Bosphorus Cruise

Ah yes, our Bosphorus Cruise.  Truth is we rode a municipal ferry from the Galata bridge to the final stop.
Once the final stop has arrived the ferry lets you wander around for about 90 minutes before they blow the horn, load up everyone who’s leaving, and taking off.  We had heard these ferries were the way to go so we googled “boat rides” did some research and found loads of testimony about how crappy and expensive the tour boats were.  We went with the ferry and we loved it.  Very comfy and spacious with an inexpensive well stocked snack bar.  Lately my entries into this blog site have taken on an air of “infomercial” which is not what I set out to do.  I wanted to relate more of the personal experiences we have with a
focus on the people we meet rather than the sites.  I’m going to try getting back to this… that
said check this guy out!  When we got off the ferry the “callers” started in.  This is the name I have given the people who pitch and pitch and
pitch.  “Hello sir.  Would you like some wine?  Beer?  Food?  You should feed your beautiful wife sir… she looks thirsty…”  on and on.  Of course you keep moving while you politely decline.  Most of the time the “callers” mutter something under their breath and immediately drop
the jovial pitch as they spin around for their next potential client.  Not this guy… he carried on being friendly and nice wishing me a nice visit to the
village.  We stopped for lunch a few metres from the shore where this enthusiastic team was cooking right on the street.  The food was OK but the atmosphere was loads of fun. Our young waitress (pictured in the cap) loved Coco.  She tried her english while Coco try her 10 words in turkish, in the end we relied on finger pointing to the dishes pictured in the menu and being served nearby… all the while “Lucky” the one eyed cat was eating scraps and scrambling around at our feet.  It was a great time and very memorable.

Scooby Dooby Doo and little Jack too

Here in Istanbul and for that matter all over Turkey you see stray dogs, many stray dogs.  Cats and dogs all over the place.  Some of them are in such poor condition my heart aches.  If it were just food they needed I would empty my bank account and spray food all over the nation, but for these animals a home is what they lack.
The locals feed them constantly… in fact all over the streets there are make-shift food bowls just randomly placed for these “city pets” to eat.  What they really need is flea medication.  Turkish people in general are more than tolerant, they are very caring.  Yesterday I saw a man with holes in his shoes taking time to help a big dog who was struggling with some trash he had found.  He helped this dog by unwrapping the paper so he could eat the contents.  I see this kind of warmth from the people everyday and it makes me love this country more and more.

OMG!  I miss my sweet Scooby Doo … I guess I even miss that little rat Jack.  I’ll see you soon boys!

Istanbul Arrival

We were driven to the airport leaving our peaceful, beautiful, clean hotel through the fairy chimney countryside as the sun set.  It was one of those massive orange suns that seem to pickup speed as they near the horizon.  If I had given more thought to where we were headed I would have savoured these moments and focused on the peace.  I now love Istabul, but holy smoke the first night and day were overwhelming.  Our Pegasus flight was delayed by 90 minutes ( I know, shocking ) so by the time we were picked up at the airport it was 1am.  I was blown away by how busy it was.  Our driver was hmmm… efficient !?  He drove as if his house was on fire and the kids were all alone!  Finally at 2 am we crossed the bridge taking us from Asia to Europe,  all the way we saw endless high-rises and endless density.  After weaving in and out of traffic ( both motorized and pedestrian ) for about an hour and a half we arrived at the apartment.  The poor woman (Nahide) who was letting us the place, looked exhausted yet she still graciously took time with us.  She liked us I think, so she explained where we are, where to go, the nearest grocery store, great breakfast places etc. with a map she’s laid out on the table.  As helpful as she was I was happy to see her go.  We still needed to go out to buy some water and I was completely out of gas.  I needed to crash ASAP.  At 3 am the city was busy, noisey, and vibrant.  By the time we returned home and went to bed I could have slept through cannon fire ( which about sums up the ambient decibel level ).  Today we woke up early and eager.

