Stork Nests and Baklava

An unoccupied but not abandoned stork nest atop an aqueduct segment

Tying up a few loose ends about the Selçuk and Ephesus portion of this Turkey trot.

First, stork nests. Once I was told about them, I started seeing them everywhere,

My Ephesus tour guide mentioned all the stork nests around town.

Storks are big birds and big birds need big nests. So if you look up on any towers and relatively thick high points, you just might see a big giant bird's nest on top. Whether that be a pole for a traffic sign. Or a minaret. Or even an aqueduct segment.

The fourth pillar in that photo, counting from the left and moving right, has a stork nest on top.

There's even supposed to be one atop the pillar at the Temple of Artemis sight although I can't see it. Might be the angle.

The storks recently migrated back to Africa for their winter homes. Storks not only pair-bind for life, each will return to its exact same nest that it built before. So, basically, for each stork couple, their summer home is in Selçuk and their winter home is somewhere in Africa. And their homes will be here waiting for their springtime return.

Second, baklava.

Up until this trip, I would say that I liked baklava. It's good, but I've had enough soggy and/or sickeningly sweet baklava to say it's not a favorite. Baklava also is usually made with walnuts and walnuts, to me, are not the best dessert nut. Turkish baklava can be made either with walnuts or pistachio, so I was intrigued to try pistachio baklava, thinking that anything made with walnuts would be even better pistachio. So, like I said, I liked but didn't love baklava. Then, I found Demiroğlu Baklavaları in Selçuk and my dessert world was rocked.

Not only is this the best baklava I have ever tasted, it is a candidate for the best dessert period I have ever tasted. It is sweet, but not cloying. Soaked in simple syrup but still flaky. And, weirdest of all, the walnut is even better than the pistachio. Again, I cannot state with absolute certainty that this is the best dessert I've ever eaten, but it is without any doubt the best baklava.

Some men who work at my hotel agreed that Demiroğlu Baklavaları is the best baklava in town. They also were amazed I found it, since it is not a usual stop on the tourist trail. Me? I'm jut thankful.

Two other loose ends. A front shot of the plexiglas giraffe I spied the other day.

And a staircase painted to look like Van Gogh's "Starry, Starry Night," which, I know, officially just has one "starry" in the title but Don McLean has us forever using the word double.

Why the Van Gogh connection with Selçuk? Does there need to be a reason to paint a staircase to look like a Van Gogh?