An Ayvalik neighbour

I walk past this woman every evening as I take my dog Freddie for his walk up into the pine woods. I think her name is Sardya, although I'm not sure if that's how you spell it. She sits outside her house every evening in the spring and summer, when the weather is good. Freddie and I have to climb up a very steep flight of steps to get up to the street where she lives, which is the one that leads into the woods.

One day, seeing me breathless after the climb, Sardya motioned to me sit down and catch my breath, and we talked for a while. Now we have become friends, across the gulf of culture, language, age and experience that separates us. Like many of the older women I see in Ayvalik, Sardya has a kind of tranquil beauty which quite transcends age. Her calm gaze seems to be that of a woman who has seen a lot, and come though unscathed. I like her very much.