Don Curry as Köftetester

Don Curry strives to do justice to different levels on his travels: he is interested in historical aspects, cultural-historical aspects, but also the respective contemporary culture. He counts culinary art, national cuisine, with which he gives broad space for exploration in his planning, as part of the latter area. This was already evident in the conscious enjoyment of the respective local specialties in Edirne and Bursa. But it was also evident in the bottle of Şalgam that he had bought in the supermarket in Edirne, without knowing that Şalgam is a fermented juice made from turnips, beets, and black carrots, seasoned with salt and pepper, which is often enjoyed with Raki. Don Curry tried Şalgam and immediately knew what he would never buy again. But sometimes it doesn't take something extraordinary or exclusive. Sometimes the ordinary can also be extraordinary.

However, Don Curry decided to forego the special breakfast at the Hotel Gönlüferah on this morning. Instead, he preferred to set off early, as it would be a long day. At the same time, Don Curry bid farewell to the impressive city of Bursa, which he had experienced in a more intensive and multifaceted way due to his walking tour, compared to many previous destinations. And he also bid farewell to the consistent theme of the first days of his journey, the history and architecture of the Ottoman Empire. Only much later on his journey would this occupy him again. But from now on, he would delve deeper into history, thousands of years deeper...

Actually, he feared that the time of well-developed roads would end at the latest in Bursa, as from now on it would go through the province. But Don Curry was able to make good progress almost all day on four-lane or three-lane highways or European roads. However, he needed the entire morning to reach his first destination, which is also one of the most famous destinations in Asia Minor. Just the name alone evokes memories of Homeric stories, classical sagas, or at least Hollywood movies...: Troy!

In Don Curry's plan, he wanted to precede the extensive tour with a strengthening meal, especially considering the lack of breakfast. But before he knew it, he found himself in the parking lot of the excavation site. All travel guides had warned that the visit to Troy could be quite disappointing due to the sparse remains and the confusing archaeological situation. Only the huge wooden horse, in which one could climb to feel like a clever Greek, looks really impressive. However, even the horse had to be closed off a few years ago due to its dilapidation; no one, not even a Greek, can come close to it anymore. So in addition to the admission fee, Don Curry had also booked an audio guide and paid the equivalent of 13 € - sightseeing is expensive in Turkey. One thing he already knew beforehand: anyone who visits Troy does not visit ONE city, but nine (!) cities that were gradually built on top of each other over the millennia. So Don Curry first came to the city walls of Troy VI, then stood before the citadel of Troy II, discovered a reconstructed mud-brick wall of Troy I, and was then led to a spot where he could see layers of Troy III, Troy IV, and Troy V directly on top of each other. In the further course of the tour, ruins of Troy VIII and Troy IX predominated, which already belong to the Roman era. Don Curry also became aware of how destructive Heinrich Schliemann's excavations were, and in the audio guide, he heard clearly how vehemently the Turkish state demands the return of Schliemann's Troy treasure, which has been exhibited in St. Petersburg and Moscow since World War II. Don Curry found the visit to this famous place fascinating; he enjoyed expanding his knowledge, and he also enjoyed the wonderful surroundings in which people have lived for so many centuries.

After his cultural appetite was temporarily satisfied, another, more fundamental hunger came to the fore. Don Curry thought he had seen a café on the road on the way here. He drove back there and took a seat on the completely empty terrace. After he had expressed his desire for food to the innkeeper, the innkeeper brought the illustrated menu and recommended the dish with the picture that said 'Köfte' - meatballs. Köfte belongs to Turkey like pasta to Italy or Bigos to Poland. Therefore, it made no sense for Don Curry to continue avoiding them: he ordered Köfte and Coke Zero. He was not disappointed. Between fried potato cubes on one side and the typical tomato-cucumber salad on the other side, 4 quite flat but well-formed köfte were spread in the middle. All together, it was extremely delicious!

With this intermediate boost, Don Curry grew convinced that he could now tackle the second part of the Troy tour. Only in 2018, a large archaeological museum opened near Troy, which stands like a huge rusty cube in the landscape and presents finds not only from Troy itself but also from other nearby and more distant archaeological sites in the most modern museum didactics and technology on 3 levels. Around the museum, there is an extensive Homer garden with all the plants mentioned in the Iliad.

The sun was already low when Don Curry reached the last destination of this ancient day: the ruins of Assos, located on a rocky plateau high above the present-day village of Behram. Don Curry parked Insignia in the village below and made his way to new cultural heights. The entire path was lined with countless huts and stalls that wanted to sell the usual tourist gimmicks. Sweating and panting heavily, Don Curry arrived at the top and was immediately enchanted by this idyllic location. The view here could stretch endlessly over the sea and the surrounding landscape. A temple of Athena rose in the middle of the plateau, and the few standing columns of this sanctuary were extremely photogenic against the backdrop of the beginning sunset.

But Don Curry still wanted to reach his accommodation while it was still daylight. For the first time, he had to leave the well-developed connecting roads and actually drive overland, on narrow, winding paths. He reached his destination in a remote village: the Kayalar Terrace Hotel, and he was amazed to find that the parking lot in front of the accommodation was completely empty. Apparently, he would be the only guest. Accordingly, he was greeted joyfully by the owner, who spoke neither German nor English but made himself understood using Google Translate. When Don Curry asked for dinner, there was a clear nod and the hotel manager's smartphone pronounced loudly: 'Meatballs'. Ok, thought Don Curry, so köfte again... Why not?

But first, he settled into his room, which not only had a balcony but also an entire continuous window front, allowing panoramic views of the sea and the beautiful coastal landscape. Here, Don Curry relaxed for a while and enjoyed the heavenly colors of the sunset.

At the agreed time, he appeared in the small restaurant of the hotel on the upper floor. Directly next to it was a wide rooftop terrace, which was also equipped with tables and chairs but could not be used in the darkness of the evening. While the hotel owner, host, and chef were still busy preparing the food, Don Curry was allowed to choose a beer from the drink fridge. As Efes was available everywhere, he chose a Tuborg, which is also brewed in Turkey. Then the köfte arrived: 5 very irregularly shaped meatballs with very good french fries, grilled tomatoes, grilled peppers, and wonderfully toasted flatbread.

And if someone were to ask Don Curry now which köfte were better, he would answer, 'The connoisseur enjoys and keeps silent.'