Ottoman military music rang through downtown Ft. Lauderdale Sunday as the annual Turkish Festival took place on Huizenga Plaza.
I'm a big fan of ethnic festivals (travel without jetlag) and Turkey, where I spent a memorable three weeks in 1997. The thing that most impressed me, even more than the fairyland landscapes of Cappadocia, the civilized buzz of Istanbul, the delicious food, the sensuous music (I still listen to my Sezen Aksu CD), was the hospitality of the people. Turkey was one of those rare countries that made me feel less like a tourist than like a guest.
Every year the festival brings this feeling back. The aromas of kebabs, the sounds of the ud, the texture of milky desserts, the red flags flying the white crescent and star all transport me, but it's the smiles - those warm, absolute Turkish smiles - that linger longest.
