July is Türk sezon and Bodrum is crammed with a richness of middle income people of all generations drawn from across the country taking their annual holidays before the start of Ramazan. The narrow streets are grid-locked and the air is filled with the piercing sound of cross monotone horns. We wandered out into the sticky evening to imbibe the ambiance and sink a few jars. We ambled behind the multitude of multi-generational families promenading along the marina. We headed through the bazaar, past the cheap boys with their cheap goods and snaked along Meyhane Sokak. Miraculously, we found a free place at one of the tall tables outside the semi-gay bar we’d stumbled across the previous year to enjoy the good-humoured scene around us. Alcohol consumption, particularly by women, is generally frowned upon in wider Turkish society. However, there was little evidence of this in the tequila slamming crowd. We had a ball.
I can only assume you found your way to the bar when the trail of çekiırdek husks stopped short!
LikeLike
My Turkish isn’t up to it but I’m sure you’re right 😦
LikeLike
Round our way I’ve found that it is not as much alcohol consumption that is frowned upon as public alcohol consumption. Grilled trout and endless bottles of raki with friends by the river is in, drinking a beer at a table outside a bar or sipping a glass of wine on the balcony is out. And never in front of your father, of course, however old you are!
LikeLike
Ah the pleasure of furtive boozing. Haven’t done that since I was a teenager when I used to drink cider with my friends!
LikeLike