Ah - it's a country kind of life

Animals - everywhere. Damnest thing I’ve ever seen. Goats, cows, chicken and sometimes a dog - last night there were rabbits running around! Apparently these animals know when it’s time to come home because they go home every night. I am going to video tape this spectacle if I can.

This is our first night at the country home. I will write more about it later - right now i”m going to bed - it’s 11:00 - we just had dinner at 10:30 b/c we got here late and one of the cousins that live in the village brought over the best green beans I have ever eaten and I’d like to find out what she did to them, and then she made hamburger with tomatoes, peppers (I picked them out) and olives I think. Then some spices and it was pretty good too! Of course - you guessed it cucumbers and tomatoes, feta with flat bread - that is a staple I think. I think it’s like our salad.

Life is very simple here - we are staying the summer home that Ayten's Father built on his family's property. It is in a little, tiny village nestled in the mountains. Again - most of my pictures are on my camera and I will update later. To get to the bathroom you have to go outside - that is kind of a bummer - especially when it's in the middle of the night and you hear some kind of animals in that direction, but "Buck up" and get on with it.

This is the scene outside the gate of our house.

The kitchen

That small stove produces some mighty fine food!

another view

Cabinets

Dining room

Chifferobe in living room - very old 

and beautiful

China cabinet - they only come here once a year

but they keep beautiful dishes and linens

on hand.

The kids with an uncle picking Hazelnuts. 

There are no lawn mowers here, nor weed eaters

or leaf blowers - they just let the grass grow - when and if

and animal comes to eat it then it will get cut! 

This is gate - every home has one in 

the country and in the city.

Upon entering a home you remove your shoes

and put on slippers. I was enamored by the broom and 

the mop. To use the mop you just put a clean, damp rag

over the bottom and wipe the floor. The floors aren't that

dirty because everyone leaves their shoes at the door

I really like this idea - we need to institute

it in America.

This is one of Ayten's Aunt's that lives in the village

Lots and lots of women wear scarves - this 

lady had 5 kids - all of them live

in the city now. She lives alone, but goes

and stays with a daughter in the winter when

it's too hard for her to light a fire everyday

to keep warm. She liked to come over and just 

be near me. We were always looking at one

another smiling. She seemed like a very nice women.

Restaurants in the country

There are restaurants everywhere - and I mean everywhere. Basically it’s a big yard and there are all kinds of tables and chairs, each in their own little patio and roof. These are like dining room tables and chairs. Not outdoor furniture. There is always a table cloth on the table. Lunch or Dinner always starts with something like this: a first course of quartered tomatoes, quartered cucumbers, feta cheese, flat bread and maybe eggplant spread and some other spicy spread that i didn’t try. Then they bring meat - good meat and lots of it. The first night we had lamb and chicken. Today we had I don’t know what kind of meat but it was cooked in like a really thin pita and it was really, really good. Then they had another pita one that was filled with greens - you put some feta on it. Ayten thought it was better than the meat ones. I didn’t care for the veggie one. Now all of this always served on china with silverware. Glasses are used when they serve the drinks and it’s always water, sparkling water and then other kinds of stuff that I have no idea what it is but some of it is pretty good. Today they served this really sweet cherry juice so I added sparkling water to it and it was very good. Breakfast was the best feta cheese I have ever had, butter, honey and flat bread. Then they served eggs that were delish. Of course it goes without saying tea at every meal. Oh and there is always a play ground within the restaurant so the kids can eat and play at the same time  - genius! Too bad most of my restaurant pictures are on my camera and you'll have to wait because then you'll get to see some very interesting pictures. But here is what I had on my phone:

This was one of my favorite restaurants . One of the dining rooms almost looks like a tree house.

 This was the dining room we ate in. Really good food too!
 This time we had those those pita breads filled with meat and heated up -
and then the next course was Azberjain Raviloi!
And it would take some Italians I know back a few paces

This was some of the decorations at the restaurant. Notice the samovar in the center. They are pretty cool - there is some sort of heating element in there and you fill it with hot water. Then you have a tea pot with really strong tea in it. You fill your cup 3/4 full of hot water and top it off with the tea. The thing hanging from the tree is an old fashioned butter churn.

