We walked along some back alleys and rather narrow streets on our way to a former Haman, which has been turned into a traditional restaurant, where we were to have lunch. I find it is always interesting to see things we won't otherwise have access to if we are dropped at the places or simply travel by bus.
Upon passing by a local shop we were called the attention to a rather exquisite white cone on a scales, which ended up being sugar (quite intriguing and almost phalic, I must say).
The arched-like entrance path to the hamam was rather impressive, particularly because it was unexpected but a lot more was what followed - a jewel in a cave like setting. The former bathhouse is said to date back to 1797 and some of the painted walls account for that period though what I feel mostly impressed the group was the layout of the former haman and the way it has been adapted.
The traditional meal was second to none despite the difficulty we had to use the metal apparatus we were handed out to bone the meat in the second typical plate (a rather juicy and greasy meat stew brought in on a tall oven like individual container to be used together with the metal piece as if it were a pestle and mortar, whose juice would later be poured into the bowl where bread crumbs had been placed). The cold soup was equally very good and so was the ice.
The dessert was served in a different room, where women were allowed to take off the veil. Strangely enough what seemed to have been difficult to adpat to at the beginning was so common by then that it no longer made a difference.
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