Istanbul in Black & White: Photo Story

People who read this blog a lot will know that we absolutely love getting up to Istanbul whenever we can and today, we're a bit excited because we can actually count down to our next visit: we've registered for the 2011 Eurasia Marathon in October (well, the 15km run for me)!

So, while we have Istanbul on the brain, I thought I'd share some photos I took early last year and there are two reasons for this. One is because they're in black and white, evoking a completely different feel of the city. The other is because we're conscious of the fact that our previous Istanbul posts don't really showcase the main tourist spots (we got carried away with Petek's pickle shop, Karaköy fish market and the like, last time we were there) and this set of photos shows a little snapshot of the perhaps more familiar side of Istanbul.

Sultanahmet Camii, Istanbul

And what could be more familiar than Sultanahmet Camii, known to many as the Blue Mosque? Normally, huge crowds of visitors surround the mosque throughout the day but we were out and about on an early winter's morning.

Istanbul University

The historic entrance gates to Istanbul University in Beyazıt are another crowd-puller, but I like this photo mainly because of the foreground where the ladies are feeding the pigeons.

Beyazıt Camii

Staying in Beyazıt, I took this photo of Beyazıt Camii after we had been mooching around the university book stalls. It's one of the lesser frequented mosques by tourists and the garden areas around here are a pleasant breather before you head back towards the masses and the coaches surrounding Sultanahmet Camii and Aya Sofya.

Yeni Camii viewed from Galata Bridge

And back to one of my favourite places in Istanbul. You can't really say Galata Bridge is pretty but it's just bursting with life. Linking Eminönü to Karaköy, cars and buses jostle for space on the road, constantly beeping their horns. The overcrowded Metro glides along its track. Fishermen line the barriers of the bridge with passers-by taking their lives into their own hands, dodging flying fishing hooks. And down below, traversing the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus are the famous Istanbul ferries.

Looking across to Galata Tower from Eminönü

We could quite easily spend all day sat around this area, just watching the ferries come and go. And we might just do that in October to rest our aching legs after the run.

Compare prices of Istanbul hotels on Turkey's For Life

Turkish Food: Aubergine Kebab

Sometimes, with Turkish food, all is not what it seems. Self-catering vegetarians visiting Turkey will be delighted by the variety and vibrancy of the colours of seasonal fruit and vegetables on the local markets. And whether you are vegetarian are not, the meze fridges of Turkish restaurants tempt people of all persuasions with non-meaty goodies like eggplant salad, barbunya pilaki and spicy Antep ezmesi.

However, vegetarians take note! There is a wonderful Turkish dish that appears on many menus in Fethiye restaurants: Aubergine kebab. The aubergine kebab (patlıcan kebabı) is indeed an aubergine kebab...but it tends to contain a good dose of meat.

Aubergine Kebab (Patlıcan Kebabı) Mozaik Bahçe style

Yes, maybe the name of this kebab doesn't quite describe its contents too well. Our vegetarian friend nearly ordered it when we were at Mozaik Bahçe a couple of weeks back until I stopped her in her tracks. This little episode did, however, alert Barry to the fact that Aubergine Kebab was on the menu and he promptly ordered it. The vegetarian's loss was the meat-eater's gain!

So, if you are visiting Turkey and you order an aubergine kebab, know that you are in for a treat - if you eat meat that is. Large chunks of aubergine, alternated with juicy köfte and barbecued. The aubergine slices absorb the flavours and juices from the meat...and I'm making myself crave an aubergine kebab!

Wildflowers in Kayaköy

The longer we live in Fethiye, the more interested we become in all that's around us. Over the years, whenever we go trekking, I've started to take an interest in the flora and fauna of the area but that comes with a slight problem in that I don't own any books (I really must buy one) on the subject. Yes, we have the mighty Google at our fingertips these days. We can ask the internet whatever we like...but we need to know what to ask it.

Instead, we'll make use of the power of the internet today by asking for your help. A few weeks ago, just before the really hot temperatures kicked in, we set off on the trek from Fethiye to Kayaköy with friends. It was actually too hot to do the walk, so a couple of us made regular drink stops to catch our breath and that also meant we noticed more of the flora and fauna around us. Unfortunately, my friend has as much (little) knowledge as me when it comes to wildflower identification.

Late spring wildflowers in Kayaköy

Back in late winter, we did the beautiful walk from Kayaköy to Af Kule and a few readers were kind enough - and knowledgeable enough - to comment on the post and name some of the flowers I photographed on that walk. So today, we'd like to ask for your help again. 