Cooking School, Goreme, Turkey

Today Coco and I had cooking classes, but first, we had breakfast at the hotel’s farm.  This is a complimentary meal offered to all their guests.   They loaded ten of us in a hay wagon hooked up to a tractor and hauled us out of town.  It sounds gimmicky but we got to see the valley up close and personal.  Wow.  After descending a long flight of stairs cut into the hillside we were met by four native “country women” who made us a spectacular breakfast.  The egg and vegetable dish was the out of this world.  We were treated to all kinds of preserves ranging from apple with almond to mulberry and eggplant.  They had fresh walnuts picked from trees on the farm beside cheese and olives of all kinds… and, and… well you get the picture.  Our fellow guests were very interesting.  We had two english speaking expats who had been living in Turkey for years.  One from the USA now living in Istanbul, the other from  Switzerland now in Capadoccia and these two were eager to share tips with the rest of us.  We had a cute young couple from Paris, another from New York, and finally two from Singapore.  All super fascinating, all super nice.  After breakfast we got a tour of the small valley which included seeing the interior of cave high in the cliff used as a pigeon house,  A collapse of the facade left the cave’s interior visible.  It was great because we had seen these pigeon holes by the tens of thousands all over the hills of Capadoccia.  We were astonished to see the size of the “cubbies” the pigeons lived in.  Huge!  Each  pigeon house must have room for hundreds of birds.  Following the tour the other guests returned to the hotel, while we stayed behind for a cooking class with the four hosts.  What fun!  It all started with introductions through our interpreter.  Coco then asked about the head scarves they were wearing … I don’t know if they misunderstood her, or just wanted to cover her in traditional clothes, but the one introduced as Turcan quickly produced a scarf and showed her a variety of ways to wrap it,  finally tying it around Coco’s head in the “I’m working in the kitchen” configuration.  The ladies cooed, giggled and said she looked like a relative.  They gave us Muslim names ( Coco told them she already has one )… so we became Nigaar and Aly.  Next came the “hammer pants”… all around Turkey the older women wore these pants- not to be ironic but to be able to work quickly and modestly.

Coco asked Turcan,  the biggest of the ladies,  about her pants.  Boom- she was gone and presto she returned with her own pants for Coco to wear.  She giggled while dragging Coco into the cave emerging to squeals of delight from the other three.  My tiny wife was swimming in these pants.  When she asked where the pockets were they gestured into their own pockets to show her.  She tried to find them herself only to realize they were hidden within the many folds pinned behind her. Again they started laughing from the core while Turcan smiled and gave a modest shrug indicating she was aware of the size difference.  These four women loved Coco , or should I say, Nigaar.  They pushed and pulled at her calling her name over and over.  They would yell at the top of their lungs “Nigaar! Nigaar!”  all vying for her attention, all wanting her next to them as we started preparing for the many recipes planned.  They had me cutting and chopping while Nigaar was mixing and chatting learning words like salt, parsley, pepper, and so on.  I lit a fairly substantial fire which was to power the outdoor stove.  As I was on my way to the woodpile (as directed) I heard some shouts which I interpreted as “Aly..hurry up”.  When I continued to walk I heard a commotion, as I turned around I saw one of our hosts running like mad.  She passed me like I was standing still hooting the whole way.  At the wood pile I tried to save face ( having just lost he race ) by carrying an enormous load, fortunately I managed to make the 50 metres back to the stove without dropping a twig.  I knew there would be another “Mark (aka Aly) roast” if I failed.  They then had me carrying clay pots filled with the peppers, zucchini, and dried pepper we had stuffed moments before in the cave.  After the pots were all situated on this roaring fire we went out to the vineyard and started picking grape leaves.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?  Well it’s not.  When I strayed away from my escort, Turcan herself, I would hear “Aly! Aly! followed by some Turkish commands I didn’t completely understand…. I knew enough to know she wanted me next to her.  I think she was aware of the rotten job I was doing and wanted a private chuckle for how absurdly inept I was.  Finally I turned in my leaves… she looked through them and shrugged “tamam tamam” (Turkish for okay).  I gestured at the stack of leaves in her hand wanting the truth.  She laughed picked the only good one and threw the rest to the ground.  We both smiled as we presented our stacks to the others in the kitchen.  Hers- hmm I don’t know, maybe 200, mine…  the one leaf which passed muster.  Carefully t
hey took my one special leaf and added it to the pile.

