We welcome the new year in a place we know very well: Beyşehir. We were here years ago, I can't say why, but I remember the days here so fondly that I'm drawn here. And Gerd inevitably does too.
At the lake, which is famous for its spectacular sunsets, we stand right on the promenade. It's bustling around us. Picnic tables are filling up, children are running around, dogs and cats are queuing at the Food Express Felix.
Instead of pancakes - or as all non-Berliners say: Berliners - we have Turkish pastries for the end of the year. We sit in our little house, the door wide open, and the women in particular smile at us (me?). We think they would like it too, sitting here on the promenade, drinking hot tea and nibbling on sweet pastries, knitting something on the side and being read to by their husbands.
As the sun sets, it becomes quiet around us. We would almost have slept through New Year's Eve if a few cars hadn't driven onto the promenade with loud oriental music shortly before twelve to toast the New Year. I wake up briefly, look out of our roof window and see two cars and a couple of teenagers. At a quarter past 12, it's quiet again. One or maybe two fireworks in the distance.
So the new year is off to a rather unspectacular start. We like that. In the morning, we talk to friends and family on the phone, finally go out for gözleme again, drink our way through the coffee and tea specialities of the one café with a moustache in its logo that I have such fond memories of.
As culture is a must in the new year, we visit the famous Eşrefoğlu Mosque. One of the few remaining wooden mosques, built between 1296 and 1299, the exterior is made of stone, while the interior impresses with dark wood, colourfully patterned carpets and a magical incidence of light that captivates visitors and worshippers alike. The large prayer hall is supported by beautifully carved wooden pillars. The mihrab niche is decorated with a magnificent mosaic in turquoise, blue and white.
We simply stay another night in Beyşehir. Because it's just such a cosy place, full of beautiful energy and friendly people. So why not?
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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