a holiday in the sun - part 1 (pure enjoyment)

I think I am going to divide this holiday post into at least two parts to bring sun and fun onto your screens more than once. I had such a lovely time away and I am trying hard not to loose this out of sight too quickly. It is not easy with a house full of crazies and a mad puppy!

I travelled on a Friday afternoon, after dropping the kids off at school. I was a bit tearful but really, it was fine. A very chatty cab driver took my mind off all the things that could go wrong. I tend to catastrophise, if that's a word. You may call me a drama queen. Anyway, Glasgow taxi drivers are like that. If you need counselling but don't fancy the long NHS waiting times, have a ride on a Glesga cab! On the flight, too, I experienced pure Glasgwegian kindness. Ronnie from the East End was sitting next to me, chatting but not annoyingly so, insisting I wrap myself in his fleece when I was cold. I arrived late but not as late as my godmother, cousin and her son. We had agreed I would wait for them outside the arrivals hall, which I did, for 2.5 hours! It was ok, there was plenty of coming and going, WiFi and a good book. You know how, when you arrive somewhere warm, the warm air hits you the moment when you leave the plane? I love that first blast of heat. Of course it wasn't hot hot, it being late at night but still, it was lovely.

My godmothers apartment is about 40 min drive from Dalaman airport in a small town called Çalis, which is more or less a suburb of Fethyie, if you want to look it up on the map. Below is the view from my deckchair. The mountain range surrounding Çalis is quite impressive and I liked how clouds gathered around the mountains as the day progressed.



 
It was meant to be a relaxing holiday, and relaxing it was. I am glad that we didn't go on big adventures, like visiting cultural and historic sites or going on boat trips. I needed small joys for this holiday, for example food shopping (always exiting in a foreign country), visiting markets, exploring the neighbourhood on our bikes, walking up and down the promenade and relaxing with a book by the side of the pool or on the patio. We did this often. Sometimes with a G&T, other times with an amazing beverage called Ayran, which is ever so slightly salted liquid Turkish yogurt. It gets all frothy when spurting out of one of those machine thingies below, found in many restaurants and on the market. For home, you can buy bottles of the stuff. It is refreshing and quenches thirst beautifully.
 

 

Did you know that pomegranate seeds are most delicious in G&T? Pomegranates are in season just now, deliciously sweet and juicy. If only they were not so messy to eat! There are lots of YouTube videos to show you the least messy methods of opening the fruit. If one day, you are bored....



The local beach was only a couple of hundred metres away and there were amazing sunsets to be enjoyed. Having said that, the sunsets from outside the apartment were just as glorious. I like a good old sunset on the beach! Reminds me of the olden romantic days.

 

 
This beautiful bird was also exploring the beach.
 
 
Another day I saw this amazing ship sailing in the dusk. Mostly, boats motor along the coast and it is rare to see one sailing. Apparently, it is becoming more common due to the increased Diesel costs.
 
 
Çalis is a busy resort town with a promenade, beach cafes and a bustling High Street with the usual tourist traps. I'll show you this next time. There are many British tourists which is reflected in some of the advertisements found along the promenade. Not all of them make sense!
 



Did you notice that the Scottish Breakfast costs 50% more than the English one? On the other side of the promenade is a nice beach. It wasn't terribly busy, the season is coming to an end but I bet it is bustling in the summer.
 
 
One day we explored the neighbourhood on our bikes. I visited Çalis in 2008 with Richard, Sam and Annie (before James and Alistair came to live with us). We stayed in a small villa complex at the far end of the bay and I wanted to see it. I am a bit nostalgic. This beach café is where we used to come for refreshments. The café has changed quite a bit since then but the setting is still beautiful. I remember the café quite run down but it was a long time ago. It was rather quaint last week. I did briefly consider taking the seat cover with me!
 



 
I did also briefly wonder if the café would be a safe place in the rain.... these are the extension leads emerging from the sand, with multiple bare light bulbs at their end.
 
Do you fancy visiting Çalis? It is a nice place for a holiday. I remember it being very child friendly, too. Everybody in Turkey seems to like children.
 
Next time I'll show you some photos from the market! I hope you'll stop by for some amazing produce, and plenty of other merchandise, too.
 
Lots of love! Cx

Comments

  1. An amazing trip, looks like a great place to visit. Beautiful photos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember visiting Fethyie, but I don't remember Calis. Great photos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. oooh gin with pomegranate. now that I might have to try x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh a welcome ray of sunshine! I am fancying pomegranate in a G&T. Its down on my shopping list :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Christina,
    I'm deffo trying gin and pomegranate. Marc and I went to Turkey on our honeymoon. I was ill the whole time, and lived on Snickers (it was all I could stomach). I was pregnant with Sam. I just didn't know it. I'm so glad that you've had such a lovely break. I am a tad envious too ;) Lovely sunsets and mountains.
    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh - lucky you. longing for sunshine and a couple of days with a book.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Laughing at your comments about Glasgow taxi drivers! So true! Sounds like an amazing holiday, great pic's, look forward to seeing more next time X

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your pictures are beautiful, Christina. I especially love the sunset pictures. Turkey is on my list of places to visit some day, and your photos have made me want to go even more than before.

    My question is this. Did you end up buying one of the "genuine fake" watches? :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't buy a watch but I did buy some genuine fake headphones for Sam. Next time maybe!

      Delete
  9. Great pictures, Christina. That Ayran looks delicious. So glad you had a lovely time xxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. That looks like a wonderful place for a holiday, thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've only been to Turkey once and stayed a few miles from Marmaris. I remember drinking Ayran and even having it on cornflakes! I really liked it. Also the apple tea was good. We brought some home with us we like it so much.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks like you had an amazing time. I've only been to Turkey once and that was a school trip when I was teaching. We were only there for one day as a stopover on an educational cruise. All I remember was the hair raising drive on a coach with thirty 15 year olds!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never been to Turkey but have visited Greece and its islands many times - the pomegranates growing on trees remind me of my last trip (to Kefalonia).
    And yes, thanks for the tip - if that's not a good reason to buy a pomegranate I don't know what is!
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  14. It sounds as though you had a great time. I did notice the price difference between the two breakfasts, I wonder why the Scottish one is so much more expensive! I love reading signs that are written in other countries in "English" they are often very amusing aren't they, so near and yet so far from what they really want to say. The real fakes made me laugh!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. It looks fabulous, and the small joys you wanted on this holiday sound just the type of things I too love to do whilst on holiday. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I've been looking at your Year In Socks page, there's some fabulous patterns there, very hard to choose a favourite.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What an interesting travelogue. I have never been to Turkey but I would love to go. My mother's family is from Aleppo in Syria, near the border with Turkey, and as I understand it the two areas share a lot of customs and cultural similarities. I've never had an English breakfast or a Scottish one. I've had a New Zealand breakfast when visiting my husband's parents who live there, I remember baked beans and a baked tomato very clearly.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It looks like a lovely place for a break. I've never been to Turkey (I've never been to most places, not even most of the UK!) nut I'd love to travel - oh to have the money and time! I'll look forward to part 2.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I loved this visit with you. I have really never known much about traveling in that part of the world. It looks beautiful and relaxing with so much to see. I am so glad you got away and ested up. You deserved every minute of your trip.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  19. Fantastic photos, how amazing is that sun set?? Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful time. xo

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would like one of those G&Ts with pomegranate right now! really sounds as though you had a fab trip x

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

Labels

Show more