Kilting in Turkey...

[English Bloke]

Well, it's "Hotter than the hobs of hell" here right now... I'm in Northern Turkey and thought I'd share some kilting experiences for those unwise enough to venture here in a kilt.

I was going to bring wool (phew) ... I like wool but following the advice re: warmer climes from our American memebers, all be it indirect, I opted for PV.

The temperatures here are excruciating. Loosely, British Temperatures are 20 to 25 degrees C (68F to 77F) around about now... where-as here the temp is around 44C (111F) Now that is warm... For a British Chap.

I tried my kilt on during the day when I first arrived. I lasted about 20minutes before I'd dissolved completely into a pool of salty water. My chosen attire there-after was the ubiquitous cargo shorts and /or swimming trunks. Thanks goodness I didn't bring a bevy of kilts and no other options.

Some pictures for evidence...


Standing at the walls of Sinop Castle. My Daughter as usual acting as my thermal blanket. You will notice the kilt I am wearing is a two pleat variant, one for each leg, and made from light-weight cotton with pockets. OK, I know, I'm the lightweight. Trust me, this is not the country for die-hard kilt wearing.


Now that's more like it.


Some acrobatics is always called for when sea swimming. The Black Sea is crystal clear and beautifully cool.


I am my little girls favourite arm chair... Blimey, I'm still hot. (Note the typical British Whiteness... I don't tan well. I burn first, then peel, then burn again, and that's with factor 70 splashed all over.)


Incognito. Do you think they've noticed us darlin'? We don't look like tourists do we?


My hat, is also my daughter's favorite hat.


My wife, for those of you who don't know is Turkish so while we were here we also popped in to visit her former primary School, a fantastic trip down memory lane for her. Statues and Busts of Ata-Turk are everywhere in Turkey, but then again he was a very remarkable man.


She met with the current Headmaster who allowed her to see the old school records. couldn't resist this snap from the graduation yearbook.


Here's my wife and little girl outside her former class room.


And my daughter left a picture of a kitten for the children when they come back after Summer hols.

It's Ramazan at this time (Ramadan in some other Muslim countries), so fasting during the day is the accepted norm. At around quarter to 20 o'clock everyone hits the streets to eat which is a great time for promenading. It is still Harry Swelters mind, with temperatures now in the high thirties (95F+) but very humid. The streets are washed to keep the dust down and the evaporation makes the air very wet. Where we are at the mo. there is also lots of high-rise buildings so it's a bit of a concrete canyon-land. The air is very still at ground level and it really is unbelievably hot... For a British Bloke.

And so to Kilts...