Dear friends and family,

Winter is always a good time to travel in Turkey: the tourists are a memory, the blood oranges are being harvested, and the government wants tax money. It is this latter point which has always made good business for us.

Rug people are preparing for the International Congress on Oriental Carpets this coming April, and there were no bargains on antiques. Younger pieces (the collector pieces for the next generation) were still available and we found beautiful 40 to 70 year old village and nomadic kilims and bags.

New production kilims and carpets just get better. We saw some fabulous new pieces. They are as good as one can get. Yes, Virginia, there is a future for Anatolian weaving.

We also, yet again, found wonderful Central Asian textiles and Ikats, and for less money than in Uzbekistan.

And the food: Konya Kebab, Hamdi’s pistachio Kufta, fresh fish at Gellik. Wonderful.

If you are planning on attending the ICOC, better make your hotel reservations quickly. The timing for the conference will coincide with the yearly Anzac gathering, and most of the smaller hotels are long since booked full.

On the other hand, Konya is still the place to be. The Hotel Rumi is next to Jellaluddin Rumi’s tomb, and has a fantastic restaurant overlooking the tomb, plus all the modern amenities.

Gary Muse once commented he liked Konya because "he could do the whole town in only 2 days." Sometimes I think of him when I am racing through Konya. And, of course we found some yummy art textile there.

Our shipment is due in a week or two. The tea is hot and the stories are all new and improved.

Do come by and visit our newest exhibition: Tribal Snapshots (pictorial weaving from along the Silk Road ).

Awaiting the pleasure of your company,