We made lentil soup ( in a pressure cooker); stuffed green peppers and zuchhini; lavash or flat bread and finally dol
mades- these are deceptively difficult to roll.  Coco picked  up bread making pretty quickly and was a rock star when it came to trying to make  the dolmades.  Finally the lady in the pink top (see image ) encouraged her to use a tray as a platform.  We ate the food we’d cooked and sadly our lesson came to a close.  Hugs, shreaks, and kisses for Coco- a “get out of here”gesture with laughter for me!   “Aly geet! Aly geet!” ( get lost!) they yelled.  We retuned to our hotel for some spa treatments ( after all we’d had a gruelling afternoon ).  I had the foot/leg massage WHICH WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Coco had the Hamam or turkish bath and according to her they went at it hammer and tongs.  She said they start with a 5 minute steam, followed by full body scrub from tip to toenail, then a full body soapy massage, next another wash, ending in two complete rinses (one hot, one cold).  Then off to the turkish lounge for a visit with “Kelly the Kitten” ( Kelly short for Kelebek, our hotel ) named by Coco.

We went off to dinner at a restaurant called “The Orient” where we became involved in a pre-wedding celebration- much dancing and drinking raki followed, as did my hang over….more later.

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Capadoccia Tour

As mentioned we were able to receive a full refund for our initial balloon ride booking, however, the time it took had us racing back for our 9:45 tour start.  In the nick of time we made the bus and joined our group.  First stop…
Mustafapasa, a formed Greco-Roman village originally named Sinasos. We visited a church where two young men were practicing piano (there was a music festival in the area).  From the church we were off to Sobessos and honestly there wasn’t much to see as it was an excavation in progress.  The great excitement from this first stop was Mark dropping his iPhone down into the cordoned of area.  This requiring his to jumping the barricade, scrambling down some stones and retrieving it.  I was quite surprised that no one said a word… no harm, no foul.

After stopping for lunch we visited a number of cave ruins containing churches, homes, and pigeon houses.  It turns out the ancient people kept pigeons high on the cliffs safe from predators and would harvest their dropping 4 times a year.  The soil is sandy and not terribly productive without the bird dirt as they call it.  In the past if a young man went to his girlfriends father asking for her hand in marriage the father would ask if he had a pigeon house. If the answer was no, then the fathers answer was also no.

Gullet from Fethiye to Olympos

Mark:   Fethiye.  Ah Fethiye.  Before I start with the experience in town I should mention some of the things we saw on the drive.  When I come across something unusual I just reel at how many different things there are to see in the world. As we drove through the cities and countryside we would pass many what seemed like impromptu outdoor restaurants.  When we saw the first of these we were puzzled thinking…  hmmm… what an odd place for a picnic.  We came across dozens of these places in locations ranging from the ends of driveways to wide shoulders on mountain roads (the kind of spots used for cars to pull over and take scenic photos).  Eventually we got it!  These were industrious people operating pop-up restaurants.  Some had a rickety table with two plastic chairs, some had a number of rickety tables with many plastic chairs… the most posh of these featured a rusty can used as a wood burning grill placed up front at the roadside.  It was really cool.  A local told us the pensions were around 1000 Lira a month… this is about half of the income necessary to survive in this country so retirees work hard to boost there income.  Finding our hotels has become part of the adventure plus it’s provided real insight into our marital health.  If the two of you are looking for something in a Turkish city, one driving, one navigating, you find out in a big hurry the condition of your relationship.  It can get pretty tense but fortunately we work well as a team.  Mark ❤️ Coco.

