such a big presence of philippines on the other side! They were having lunch in the public street and they reunite to chat and drink in small squares. Also you can find philippines super markets with their products!

After the days spent in his flat, with the company of his goshty roommate and of the even more gosthy dark three kittens, I didn't want to leave but I had to !

In Larnaca I found hospitality in Inal, an indian generous and kind guy.
He is living out in a village called Athino, a few km far from the city centre. He and his indian friends are living all close to the others in a shared flat. They found a job as employers in a bakery and in a chicken factory. I ate an indian dinner and tasted the smells of this far and colorful country!

And, joke of the fate!, the following night I was with the company of a young journalist from Pakistan, in Girne.

That happened with a couch (desperate) request: I missed the boat to Mersin and needed a host!

He picked me up with his motorbike and brought me to the redaction in which he works. It was such an interesting experience for me getting to know a real redaction in such a strange place like the Republic of Northern Cyprus. And even more curious, to know an asian university student of journalism, that actually is what I have also studied.
Umair, this is his name, was very kind and open to explain to me the reasons of his departure to the Island and I found them interesting. First of all, I guess he wanted to move out of his Country and improve his language skills (English and Turkish in this case), secondly but maybe most important, he mentioned the salary. Yes, in Cyprus the salary is good, surely higher that Turkey and of course higher than Pakistan. And some links connect the Countries: Tueky and Pakistan have been allied in the past and still the alliance is alive.

Thanks Umair for the amazing breakfast on the terrace of Girne bay!

And then, it was time to be back, but not without mentioning a wonderful girl who saved my night in Mersin: Serra. An english teacher with a family of tradition in teaching, as all of her sisters (and we are talking of a turkish family, so veryyyy huge) are teaching some subject.
She offered me a nutritional breakfast including scrambled eggs, local cheese, olives, tomatoes and bread, and the new surprising Hurnup Pekmezi, that I bought immediately once back in Antep.

Here is a picture of the Gipsy horses that were resting that morning in Mersin. I hope to be back to shoot some more fotos of the incredibles hosts and persons of this Country and not only!!