Tweet23-04-2011 om 15:38 by Sueli Brodin

I met my Dutch husband-to-be some twenty years ago in Israel where we were both working as volunteers on a kibbutz. When our visas ended, I didn’t particularly feel like going back to France and accepted his offer to accompany him on a trip to Turkey.

He had already spent a few weeks visiting the western part of Turkey before going to Israel and his plan was now to travel as far as possible to the east.



We walked at the foot of Mount Ararat, where Noah’s arch is said to have landed after the deluge...





... and communicated mainly through sign language and lots of smiles with the people we met in the streets and in the shops in the small Kurdish villages we passed through.



Our journey east finally came to a stop when we reached the natural border with the then Soviet Union, now modern Armenia, in the medieval ghost town of Ani in the province of Kars.

All in all, we spent almost six weeks travelling through the country by bus, observing and absorbing every detail, fully aware that this was an experience we might not have the chance to repeat in the same privileged circumstances.

We enjoyed taking our meals in small family restaurants and listening to the Turkish music that was playing everywhere, in the streets, in the buses and on television screens.



It is only recently that I discovered Turquoise, the Turkish shop that opened last fall at Mosae Gusto in Maastricht but it has already become a favourite stop, because it reminds me in so many ways of our trip.



Turkish cuisine enjoys worldwide fame for its variety and refinement and the fresh homemade dishes on display in the back of the shop are absolutely mouth-watering. I bought a selection of salads, cheese and olives when I last visited the shop two weeks ago and had a pleasant conversation with the cook at the counter.

He offered me to taste the salad he had just prepared and told me that it was possible to have lunch at the shop as well.



The idea sounded very appealing and my husband immediately agreed when I suggested it to him.



We decided to meet for lunch last Thursday and were welcomed by a friendly Turkish couple whom I had not seen before but who seemed to be the owners of the shop.



All the dishes looked so fresh and delicious that it was difficult to make a choice, but with the woman’s kind and helpful advice, we ended up with a fine mix of salads, rice and eggplant stew.



She warmed up some of the dishes for us and we took a seat in the lunch corner of the shop.





All of a sudden, everything seemed familiar and it felt as if we were back in Turkey. We recognised it all: the simple surroundings and the relaxed atmosphere, the tasty food, the Turkish music playing in the background...



The Turkish woman had a very motherly way about her and she took wonderful care of us, smiling and asking us in simple Dutch if we enjoyed our meal. She brought us some fresh tea and a piece of watermelon and told us proudly that she had cooked all the dishes herself.



There were so many questions I could have asked her, but somehow, and contrary to my nature, I didn’t. It felt comfortable to simply sit there, enjoy the moment and smile at her, in the trust that there would be many more occasions to talk again and get to know more about each other.



We left the shop happy and fulfilled and promised our envious children back home that we would take them along next time. I am sure the kind woman will enjoy it if we do and that my children on their turn will be delighted to taste her homemade Turkish pizzas. And my husband would also like to ask her if she knows how to make Su böreği, his favourite Turkish dish...

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