Simplified Ride: HILLTOP TEA PARTY

"Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them."

Henry David Thoreau

Sunday, November 24th
Iznik, Turkey

Such great friends!
This is one of the rare photographs from our trip that Kaan did not take! He made us realize that we are going to have to invest in a real camera if we plan on taking these incredible trips!!!

This was a gorgeous day in a beautiful historic town. Iznik has been famous for creating gorgeous ceramic tiles for over 1000 years. In fact, we found Iznik tiles gracing the walls of 14^th century mosques and Turkish bath houses in Istanbul a little later in the week. The leisurely trip to Iznik was a welcome change from our previous nights trip from Istanbul. The country was charming and almost entirely lined with wispy olive trees. All along the road we watched mostly women harvest the olives; heads covered, fingers gleaning, scaling ladders, shaking trees to catch the olives on strategically situated nets on the ground. Later in the day we would watch them all head home, tucked in tight in the backs of trucks, holding their head coverings tight against the wind.

Iznik still has its original stone and brick city walls around sections of its boundaries. I was struck by the unfettered access to ramble around the ancient remains of the city. In the states, we give every rock over 100 years old its own plaque and security guard. We have immense pride and respect for our relatively little history. In Turkey, however, the vast majority of its historical structures from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires are left to fend for themselves. There is more history than they could ever begin to protect. I love the history of things, so it was a conflicting experience to have that much access. Even so, I walked into its tiny rooms and quiet crevices and laid my hands and mind on every stone. If you want to read more about this fine town, click HERE.

Classic Iznik Pottery and Tile

The Tomb of Abdülvahap Sancaktari

Perched high on a hillside, the mosque and tomb of Abdülvahap Sancaktari overlooks the beauty of Iznik’s ancient walls and olive farms. Yeliz’s mother had packed us a gorgeous lunch of stuffed grape leaves and Baklava and, as customary in this great place, it wasn’t long before someone emerged from the woodwork and offered us tea.

The tomb of Abdülvahap is a popular place to come for prayer. It felt like such a gift to share that day with our friends. Praying to God as we all understand Him. Sharing a meal made by the most loving of hands. The crack of the Turkish flag over our heads. Overlooking centuries of landscape and stories. I won’t forget that moment. It is one of those moments you wish you could tuck into your pocket, so that you can pull it out when things don’t make sense.

Do you have a moment like that?