Here's Your Sign and Other Observations 3

This was taken on a the coast road, nowhere near a town. What could it mean?

It was water from the mountains and/or spring that had been made into a public water source. This one is new, but we passed many that were hundreds of years old. Most old towns will still have one. They were the main water source before plumbing. These picnicers were filling their water bottles, tea pots, or what ever. Sometimes they put their whole selves in ????? Turks tend to picnic wherever they find a shady spot, even if it is in someones olive or fig orchard. They will drive right in, stake their spot, and proceed with their lunch/dinner, or even just make tea. Turks consume an amazing amount of tea.

*The water here is okay to drink, although most use bottled water. They say they do not like the taste of the water because it is treated with chlorine. They obviously have not smelled or tasted the water in the Houston area of Texas.


The Simit Man. Simit is a round sesame bread that is a breakfast food and snack food. It could be compared to a skinny bagel, but a slightly different taste. You find these little carts on just about every corner, or the Simit Man walks around the neighborhood in the morning with a tray full balanced on his head yelling out.

Roasted ears of corn or cups of creamed corn are also popular. You will find them in areas where lots of people congregate. It smells good, but it is plain old field corn, and probably tough. Sweet corn varieties have not fully made it into the market, but it is in the door.

*Yogurt, I think, is the national food. It takes up by far the largest section in the dairy case and the containers are huge. But, it is very good. They serve it daily, in some form or other.

*The Turks are extremely polite, hospitable people. They go out of their way to make you welcome. They feel it is their place to speak to you in English or communicate with you in some form or fashion, rather than you knowing Turkish. They will do anything to help you and make sure you have everything you need.