Let me share the news I read with you right away: https://www.ensonhaber.com/ic-haber/adanada-gunluk-et-tuketimi-80-tona-ulasti . While I respect vegetarians and vegans and understand their lifestyles (I’ve also reduced my meat consumption in recent years), when I’m in cities like Gaziantep, Hatay, and Adana, I can’t help but crave kebab. You might consider this a childhood habit. Of course, 80 tons of meat is a very high figure for a city. The fact that a city on the Mediterranean coast has a more meat-eating culture than inland regions is a topic that deserves sociological analysis. Of course, our distinguished city, Adana, has meanings far beyond its meat culture. For example, it’s Turkey’s 6th-largest city and one of the country’s leading agricultural, commercial, and cultural centers. It also ranks fourth in the country in terms of mineral wealth, being a significant city for its chrome, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc deposits. You can read many other details on Wikipedia: https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adana
The people of Adana have a classic, tongue-in-cheek greeting when you first arrive in Adana: “Welcome to the Holy Lands.” I always respond with a smile: “You’re welcome, I’m happy to be back.”
About Adana’s charm and running
I enjoy every visit to Adana. The warmth, friendliness, and diverse perspectives of the people, the city’s history, fertile lands, its proximity to my father’s hometown of Gaziantep, its Mediterranean character, and its cuisine, especially Adana kebab, are what drew me to Adana and have always kept me positive. In fact, while I could fly to Niğde, where we will be building our factory, from Kayseri or Adana airports, my first choice has always been to fly from Adana, simply because of my fondness for Adana. The idea of traveling to Adana with loved ones to exercise together during the first week of January appealed to me, so I signed up for the Adana half marathon. You can find information about this running event, which they named the Adana Liberation Half Marathon because it was the closest weekend to 5 January, the day Adana was liberated from enemy occupation, at http://adanakurtulusmaratonu.adana.bel.tr/ .
I’m so glad I went. Due to my busy schedule, we arrived in Adana on the evening of Friday, 7 January. I ran into the Istrunbul group I was traveling with as soon as I arrived at the hotel. I’ve written a previous post about the Istrunbul running group as a reminder: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/istrunbul-ile-istanbulu-kosmak
“Cezy” shoots and pre-run city tour
The next Saturday, we met up with friends in Adana for breakfast. Here, Selen, the founder of Cezy, a startup launched in Adana, welcomed us, and we took the product shots at the Adana Hilton. Cezy is an energy bar made from all-natural ingredients like dried figs, walnuts, molasses, honey, carrots, dates, and peanuts. It contains no artificial ingredients. Beyond energizing your body, it’s both delicious and incredibly beneficial. You can read more about Cezy at https://www.cezy.com.tr/ . I recommend placing an order.
A running kit sponsored by Cezy
After completing the Cezy shoot, we headed out to pick up our running kits. After picking up our running kits from the Municipality headquarters, we had tea in Ramazanoğlu Konağı Park, between the Büyüksaat and Ulucami. Here’s a photo from that tour:
We walked along the Seyhan River in beautiful weather.
Afterward, we went to 5 Ocak Kebapçısı on Şinasi Efendi Street around 5:00 to have dinner early to avoid being affected by the run.
At the entrance to the 5 Ocak Kebap Restaurant, they proudly displayed Adana words not normally used in Turkish.
After filling our stomachs with a hearty dinner, we went to Kazım Büfe on Toros Street for a banana milkshake. At the end of the evening, we went to Kadayıfçı Olcay on Toros Street, just ahead of Kazım Büfe, where we had dessert and returned to the hotel.
The next day, we started getting ready early. Instead of breakfast, we snacked on fruits like bananas and apples and went for a run. After starting the first 300 meters with some friends I loved, I continued on my own.
A 21 K run with conversation
Although 21 K is a longer distance than the 15-17 K I’m used to, and I didn’t push myself, I managed to finish the 21 km at a comfortable pace in about 1 hour and 50 minutes. During the run, I ran into some friends from the Istrunbul group, chatted with them for a bit, and then picked up the pace. So, ours felt like both a chat and a run.
After the run, I wasted no time and headed back to the hotel, showered, and prepared for departure. I was in a great mood. I’d gotten a good workout, was with people I care about, and we were going to enjoy one last kebab at one of Adana’s most popular spots before returning to Istanbul.
After checking out of the hotel, we went to Onur Kebap. After enjoying our last meal, we walked around the Cemalpaşa neighborhood again, digested our food, and then headed to the airport.
After checking out of the hotel, we went to Onur Kebap. After enjoying our last meal, we walked around the Cemalpaşa neighborhood again, digested our food, and then headed to the airport.
Perhaps the most unpleasant aspect of Adana is the airport. For one thing, it’s small compared to the city and was built with old architecture. We’re eagerly awaiting the new airport between Adana and Mersin. Hopefully, it will be built soon, and we’ll be able to travel through an airport worthy of the region. The airport’s only positive aspect is its location right in the city center. You can reach the airport from the city center in no more than 10 minutes.
As we left Adana, we returned to Istanbul with the satisfaction of having had another enjoyable time. Adana is especially beautiful in winter. I highly recommend it.
Tag: memoir
