turkish festival

Every year I look forward to the Turkish festival. I know it's in October, sometime (not sure if it's ever been end of September), but in the summer I start googling it periodically to first find out the date, and then to remember the date. I look forward to the Turkish coffee mostly, and then the food and of course the atmosphere. It's been fun to get my coffee or some food and then sit there at Freedom Plaza and listen to the music.

Turkey is definitely high up there on my list of countries to visit. There's just something magical there in how we think about it, and then also so much history! The Ottoman Empire lasted something like 600 years, and I think what makes it seem even more incredible is the fact that lasted until around WWI. I think of Empires, and I usually think of something that collapsed centuries ago (Rome being the most obvious), and the Holy Roman Empire until a little after the French Revolution.

Every year I think I'll finally get my fortune told after my coffee. But...then I see the line and I would usually rather just get a small paper cup (complete with a handle) of Turkish coffee and find somewhere to sit and take everything in. This year was no different. I wandered through the set up, found the Turkish coffee tent, which of course had a long line. Hmmm...one year!

So now I just have to wait for another year until next October. One of the great things about DC is that there are so many festivals and things happening, and I hear about them. I can see them advertised all around. I've once said that a lot of the larger cities must have things going on, it's just a matter of finding out what that is. For instance, the last time I visited Texas, I found out that Fort Worth has rodeos every Friday and Saturday night. Now even after growing up in Texas, I've never been. So like having my fortune told, one of these years I'll go on a visit and go to a rodeo. Just another new experience in a city I thought I knew well.

What's the next festival in DC?

And then of course, thinking of visiting Istanbul...I also end up thinking of Istanbul (Not Constantinople). And getting that song stuck in my head.