Ramadan - 100% curfew 1st May

This morning at 8am the sun was hot and due to its position in the sky is shining on more of my terrace than it has been during the winter.  I can now sit in the sun, at the back of the terrace, watch BBC News through the terrace doors and look at the fabulous view whilst enjoying my morning poached egg on toast and an Americano.  

 It's even getting warm enough that I'll be able to eat my evening meal on the terrace in the shade.  These simple pleasures are the reasons I wanted to have a place in the sun.
This weekend's curfew started at midnight last night. 

 We all now know in Turkey that the 2 day, 100% curfews at the weekends will remain until at least the end of May.  We've also been advised of some extended curfews to include days that would normally be public holidays.  Last weekend was a 4 day curfew, to include Children's Day and this weekend is a 3 day curfew as 1st May is Workers Day.  Today the local village shops will be open for limited hours so that people can get their bread but they can only walk to the shop, not use vehicles.  It was similar last weekend.  I understand that some Turkish people shop daily for food and find it difficult financially to stock up but hopefully over the last few weeks they have been able to amass small stocks although I'm told that bread is a daily staple.  My neighbours seem to shop as I do in the UK with a big supermarket shop once a week or fortnight with fresh fruit and vegetables weekly.  I usually get a loaf of bread from them once a week and as I don't eat that much, I freeze it and take it out a slice at a time.  Mind you, the bread is so lovely I'm eating far more than usual and it's telling on my waistline, eek!

 The lock down and curfews are difficult for the Turkish, particularly during Ramadan, as they are very sociable people and would normally gather as a community every evening for their iftar (evening meal to break the daily fast).  However, they still manage to make it a celebration by sharing dishes with neighbours.  Most evenings, I get a knock on my door to be presented with a dish from their evening meal.  It's always delicious - and another reason my waistline is swelling!

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