5 September, Amasya
Otel Apaydin 40TL (shared bathroom)
We began our day at the Amasya museum and
ended it strolling the embankment in carnival mood. The museum’s pride is a
small bronze figure, dating from the 15th century BC, of Teshub, the Hittite
storm god, with conical hat and almond-shaped eyes. Of particular interest also
to us was a late iron-age ivory backgammon dye. We strolled the town to lunch
under an enormous old pin oak at the railway station restaurant, and make use
of their wifi as our hotel is not connected to the net; treated ourselves
mid-afternoon to a waffle with fruit and ice-cream at a cafe overlooking the
river; and strolled the town again after our siesta and late dinner. Amasya on
a late-summer Friday evening is a lively place. Outdoor restaurants are packed
with diners eating kebab and meatballs under trees dotted with lights; street
traders dispense small cups of hot buttered corn flavoured with salt or ketchup
or mayonnaise; ice-cream in a variety of flavours is a firm favourite; attractive
shops specialise in cold desserts or dried fruits. The Ottoman houses and
Pontic tombs and castle walls on the north side of the river are neon lit in
colours that change from red to purple to blue to white, the lights reflected
in the river below, adding a festive zest to a weekend evening. We like it
here.
Amasya
Amasya
Amasya
Amasya
Amasya
Amasya
Amasya