Lots of cafes had staff waiting in the street to win your patronage with menus and Turkish charm. I smiled and passed most of them by, but one gentleman managed to pull me into a conversation. He said I was so nice (most people never spoke to him, he said) that he insisted I sit down for some apple tea. “How much?” I asked. “For nothing!” he insisted. “Please do not say no.”

The cups kept coming, and he also gave me a carnation for my “kindness”.