We wanted to have "A tea" and so they set up a table and chairs for us.

Farhod wanting to grab the biggest rock he can find to throw in the lake.

The houses in the background are for rent - notice the view of 

the mountains. Beautiful country!

No Javi is not going to the bathroom - he is holding a very heavy rock!

This is the last place we ate on our road trip. It reminded me of a state park. Ayten was

not happy about it - said it was too dirty. It was not my favorite place, but I have to 

say they had the best fresh tomatoes I have tasted all year.

Another view - I have to admit at this place I was a little concerned about food standards of which there are none out here in the countryside.

If you wanted to you could go for a horse back ride before or after lunch.

'Cause that's how they roll here.

A ride in a Soviet Jeep

There was a waterfall that Yusif wanted me to see. When we got to the base of the mountain we hired a jeep to take us to the waterfall. Yusif said "Now you can say you have ridden in a military vehicle produced by the Soviets"

After the cold war ended some enterprising men bought up the old military jeeps

and now some are used to take lazy Americans up the mountain!

The waterfall that we took our lives in our hands to view.

Many people drove part way up or hiked the whole way - what amazed me the most was that, as Americans we have an "outfit" for everything. Gym shorts, tennis shoes and t-shirts for a treck like this. Not so with our friends on the other side of the globe. They just go!

Even in a dress and good shoes  they hike.

I loved this one - the little girl got down the hill - layed on a rock and

sucked her thumb - she had enough!

Lots and lots of people going all the way up

This is Ayten's cousin who lives in the village we visited. The day we went on this adventure I said to Yusif "Let's bring Vergood (the little boy) with us, he probably doesn't get to go many places." Yusif didn't seem to pleased with this idea so I said the same thing to Sardar he said "I am not opposed." So we brought him - he was a delight to have on the trip. So helpful and kind and always smiling.

Farhod, Manzar and Javi

Aytena and Yusif making it safely back down with their precious cargo.

A picture of our driver - the man never said a word nor cracked a smile. 

Me thinks he was a left over for the Soviet days!

Speaking of English

Before I go on - I'm at Nez's apartment for the rest of my stay - she has no AC - it's 10:30PM and it is still rather warm in here. I asked her if she had a fan - she said "yes" and went and got her blow dryer. Then I pulled up a picture of a fan online and said "no - this" and she looked and said "no I have no fan" I said "take me to the store tomorrow I'm going to buy you one" then she said "Mary, please we can go to Ofa's house (that is one of her sisters - she is out of town and left her key with Nez in case I need AC) I said "no I'll be fine - I am one tough cookie." She looked at me like I have three heads and said "you are a cookie?" I said "A tough cookie." Now - try explaining that to someone! I said "you know if you leave a cookie out at night the next day it's hard?" she said "yes" I said "so it's a tough cookie - it's hard to break. I'm a tough cookie. I can take this heat." she said "Oh - let me go write this down - a tough cookie!"......wonder what else she is going to learn this week???? I guess this is preparation for Spain.

Azerbaijan - the first week

Left St Louis on Sunday - flew to NYC - left for Baku on Monday at noon - arrived in Baku Tuesday at 7AM! Peggy says I write to much and people would rather see pictures so I'm going to do a lot of pictures - but - I left the cable for the camera that allows pictures to load onto the computer at home! (either that or it's lost) So you are just going to have to be happy with the pictures from my phone for the time being.

 My first meal in Azerbaijan - I think they always use nice dishes.

 Yusif and his Mom, Manzar

 Farhad, Shamil (Aunt Ophelia's husband) & Javi and let

me tell you is there were ever two little boys that

keep the pot stirred you are looking

at them!

 On my first night we went downtown 

These buildings are lit up for the 2015 European Games

that were held in Baku in the Spring.