So… we arrived in Fethiye.  This is a port town and the jumping off point for our 4 day tour around the Mediterranean.  We spent three days there and
though it was a pretty seaside town crawling with British tourists and ex-pats.. We didn’t spend enough time in this location to form an much of an opinion- however we liked what we saw. One thing for sure, they have a hairdressing salon who gave us at the 5 star treatment.  A haircut for Mark and colour for Coco.  After my haircut the stylist went bananas with the goop and hairdryer.  When we left we had to take a picture because from the side it looked like I was running 120 mph

Coco:   Our hotel (complete with a lovely balcony) was right on the marina, we had an incredible view of the water.  It was packed with people and very touristy which made it quite lively. We had some good meals, wandered the town core(  Oooh! Mark sees a sewing machine shop! ) and got ready for our boat trip.  We had booked with My Blue Cruise (unbenownst to Mark,  I had booked us on the cheapest option).  I guess they must not have had enough people, as we were transferred to another company (V-Go blue cruises). What an adventure.  As we got on the boat, Mark was ready to leave- our cabin was small and stale; he was sure that the boat would not make the journey. It did and we had a blast.

Mark:   As we approached the ship from the coordinators office I saw two ladies trying to carry a massive water container(they could barely lift it let alone manage their luggage ).  I thought they must not understand the rules outlined to us which said “Absolutely NO outside food or drinks!”.  Later as we befriended them we found out they were both from China and they had “Absolutely NO interest in these rules!”  I couldn’t bare to see them struggle so I hoisted the water up over my shoulder and gestured for them to follow.  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as later in the trip they referred to themselves as “water rich” and were eager to share with Coco and I.  My opinion of the ship initially was OMG!  The schooner was dubbed the unholy cheese barge (or ole scupper the tuna scow) and I hoped it would get us through the trip without poisoning us through a leaky bilge which filled our cabin with fumes.  Turns out our cabin was typical… everyone used their cabin as a storage locker while they/we lived and slept on deck.  Great news actually as all the other guests were terrific.

Coco:  Each day was spent visiting different sights that we would never have seen had we not been on a boat. ( our first stop was Oludeniz beach area- google it! It is a stunning spot.  The skies were filled with paragliders and Mark was among the first in the water!  We moored at St. Nicholas’ Island ( yes Santa Claus did exist and he lived in Turkey not on the north pole!!).  We walked among the ruins and saw churches and complexes going back to the 3rd century… of course we watched another beautiful sunset ( you could argue that they’re all the same, but there is something compelling watching the entire sun drop off the earth’s horizon- and experiencing it with your loved one makes it special).

Back to the boat for supper- cooked by the crew which consisted of three boys and the captain. Mark did not hold out much hope- but was pleasantly surprised- (two of the boys are 18 years old; and the third is 12 years old- summer job for him, as the Captain is his uncle. ) About the Crew: there was Farhid Dennis, the main cook; Kanan, did everything else. Kanan taught me how to make “cheese roll ups” ( these are ubiquitous in Turkey).  The Captain, Shavas looked exactly as you would expect- handsome, built, but, could have used a visit to the orthodontist.  The Captain spent his off-hours partying with other Captains and crew from neighbouring ships who shared nighttime space in the bays around the coast (they also enjoyed smoking quite a few of the  “other” cigarettes).

We ended up really enjoying the whole adventure- we visited some amazing sights and slept out under the stars each night counting shooting stars! ( as it turns out mostly everyone else did as well).  Each day was better than the day before- we got incredibly lucky- our sailing companions were terrific: one  Turkish family  from Oregon; a French  couple from San Fransisco; an Italian family of five and another Italian couple; plus four Chinese women.

I actually got in the water, with the help of my newly found support group- and by the time the trip came to a close- I actually “swam” without a noodle floatation device ( but with my crew around me) for about 10 seconds! Yeah me.  By the time, the trip ended I wanted to adopt Kanaan and Talib ( the 12 year old); we had seen great sights and had fallen in love with our sailing mates,  they were such a diverse and interesting group.  Mark was very sad as we drove away from the boat… and he asked me if we would ever see anyone again.  I tried to tell him that they should be treated like a holiday lover.  It’s best to remember them as they were and have no future expectations of involving them in your “real” life.  Well even as I imparted this sage advice, I was secretly  hoping that I was wrong and that we will stay in contact with our new friends.

Next stop: Cappodochia!

