Sunday Living

On Sunday, after Ephesus, we ventured around Izmir. It was a beautiful sunny day 90+f. We started the day walking to the public market/bazaar to grab our weeks groceries. This bazaar is about 1500m (1m) from our house, open Sundays and Wednesdays. It is were the locals shop, not your tourist place. It's huge! Fruit, vegetables, dried dates, fig, olives, nuts, fresh farm cheese, eggs, fish, and meats as well as odds and end electrical supplies, socks, cloths.........It will be our weekly grocery adventure.
After returning from the bazaar we met Matt (one of Rena's colleagues) and took a bus to Konak (city center). Here we were to find the main bazaar shut for the day! We decided to wander through the empty allies and wind our way deeper into Konak, in search of the old Hamam. Problem yok! We stepped in and tried to get information. We went for it! An afternoon in the Turkish bathhouse! Wow! Beautiful wooden interior w/ private rooms to change, including a small bed, if you decide to rest. We were lead through a small door into a warm, steaming room. All marble. Clean with water flowing for hundreds of years. We started with a sauna, and were relaxed when a big guy gently gestured to lie on the marble slab. As you look up into the dome ceiling with windows of moons and stars to let in a sublime natural light. There he gives ya a few slaps and cracks the back. Now, time to exfoliate. Scrubbing the entire body with a rough pad. The old skin that comes off is astounding! After a cool rinse you are then covered with a foot of olive oil soap bubbles and he washes and massages you. Another cooling rinse and a hair wash and head message. aaaahhhhhh! Relax and stay as long as you like. When we stepped out we were met with fresh towels and a personal towel off, head wrapped and a cup of tea. I have never been so clean!