Ode to a Stove

I think my favorite place at the hotel is next to the wood burning stove in the dining room. There is always a pot of water, simmering with cinnamon sticks and cloves on top of it. I eat breakfast or drink my afternoon coffee next to the stove. Not only is it warm, but from the window next to it, there is a panoramic view of the valleys below. I like to watch the shadows move across the fairy chimneys and the hills; at night I watch the lights from Goreme, Urgup and Avanos in the distance. We all gather there for lessons and to keep warm, chairs in a half-circle. Despite our language differences, we have silly little jokes that begin around the stove and continue throughout the day.

By now, the central heating has been installed in the restaurant, and the stove has gone, destined for somewhere else. I will miss it on my next winter trip. Maybe I’m a little nostalgic, but I like the whole hearth and home idea, I like that people come together near the fire, not just for warmth but for camaraderie. Central heating is a wonderful thing, yet I can’t imagine us huddled around the radiators making jokes.