İzmir: Socializing

We joined Aylin and Murat for breakfast this morning … at Francala … in Bostanlı, across the bay from where we are in Alsancak.

The place is a new addition to the numerous eateries around İzmir that specialize in breakfast. This one is a bread bakery as well. The bread basket brought to your table includes a number of different breads, so you get to sample what is on offer that day and purchase a loaf or two if you wish.

The breakfast menu is quite extensive. Mui opted for the hot plate … scrambled eggs and sautéed oyster mushrooms & potatoes. Murat opted for the cold plate … sliced avocado, a spicy tomato-paste dip, olives, and cheese. Aylin and I opted for the pancakes made with Francala’s special batter … more like hotcakes. Turkish tea all around.

After our delicious meal, instead of riding back with Aylin and Murat, we asked them to drop us off at the Bostanlı waterfront promenade and walked to the Karşıyaka ferry pier … a 30-45 minute stroll on a beautiful, blue-sky day with a light breeze that kept the heat at bay.

A pleasant ferry crossing and a quick tram ride returned us to Alsancak. Mui went to the apartment for a nap; I went to mom’s to spend a couple of hours with her.

Then it was time for more socializing … this time with Mui’s cousin, Esin. We had a short but sweet reunion at the Lozan Patisserie, catching up on family news. She’s leaving for Seattle on Monday, so we’re especially glad we were able to squeeze in a quick visit.

By the way, we walked over to see if the art gallery was open today. Nope, still closed. It will be interesting to see if they extend the date of the temporary exhibition since the sculptor has essentially been shorted by at least four days.Read more