*The week of 25 Feb. to 1 March ’08 will be a treat for all art lovers as the Kempinski Bodrum Hotel will host a painting workshop (held every day 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00 hrs.) and a series of seminars on subjects such as “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow of Turkish Paining”, “Anatolian Civilization and Anatolian Enlightenment with Art” or “Color and Light in Painting – A Way of Colors into the Unknown”. The guiding light of this event is the renowned Turkish master Devrim Erbil whose many accomplishments can be explored by Googling his name on the Internet. Paintings executed in the workshop  will be judged, with the winner of the 1^st place awarded the opportunity of an exhibition of her/his works at the Kempinski Hotel on 1-20 June ’08. Bus transportation will be provided from in front of the Bodrum Municipality to the hotel leaving at 17:15 and the return departing the hotel at 19:15, allowing persons without cars to attend the seminars.

**Vintage Bodrumians will meet once again between 14:00 and 17:00 hrs on Wednesday, 27 Feb., in the Bodrum Municipality Council Hall to render their recollections of various aspects and events of Bodrum history, this time in the field of sports. Very few know one fascinating detail for example, that Bodrum’s amateur football team played matches against teams composed of members of the British Armed Forces during the Second World War in the 1940s! The football pitch was located in the area above the current underground car park in front of the post office, it had no grass but was covered with earth grit and gravel so there were many skinned knees and lacerated elbows suffered in falls. If you understand Turkish there is much to learn here in these meetings.

***Winter in Bodrum is a time for relaxation and social activities which certainly includes the enjoyment of good food. Some of you Bodrum residents may still not be aware that a celebrated Turkish specialist in meatballs (köfte) opened a branch in the Oasis Shopping Center. The name is Ramiz. The family originally came to Turkey from Macedonia during the mass migration of populations after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, and the Ramiz and Rasim brothers opened their first meatball eatery in 1928 in Akhisar. The fame of the tasty meatballs spread like wildfire so it wasn’t long before guests like Azra Erhat, Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu and Bodrum’s Fisherman of Halicarnassus, Cevat Sakir, all came to eat there. Now we don’t have to go further than Oasis to taste the food prepared in conditions certified by ISO 9001 and HACCP.

Another treat for gourmets: Slow Food Bodrum chapter have their next dinner on Friday, 29 Feb. starting at 19:30 in the Paprika Restaurant in Yalikavak. Members and first time guests are charged 45 YTL for a superb meal (wine, drinks extra), and as everyone knows the Slow Food culinary treats are hard to beat. Interested parties can contact the organizer for reservations and details by e-mail to aydis@superonline.com