We took a few days off for a long weekend, again traveling to the Cappadocia area.  We stayed at the place we stayed last time because of the beauty of the hotel and the good man who runs it.  Halil.  We discussed him before.  So we didn’t do as much traveling around the area this time, because we just wanted to sit and relax and enjoy Halil’s company.  … and I purchased a few more rugs again, much to the consternation of my wife.

I love the architecture of the place, hoping that wherever we retire, it will have the same stone buildings we see here.  The best I can do, is post a mess of pictures with a few comments.

Pictures of the hotel inside and out.  Some of these may have been in the earlier post.IMG_3443JPG IMG_3442JPG IMG_3447JPG IMG_3444JPG IMG_3441JPG IMG_3440JPG IMG_0529JPGIMG_3449JPG… And the food!  Below is Terese breaking open a pot of lamb stew that was slowly cooked over a period of two hours.IMG_0515JPGIMG_0516JPGAnd the resultant dinner!IMG_0519JPG IMG_0521JPGAnd the last meal we had there.IMG_0534And a nice relaxing afternoon.IMG_0491I love rugs.  There is a certain satisfaction being in a rug shop that is actually inside of a cave.IMG_3510JPG IMG_3514JPG IMG_3521JPG IMG_3519JPG IMG_3517JPGTerese deciding she didn’t like the one they displayed.IMG_3512JPGAnd a pic of Murat leaving to find more rugs he thought we may want to look at.IMG_3513JPGNotice in the three next images.  They are of the same rug, but seen from different sides.  100% silk.IMG_3524JPG IMG_3523JPGIMG_3525JPGNearby is a building that is well known because a TV series was filmed there about a decade ago and people still come by to see it.  Like the house where “Dallas” was filmed.  I show it here because I like the architecture.IMG_0508JPG IMG_0506JPG IMG_0503JPGSome of the local residents of the hotel.IMG_0498JPG IMG_0484JPG IMG_3448JPGOn the way home we stopped in a little village that takes alabaster and creates beautiful items with it, along with some incredible ceramic bowls, etc.  First is the good gentleman who is working the grindstone.IMG_0524JPGIMG_0525JPGAnd last, but certainly not least, is a picture of Halil with us.  He has decided we are now family.  I told him I will inform my Dear Mother that she now has another son!  He was most appreciative.  I sincerely wish we had more time to travel there and visit.  Perhaps we will since it is only about a three hour drive.IMG_0540JPGMotherDear, meet your new son, Halil Elalan.  And for the rest of you, it is still possible to fly into Turkey avoiding any area you are concerned with and we will pick you up at the airport near Cappadocia and can spend time there with Halil and drink the local wine and relax in an area unlike you have ever been before.

Next, I will post some wonderful pictures of a city in the SE of Turkey.  A city called Gaziantep.