A delightful place called Mykonos

We spent our last day in Greece on the Island of Mykonos.  The ferry dock is lined with these beautiful wee fishing boats painted in the vibrant traditional colours.  We took the sea-bus  to old town and chatted with a couple of teachers from Toronto.  Romero and Rita I think… if you read this it was really nice talking to you and thanks for the tip on the virgin Mary’s house in  Ephesus, Turkey (will explain in a few days when we visit it).  Now back to Mykonos… it is by far the most cosmopolitan island we’ve visited.  In addition, people are free to be themselves regardless of sexual orientation- it was like being in Vancouver!!!  The shopping is unbeatable…name a designer and there’s a store dedicated to his wares.

Our favourite part was “Little Venice” where the buildings rose out of the sea and the windmills stood in plain view metres away.  Now our usual question… Where to eat in Mykonos.  

I’m recommending a place where the food sucks, the prices are high, and the atmosphere on the deck itself – dismal. But, and I do mean BUT all the “crappy” in the world can’t defeat the view from this spot.  Directly from our table is where the pictures of us against the sea were taken.  The sea pounding up and into the air two feet from us was exhilarating.  Watching it and taking in the surrounding view almost made me forget the food… almost but I was  reminded  of my meal  through the day and into the night.  As far as the old town itself the buildings are all white and the doors, blue.  The postcards are not photo shopped!!!  The airport is a different story- like a horror show… zero organization, zero information, yet it still functions efficiently- this observation is more a reflection of my narrow view of how things should be done than of the magical island.  By magical island I mean high end shopping centre with an outstanding setting.  Of course we didn’t have time to explore the less touristy areas so I’m sure the island has a lot more to offer than we had a chance to see.  Now we’re off to Athen’s again then… boom … Turkey.

Church with a Hundred Doors, Parikia, Paros

As we left our hotel at New Golden Beach (seen on the bottom right side of the map) we were looking forward to once again driving across the island and through Lefkes on our way the port town of Parkia (centre left). Although it is quite a winding path cut through the mountain it’s such a lovely drive. We commented to one another as we approached our known landmarks like The Byzantine Bridge

Byzantine Bridge, Paros

or the Ancient Marble Quarry.  We felt we were now quite familiar with the area. It was our last full day on the island before we head off to Mykonos
tomorrow so we felt sad at  the thought of leaving.  As we arrived in Parikia we found parking a bit of a challenge especially when we drove down this small lane to a parking lot only to find it full. That problem came when we tried to leave because quite a few people had the same idea blocking the only way out… the small one lane road.  There was no road rage, no hands flying up in the air, vulgar gestures. We all simply smiled, waved while moving and jostling until we all managed to squeeze back out onto the road. Overall the Greek people are confident drivers (some might say more like indy 500 racers)  but quite patient and quick to yield to a driver in a bigger hurry. Driving around, Coco sighted a spot not too far from our first destination, Ekatontapyliani (or The Church with a Hundred Doors).

Once we parked her hay fever started acting up so it was OFF TO THE PHARMACY!  You would think pharmacists  would be among the people who would be fluent in english but as it turned out I had a chance to watch an exchange which should have been on Saturday Night Live!  Coco was great and eventually got some tablets which we hoped wouldn’t knock her out before noon. Now we were off to see the church.

The Church with a Hundred Doors was beautiful but in the midst of some renovations.  Coco and I sat quietly as the older woman and the young boy along with the baritone priest took turn singing the sermon.  At times they would sing in harmony and at others they would swing the microphone towards one another when it was their turn to sing.

As the end of the service  neared the priest swung his censer which burns inccense and walked around the congregation.

It was something to see.  We loved it.

Lunch at the Aegean Deli was terrific. I had the octopus and Coco went eggplant.  The young guy who owned the place had lived in Vancouver for four months las year working the Vancouver to Alska cruise route. He was finishing up his Seamans apprenticeship.  With a two year old and a new one on the way he returned home and opened his restaurant. This is him to the left with Coco.

