I recently came back from a cruise through the Mediterranean on the new Carnival Vista ship from Carnival Cruise Line. The trip was one giant taste of Europe, stopping at multiple places I’ve yet to visit before. One of my favorite stops was the port in Rhodes, Greece, where I discovered my love for Turkish coffee.
Unlike the coffee we drink here in the states, Turkish Coffee is prepared using unfiltered coffee. Coffee beans are roasted and then finely ground and simmered (not boiled) in a pot. If sugar is preferred, then this is the time to add it, while it’s simmering. The coffee is then served in a cup where grounds settle to the bottom. You might be startled when you reach the end of your cup and find a thick layer of grounds. It looks a lot like mud, but I assure you that it’s normal.
My love affair with Turkish coffee started when the group I was exploring Old Town Rhodes with happened across a Turkish cafe called, Mevlana. After a quick Google search investigating what the name stood for, I found out it’s how the Turkish refer to Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, a famous Persian poet from the 13-Century.
Pictured above is the cafe’s owner, who enthusiastically asked me to take his photo while he setup a hookah at a nearby table. How could I not oblige the man? He did provide us with some super fast Wi-Fi to binge on while we waited for our coffee to arrive.
Turkish Coffee Delivered by Fancy Tray
We all took advantage of the free internet by catching up on emails and posting photos on Instagram, meanwhile our new friend was busy making our delicious coffee. Eyes locked on our phones, the only thing that distracted us long enough to look away was the sound of bells approaching. Featured above is the coffee tray our host delivered our coffees on. How cool is that?
Along with our Turkish coffee, we all decided to split some baklava and kadaif. I’ve only had baklava once before, and it was at some bakery here in Los Angeles, so it’s safe to say I have never tried the real stuff. Both were delicious!
If you happen to be coming to Rhodes via a cruise ship, I highly recommend you explore The Old Town on your own and not with an excursion group. Because we weren’t restricted by a tour, we were able to stop into Mevlana and have this memorable experience.
Click the Carnival Vista tag to learn more about my trip on board Carnival Cruise Line’s newest Fun ship.
