The waters shimmer form the bright sunshine. The city is decorated with statues of copper boats and dolphins joyously splashing in the gushing waters. A unique city, even among Turkish cities, Trabzon is a combination of the airs of old Turkish cities with cobbled streets and ancient walls left behind after centuries of conquests, and a a modern city of bustling traffic and fast food chains.
It was one of the first cities where after staying for a few days, I was jealous. Jealous of not living in a city by the sea with views of the Black Sea from the classrooms. Comparing a city like Trabzon to Duzce is like trying to compare New York and Gainesville. There are pluses in both cities, but there is no real comparison when it comes to culture, music, art and immersion. Famous for its Black Sea setting, fish and the Sumela Monastery, Trabzon dazzled me! We stayed with
John Klingler a great Fulbrighter living there. When we arrived by plane on Friday night, the twinkling lights burning brightly in the homes of Trabzonians greeted us immediately. After chowing down, we had a relaxed evening and slept early that night, prepping for our intense day of sight-seeing on Saturday.
Saturday morning was epic. We ate breakfast on a quaint bit of bright green grass and gravel adjacent to the Hagia Sophia museum of Trabzon. We had an al-fresco lunch overlooking the glazed blue waters of the Black Sea. We tried several regional specialties including koymak- a concoction of corn flower, butter and cheese that you must spoon in a particular way to achieve the desired consistency. Also famous for butter (yes, butter!) we tried the famous butter with ayva (quince) fruit jam. Apparently this fruit is not found in America but we have attributed an English name to this exotic fruit. It looks like a combination between an apple and a pear but has a bite to it. We relaxed and basked in the new rays of spring sunshine in the fresh beginning of the season. The gloriousness of the weather usurped the rest of the day. It reigned it all its regal beauty.
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| the Hagia Sophia Museum in Trabzon |
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| the Bell Tower |
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| famous Trabzon butter |
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| famous kuymak- the corn meal breakfast dish! |
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| a deliciously fluffy omlet called "kaygana" that tastes almost as sweet as waffles! |
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| Me and Ash |
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| the frescoes restored |
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| the inside of the museum |
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| the view of the Black Sea |
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| Springtime! |
This all so very beautiful, I would like to travel there to see one day. Thank you for sharing. Greetings from Australia.
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