June 2015 – Page 4 – Bill Sargent Travel Blog

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015

Cirali and Olympos

Today we left Antalya and drove the hour or so south to Adrasan, a seaside village with fields of crops and greenhouses growing vegetables. Just up the coast is Cirali and the ruined city of Olympos which we visited for a few hours before arriving here.

Olympos, a ruined Lycean, Roman, Venetian, Genoese city right on the water. These old fossils have sure been to a lot of ruins in Turkey. — Olympos is a ruined Lycean, Roman, Venetian, Genoese city right on the water. A cool running stream bisects ancient streets on both banks and we followed smaller ones into the hills to crawl over columns and doric capitals, scattered mosaic floors and these rooms pictured. They used to house sarcophagi. These old fossils have sure been to a lot of ruins in Turkey.

This is probably a pier remaining from a bridge across the stream. Its location gives a good indication how close the city was to the beach. They liked the views then as well.

Olympos is right on the ocean and it has been for some time a popular place for hippies and backpackers. Beats me how people can like on a bed of stones for hours though the water looked lovely. Swim for us tomorrow. — Olympos is right on the ocean and it has been for some time a popular place for hippies and backpackers. Beats me how people can lie on a bed of stones for hours though the water looked lovely. Swim for us tomorrow.

Sharon took this pano of Cirali Beach while we we sitting having coffee.

June 8, 2015June 9, 2015

On the Mediterranean

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On our first night in Antalya, we walked the short distance to Kaleici, the Old Town, and had a drink as the sun set over the bay. We drove down those mountains for hours on our way here on Friday. Quite spectacular in the day and evening.

Saturday was Sharon's birthday and before her three hour Turkish bath and massage, we visited the Roman Theatre at Aspendos just to the east of Antalya. — Saturday was Sharon’s birthday and before her three hour Turkish bath and massage, we visited the Roman Theatre at Aspendos just to the east of Antalya.

That's Sharon way down on lower right. I later tested the acoustics by singing a little Puccini. It got a few laughs in the arena and we chuckled when we heard someone singing the same tune later. — That’s Sharon way down on lower right. I later tested the acoustics by singing a little Puccini. It got a few laughs in the arena and we chuckled when we heard someone singing the same tune later.

Sharon spotted this man sitting waiting for a tram and suggested the photo. She's got a good eye. — Sharon spotted this man sitting waiting for a tram and suggested the photo. She’s got a good eye.

An elevator took us down to the harbour.

Today we walked for some time around the Old Town visiting a couple of old restored Ottoman houses which now serve as museums. The streets are narrow and provide shade usually on half of the street which is good as the low 20s we saw in Anatolia is now high 20s. We walked for some time around the Old Town visiting a couple of old restored Ottoman houses which now serve as museums. The streets are narrow and provide shade usually on half of the street which is good as the low 20s we saw in Anatolia is now high 20s.

These coloured brasserie attached to the skin of a tall building in Antalya. (I have left that sentence to show the faults in this computer’s auto correct. It think an error writing “bars attached to the skin”, gave this result. Proof read! Proof read! Proof read!)

When faced with the choice of a latte or turkish coffee, she took the local brew. "Do your shots of coffee taste this good? I think I could drink coffee this way all the time? she said to me last week. — When faced with the choice of a latte or turkish coffee, she took the local brew.
“Do your shots of coffee taste this good? I think I could drink coffee this way all the time? she said to me last week.

We later haggled a good price for a boat trip around the harbour, past waterfalls and along the rocky coast. They got their money back when I bought a somewhat overpriced beer to help soak up the sun.

June 5, 2015

Cappadocia

We’ve spent the last few days ballooning, walking in the eroded valleys, tunnelling in underground in cities that once held 10 000, entering cave churches and homes that people dug into the volcanic ash deposited here way back when the Flintstones were around. There is even a Flintstones Hotel in town which is appropriate seeing most hotels and restaurants here are burrowed into the soft stone sides of the hills.

I woke early yesterday and watched the balloons over Goreme. — I woke early yesterday and watched the balloons rise over Goreme.

I spoke to the workers in the restaurant we ate at in Avanos. The woman was watching me draw a picture of the meal I was eating and writing about the food we were eating. In my case meatballs cooked with tomato. onion, garlic and peppers in a clay pot. I asked her about some ingredients and she was very helpful and hovered around watching me draw. I sketched a quickie of Musa, the man in the middle and asked him to write his name on the drawing. — I spoke to the workers in the restaurant we ate at in Avanos. The woman was watching me draw a picture of the meal I was eating and writing about the food. In my case meatballs cooked with tomato. onion, garlic and peppers in a clay pot. I asked her about some ingredients and she was very helpful and hovered around watching me draw. I sketched a quickie of Musa, the man in the middle which we all laughed about. He signed his name on the drawing.

20150603_Fairy Chimneys_1-4 — We ate lunch in Avanos and saw this barber shop nearby.

20150604_Fairy Chimneys_1-5 — Avanos, a town near Goreme where we are staying, has many pottery kilns and there are many road side stalls selling their wares.

This church had a particularly fine cross carved on its ceiling. My wide angle lens gives Sharon a few extra centimetres of height.

Many of the churches carved into the hills have adjoining rooms, refectories, kitchens, living quarters - whole towns! — Many of the churches carved into the hills have adjoining rooms, refectories, kitchens, living quarters – whole towns!

This church complete with columns and domed ceiling was built inside the mountain.