Being in Ankara is like being home.  We are in the comfortable home of the Dengiz's - they have a great neighborhood that is quiet with nice views across the land.  Their garden is lush (by Ankara standards) and the three level home is spacious and luxurious.  So, we are really lazing about and relaxing.  The weather is sunny and not hot - just right!

Yesterday, we went to Bilkent University where I will be teaching during spring term 2013.  We met with Ihsan Sabuncugolu, the department chair, and talked about what courses I might teach.  He is very helpful and supportive of my Fulbright term with them.  We met a few of the faculty including a former student I worked with at Pittsburgh who is now at University of Wisconsin and just started a one year sabbatical at Bilkent.  It will be fun to be there with him.  After a good lunch (including Turkish coffee) at the Bilkent cafeteria/restaurant we visited the housing place where we will live.  There are five high rise apartments and we were shown one.  It is pretty roomy two bedroom.  It is far from luxurious but does have the basic necessities (except an oven and dishwasher and balcony).  Randy and I (and our guests) can be reasonably comfortable there I think and you cannot beat the commute - it will be easy for me to walk to the building I will be at.

We then went to the home of Ozge and Cevahir Sumer which is so close - less than 5 minutes by car.  They live in a beautifully decorated sixth floor apartment with super views (see picture).  We had not seen them in four years so it was a happy reunion for everyone.  Ozge showed us around the Bilkent neighborhood as we will be living there - it is an upscale place with shops, restaurants, etc.  I think it will be easy for us to live in that area.  We then went to a nearby big mall, Cepa.  I was seeking a drip coffee maker and found one at a big kitchen store.  Cepa also has a H&M store where I will be shopping for sure next year!
We relaxed back on their balcony and savored the view (Randy drank the new lime flavored beer by Efes) and then took a walk in their woods.  Yes, between the highrise apartments in the city is a lovely woods.  What a surprise!  Dinner was at Trilye restaurant, which specializes in fresh fish.  Cevahir selected a mercan from the Cannakale region that had been caught the day before.  The restaurant can cook the fish in a salt crust which is a wonderful preparation that we had never experienced before.  The waiter, Talat, then fileted the fish so we got only the beautiful white flesh - Ozge and I each got a cheek - the most tender part.  All in all, the dinner was one of the best we ever had and not expected as Ankara is pretty far from any sea and great fresh fish did not seem likely.

Sorry for the out of order pictures - some of them are from Ozge - if anyone knows how to move pictures around on the blog - let me know and I will fix this page.

Randy, Cevahir and Alice at the balcony of the Sumer apartment in Bilkent 2

Alice with the view across to the city

Cevahir, Ozge, Alice and Randy at Trilye restaurant in Ankara - if you go to Ankara you must eat there!

The meze - seaweed, smoked eggplant, artichoke hearts and the best - shrimp with avocado in a lemon mustard olive oil sauce

The salt crusted fish on fire before breaking the salt crust apart

Randy and Talat being manly

Randy at the Dengiz's subdivision with its nice views that go on forever

Alice with amazing roses in the subdivision

Casa Dengiz

The rear of Casa Dengiz - our room is the one upstairs with the French doors

Apartment house at Bilkent University where we may live next spring

Randy relaxing with the lime Efes and baby hazelnuts from Karadeniz (Black Sea)

Casa Sumer (6th floor)

Cevahir selects our fish from a big assortment

The chef with our mercan

Happy at the table with both red (Cabernet and Merlot blend) and white (Sauvignon Blanc) wines from Kavaklidere

Waiting for the mercan

A close up of the meze

Second meze - calimari and (not seen) grilled shrimp

Breaking into the salt crust

Our mercan before Talat filets it - its life went for a good cause!

As a good kicker to the day, I got a text from Alexander saying he just got a significant raise at Honda after being on the payroll for only less than four months!