Hi,
Last week we ended our trip to Istanbul by visiting the Topkapi Palace, what a fabulous building. Stunning setting looking out on the Bosporus and architecture to die for. In one of the rooms fabulous bejewelled swords and the 5th biggest diamond in the world. It makes the Alhambra in Granada look ordinary and takes second place after the Taj for me.
In Bergama we met a French Canadian couple Josee and Pierre and when I e mailed them they too were in Istanbul. We arranged to meet for dinner and had a lovely evening with them in Gulhane. Our meal was delicious, with wine and gorgeous Turkish rice pudding for dessert. Sunday we did a Bosporus cruise seeing the beautiful riverside palaces, one of which is now the Four Seasons. Rooms start at 540 euros and a suite is a mere 6,000 and those prices don't include breakfast!!
Monday we had a pretty good travel day, we left the hotel about 9am and got our flight to Dalaman. The shuttle bus to Fethiye was waiting and we hardly had time even for a loo break before the bus left for Kas and a quick taxi ride and we were in our place in Kas.
Kas is our final destination and we have ten days here in all, just to chill. Kaş, once an unspoiled fishing village, is now a relatively unspoiled tourist town on the southern bulge of Turkey's Mediterranean coast. We came here for the diving and Chris has already done a day and a half of diving.
Tomorrow we have a scooter to have a look around and find a beach. Sunday we have hired a kayak to just have a look from the sea, there are organised trips but we can go at our own pace. Monday we are going on a boat trip to see the sunken remains at Kekova and Tuesday we have a car and will go up to Gombe in the mountains, where it might be a bit cooler. The temperatures are hotting up, pretty consistent mid thirties. My dream of a place with a pool haven't materialised as most of these are way out of our budget.
Interestingly we have met two people this week with Newcastle connections ;a woman called Susan who went to Gosforth Grammar School about the same time as Chris and then her family moved to Wales . Last night we met an elderly couple camper vanning in Turkey and he lived near Newcastle General Hospital as a child and then moved to Brighton.
We get back about 1am Friday 27th June and originally we had four days turnround till our house sitting assignment in Allendale. This is now off as their trip is cancelled due to illness. I want to go up to the north east corner of Scotland in Henry so we may set off earlier than planned. There is also the option for a helpx near Edinburgh.
The annual pilgrimage to the Fringe is all booked for 15th-17th August, and there is great excitement as one of our faves is back "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens" if you want a taste then try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaxZ1FQgqc
for the famous "Glitter Boots saved my Life""
We will be house sitting in Cork in September and we have booked a ferry from Cairnryan to Larne and we will visit sights in Northern Ireland and make our way to Cork. Then we will be visiting Northern Spain, the Picos de Europa and maybe make it to San Sebastien before heading to Casas Nuevas in October. Imogen is coming out for a week and it will be good to show her the delights of Murcia.
I was just thinking this morning about this trip to Turkey and my reflections are:-
Will keep you posted over the next few months
Last week we ended our trip to Istanbul by visiting the Topkapi Palace, what a fabulous building. Stunning setting looking out on the Bosporus and architecture to die for. In one of the rooms fabulous bejewelled swords and the 5th biggest diamond in the world. It makes the Alhambra in Granada look ordinary and takes second place after the Taj for me.
In Bergama we met a French Canadian couple Josee and Pierre and when I e mailed them they too were in Istanbul. We arranged to meet for dinner and had a lovely evening with them in Gulhane. Our meal was delicious, with wine and gorgeous Turkish rice pudding for dessert. Sunday we did a Bosporus cruise seeing the beautiful riverside palaces, one of which is now the Four Seasons. Rooms start at 540 euros and a suite is a mere 6,000 and those prices don't include breakfast!!
Monday we had a pretty good travel day, we left the hotel about 9am and got our flight to Dalaman. The shuttle bus to Fethiye was waiting and we hardly had time even for a loo break before the bus left for Kas and a quick taxi ride and we were in our place in Kas.
Kas is our final destination and we have ten days here in all, just to chill. Kaş, once an unspoiled fishing village, is now a relatively unspoiled tourist town on the southern bulge of Turkey's Mediterranean coast. We came here for the diving and Chris has already done a day and a half of diving.
Tomorrow we have a scooter to have a look around and find a beach. Sunday we have hired a kayak to just have a look from the sea, there are organised trips but we can go at our own pace. Monday we are going on a boat trip to see the sunken remains at Kekova and Tuesday we have a car and will go up to Gombe in the mountains, where it might be a bit cooler. The temperatures are hotting up, pretty consistent mid thirties. My dream of a place with a pool haven't materialised as most of these are way out of our budget.
Interestingly we have met two people this week with Newcastle connections ;a woman called Susan who went to Gosforth Grammar School about the same time as Chris and then her family moved to Wales . Last night we met an elderly couple camper vanning in Turkey and he lived near Newcastle General Hospital as a child and then moved to Brighton.
We get back about 1am Friday 27th June and originally we had four days turnround till our house sitting assignment in Allendale. This is now off as their trip is cancelled due to illness. I want to go up to the north east corner of Scotland in Henry so we may set off earlier than planned. There is also the option for a helpx near Edinburgh.
The annual pilgrimage to the Fringe is all booked for 15th-17th August, and there is great excitement as one of our faves is back "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens" if you want a taste then try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaxZ1FQgqc
for the famous "Glitter Boots saved my Life""
We will be house sitting in Cork in September and we have booked a ferry from Cairnryan to Larne and we will visit sights in Northern Ireland and make our way to Cork. Then we will be visiting Northern Spain, the Picos de Europa and maybe make it to San Sebastien before heading to Casas Nuevas in October. Imogen is coming out for a week and it will be good to show her the delights of Murcia.
I was just thinking this morning about this trip to Turkey and my reflections are:-
- It has some stunning scenery and coastlines
- The food is good and simple fare with fabulous flavours
- The people are generally helpful and friendly
- Its history is amazing and influenced by its position in Europe and Asia
- Problems on its borders are causing real pressure with refugees from Syria and now Iraq
- Travel is easy and the public transport is much more extensive than the UK
- 52% of men smoke and it seems culturally acceptable to continue smoking whilst dealing with customers in shops etc and it spoils both the look of restaurants cafes etc and the enjoyment of food
- Attention to detail is not their forte, especially on the cleaning front
Will keep you posted over the next few months
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| Acropolis Bergama |
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| Medusa at Bergama |
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| Eyup indeed !! |
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