A New View of Paros

Octopus ala Anna! 10 out of 10

Mark and Coco

Well, well, well, when I’m wrong, I’m wrong.  Paros is fabulous! Last night Coco and I had dinner at “Restaurant Anna” or Restaurant “Anna” … I’m not sure how it’s titled but holy smokes what a meal.  First of all as we enter this famous restaurant (number 2 on the island according to TripAdvisor), Anna herself broke off from an argument with a supplier delivering goods and welcomes us warmly offering her hand and asking our names as she introduces
herself. “Oh, you’re Anna?” we ask… “yes” she replies, “I shop, I cook, I serve”.  She actually has a large staff of amazing people who speak many languages and are very warm and professional. We were the first there so she marched us to the kitchen and asks “What do you like? Fish? Aubergine? Casserole?”  I ask if she has octopus and she laughs and says “Of course!”  Her enormous smile and her clear genuine warmth were impressive and infectious… we loved her immediately.  What followed was a meal to end all meals.  Her own salad chocked full of three kinds of lettuce, fruit, nuts, croutons, and cheeses.  Large enough to feed an army yet the food kept coming… an octopus dish ( 10 out of 10 ), saganaki cheese wrapped in phyllo and drizzled with

Saganaki from Restaurant Anna

honey, baked mushroom and cheese…. these were our appetizers and they left us so full we didn’t order mains.  They loved our “Canadian-ness”… our waiter told us the staff put us in the top 5 friendliest people they had ever met.  By now the restaurant  was jam packed yet when we were leaving we came downstairs from the rooftop dining area and Anna again came racing out if the kitchen inviting Coco and I over for lunch the next day as her guest and her treat.  If “Restaurant Anna” was within 100 miles of our home we would weigh 1800 pounds.  The food is spectacular!

and now.. The Island of Paros!

Ok ok… whats all the fuss?  I was really sorry to leave Naxos.  This was my initial felling which meant I was setting myself up for disappointment.  Like an obstinate child I thought “Sure the beaches are probably nice but they were nice in Naxos as well”.  Then we arrived at our hotel and saw our beach… We stayed at the Aqua Marina Resort ( http://www.acquamarina.gr ) and had one of the front row blue umbrellas along with two lounge chairs assigned to us. They were exclusively reserved for the duration of our stay.  This is definitely a family resort so there are loads of kids scrambling around. Not a big deal if you’re used to yelling, screaming, and crying but of course we are not. Our hotel is on a very popular windsurfing stretch of the coast and there is lots of excitement on the sea from newbies just learning the ropes to men and women of all ages expertly speeding in, out, left and right. It’s super cool to watch and found the time just flew by. There isn’t much to see as you travel through the endless rocky expanse of Paros except the odd village…  but OMG, some of these towns are amazing.  Now if you find yourself on this island I recommend checking out the small community of Lefkes. We went in the evening and walked around as the town came alive. It was awesome. Old men playing their traditional greek instruments (a drum and what looks like a bladder with a goat horn attached) and though there were two only musicians, a group of about eight were singing (drunkenly I suspect) at the top of their lungs. As we wandered through the winding avenues up and down the hillside we happened upon a hand painted sign which read “Sweet Smelling Kitchen”. We peeked through the window which we found down one set of stone steps then up another only to be surprised by an old woman working away in her OWN kitchen on her OWN stove.

http://www.pezoula-paros.gr

We though we must be in the wrong place but were surprised to be waved in and seated on her beautiful terrace over looking the valley. As it became darker the three windmills on the ridge were illuminated and stood out like ancient Greek jewels against the black sky. A wee cheeky cat sat on the floor and made itself at home. There was no menu, there were no inquiries made about our likes or dislikes… the dear woman. hunched but active, simply lead us into her kitchen and pointed at a variety of dishes she was offering for the evening and asked us what we wanted. It was charming and surreal. What an experience. At first glance I found the island arid and barren which isn’t a criticism it’s just a what I observed.  Over the next few days, driving back and forth bisecting the island over the same route I began to see the beauty.   Countless stone fences painstakingly constructed over millennia, hearty plant life, a variety of building types… actually there was a real turn around in how I viewed the entire island.