We left Baku Wednesday morning and went to a resort in the country. Everyone goes to the country during the summer to escape the heat - not to hurt any Azerbaijaini’s feelings but it’s hot everywhere so there is no escape. I told Yusif I’m going to start a business here and sell fans. If people just had a small fan it would be life changing. Meanwhile - you do get used to the heat and it is cooler out here in the country.

Naz and I shared a room - the others
stayed in one of the houses.
This is two pictures of our room

 Notice the chickens wandering around? I thought this was really something.....but as the week progressed....

This was the view outside our room. Notice the outdoor restaurant, where I had my first real dining experience.

One of the houses that you could rent.

 

Before we go any further maybe you should meet the cast of characters:

You already saw Yusif, his Mom and Frick and Frack

 Ayten, (pronounced I-ten) Yusif's wife

  Konul (Ayten’s sister) Sardar (Kernal’s husband) 

  

 Ahu - their daughter -I think her Mom had just washed her

 hair and I thought she looked so cute in the scarf!

Davud - their son

Manzar - Yusif's Mom on left

Alina - Ayten’s Mom on right

Naz - Ayten's Aunt

OK - so you have met the cast and crew. I will write more in a few....put I'll post this now.

Another Adventure begins..........

Twenty years ago this month Yusif, an exchange student from Azerbaijan came to live with me for nine months. Now twenty years later I'm going to visit him and meet his family in Azerbaijan! More pictures and stories to follow. I leave on Sunday for New York, spend the night and then Monday head over to a country that is sure to bring lots of surprises!

I'm packed and ready for two weeks of international travel.

I wanted to do it with only a back pack but sister said I was nuts and "For the love 

of God bring a suitcase!" So I am........

Musing from the Emerald Isle

Yesterday as we were driving to Dingle we came to an area where there were mountains on one side of us and the sea on the other. It was beautiful, so beautiful that I decided we needed to get off the carriage way (that would be a two lane road to those of you in the States) and onto a side road (that would be a country lane to us). I got us as close to the sea as I could. Along the way we got to see up front and personal lots of darling Irish cottages. As we were meandering the road it began to get really grassy - almost like a drive way, but what could we do? We continued on our path. Soon we see an older gentlemen out for a fine walk with his dog. He looked the typical Irish country man - tall black rain boots, a tweet jacket and the ever present skimmer hat. He was carrying a walking stick. I knew that the both of us couldn't make it down the path so I pulled over as best I could, stopped and let him pass. He nodded his head in thanks and made his way down the path. The dog followed. I had not driven 5 feet til the girls started yelling. I said "what?" they said "the dog is following us - oh no he isn't the man called him - he's going to the man. - OH! the man just bonked him on the head with his walking stick!"God love the Irish - they treat their dogs like dogs - unlike some I know....

We have decided that when we get home we are changing out all of our curtains to lace.

Spotted Dick you say? We were in the big grocery store in Limerick and Peggy said to me "I wonder if they have spotted dick here." I said "No that is England." She said, "Well I thought maybe since we are so close." I should have gone with my gut, but no, I saw a store clerk - a young man about 28 - 30 years old and asked him "Excuse me Sir, do you have cans of spotted dick?" He looked at me rather agast and replied "What?" I said "Spotted...." I smiled and glanced at his crouch and said "Dick" He looked at me searchingly and said real slowly "S....p...o..t..t..e...d" and I said "Dick". He smiled and said "I've never seen it, but I don't work in this department. I will go check with someone who does." Peggy is behind me crying she is laughing so hard and he looks are me and says "Are you messing with me?" I "No, no I promise - it's a real thing." He leaves and comes back says "well, they said if we have it, it would be around here." We all started looking. He looked at me and said, "So what is it?" I said "Well, I don't really know - we just have a can of it and keep wrapping it up and giving it away at Christmas as a joke." He laughed and said, "Excellent!!" There was no spotted dick to be found in Ireland.