We had dinner on the Black Sea last night. I love saying that sentence aloud-- it sounds so exotic. It conjures up images of Russian troikas and peasants harvesting wheat fields with scythes. It certainly is a place I never expected to see in my life. In reality, we only live about a 45 minute drive away. I had a call Saturday night from a new friend, Sydney, asking us to all join their family for dinner at their favorite seafood restaurant. Her husband is Turkish, and they have lived in the area for 18 years. Her son Cenk (pronounced Jenk) is new to IICS this year also, and he and Devlin have become good friends. He is also the boy that introduced him into the local Boy Scout troop.
Our drive was delightful. Fifteen minutes into our journey, the high rises of the city were replaced by trees. The road twisted and turned, slowly meandering uphill, where it twisted and turned some more. Along the way, families were picnicking alongside the side of the road. Moms wore colorful print dresses and headscarves and brewed tea, while the children played and Dads smoked cigarettes. Others were out with baskets, picking chestnuts now in season. We drove by the remains of an ancient aqueduct, that served Istanbul back when it was Constantinople. Finally, we came to the village of Dermircikoy, where the Uzunya Beach Restaurant was located, on the shore of the Black Sea.
Aware that cold weather is just around the corner, the restaurant was overrun with people enjoying the the last balmy days of the season. Children were playing on the beach, rolling down sand dunes and kicking soccer balls around while parents enjoyed the scenery, their friends and their appetizers. Our friends arrived, and we were ushered to a long table overlooking the water. Sydney's husband offered to order for us, as we were new to the restaurant; before long the table was covered with an assortment of mezes......pickled fish, dried fish, broadbeans, octopus, two kinds of salads and garlic bread, just to name a few. My favorite was the Sea Bream that was marinated in olive oil and dill. It was delicious, and since I had my party manners on, I ate politely, and left some for others, instead of devouring the whole dish, which is what I wanted to do. Accompanying the salads was a deep bowl of olive oil, in which lots and lots of coarsely chopped garlic floated. You could drizzle it over your salad, but I found drizzling it on top of the oven toasted bread was a taste sensation. It was pungent and strong and oh so good. Emily and I have tried to make it at home since then, and we still haven't gotten it right, no matter how much garlic we add.
As the platters of grilled fish arrived, we were enjoying good conversation, as well as the view of the sea. As the sun set, the lights of the oil tankers in the distance twinkled, giving it a holiday effect. After dinner, we were presented with platters of fresh fruit and halvah, then a platter of freshly picked almonds and walnuts as we finished up with Turkish tea and coffee. Actually, Emily was the only one that had Turkish coffee, and after she finished, our host read her fortune, by staring into the dregs of her cup. Cenk looked on, agreeing or making his own observations, as he is learning the art from his father.
It was such a memorable evening. The countryside was beautiful, the food was mouthwatering, and the evening's merriment lifted our spirits. We hope to have many such evenings over the course of our stay here, but this first generous invitation will be one we will never forget.
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