These are photos of flowers I took on the day we did the walk and we have no idea at all what any of them might be. Once I get an idea of what they are, I can make myself a little chart and actually learn what it is that I'm taking pleasure in photographing. Don't forget, you can click on the photo to enlarge it. I know a couple of the shots are not great but it was a very sunny, breezy day and the flowers didn't want to sit still while I hovered over them with my camera. Thanks in advance to anyone who can impart any knowledge! 

Agricultural Fethiye: Photo Story

Last week, we had a friend coming over from the UK to stay with us for the week. This summer has, and will continue to be, hectic with almost back-to-back friends coming and going and we completely forgot about going to either Fethiye or Çalış markets to stock up on meze ingredients for her visit. (She loves meze and it makes life more simple - and cheaper - to have food ready in the fridge.)

Neither of us like going to the supermarkets for a big fruit and vegetable shopping spree so we had a brainwave. We would get up really early on the Saturday morning and attempt to walk to Karaçulha market via an unknown route. (Karaçulha is where we watched the camel wrestling in February and is around 7 km from our house.) We knew the direction we had to head in but we wanted to avoid the main road. Suncream liberally applied, trainers on, we set off in the July heat along the side roads of Fethiye.

Fethiye sunflower field

You don't have to stray too far from the sea and Fethiye harbour before you find yourself completely surrounded by evidence of Fethiye's main industry of agriculture. Sunflowers, in full bloom, were facing the morning sun and dazzled our eyes as we walked by. Unfortunately, we too were heading straight towards the morning sun and perspiration was getting the better of us. 

Sweet red peppers ripening in the Fethiye greenhouses

For a couple of kilometres, apart from the dead straight road ahead disappearing over the horizon, we could see nothing but huge greenhouses and polytunnels bursting with the seasonal food we see on Fethiye market. Although the heat inside was blasting out of any open space it could find - and adding to the temperature of our already overheating bodies - we were fascinated by this not oft explored area of Fethiye; this area that feeds Fethiye and stocks the market stalls I love to photograph. 

Fresh green chillies growing in Fethiye

Just as I was starting to think someone was having a joke with us and we were on a very hot, energy-sapping, never-ending road to nowhere, a truck crossed our path in the distance. A crossroads. Hallelujah! We knew we needed to bear right so this was a more-than-welcome sight. 

We passed fields growing row upon row of fresh, crunchy, fiery green chillies. On the market, during strawberry season, there are a couple of stalls selling Fethiye strawberries. We passed their little company; a field and a hut. We passed fields of watermelons; some being sold from cabins at a few kuruş cheaper than market price. And we passed through streets where the women of the house were hosing their balconies and verandahs, some shouting merhaba (hello) as we walked by. We supposed not many foreigners wandered these parts - especially in this heat. We were a novelty.

And I'll confess at this point. We headed right at the crossroads and passed through all of this previously unexplored (for us) and fascinating part of Fethiye...because we were going to the main road to catch the dolmuş the rest of the way to Karaçulha market. It was just too hot!

Gemiler Bay: A Contrast Of Seasons

We mention quite a lot on this blog that we rather enjoy our winters in Turkey. In Fethiye, life slows right down to a pace much more agreeable to our systems and the bays and coves around the area become deserted; perfect picnic spots for tired legs after a long trek. 

Last winter, we did a few posts about different beaches we visited over the winter months. We included some photos of a beautiful, crisp January day along Belcekiz Beach in Ölü Deniz and we also visited our favourite bay in the Fethiye area; Gemiler Bay. Crystal blue sea, one barman, one other customer besides us; it felt like the bay was ours for as long as we wanted it to be.

A 'crowded' Gemiler Bay

Contrast those winter photos with these summer scenes I took last week. If you're a beachy person and have been to many of the world's crowded beaches you'll be forgiven thinking that Gemiler bay doesn't look too busy. It wasn't - but for Gemiler standards, it was packed. 

Gemiler has been discovered by picnicking Turkish families. Large families huddled between the forest trees, barbecuing, brewing çay (Turkish tea) on the barbecue grills, sharing seasonal fruits around, kids charging through the forests and careering into the sea. This isn't a moan. I could spend a full day people watching and it will always fascinate me how Turks manage a picnic day. If there was a Picnicking World Chamionship competition, I'm pretty sure Turkey would win easily. 

A jet ski setting off from the beach at Gemiler

But, with people come money-making opportunities. How do people make money in a bay with beautiful mountain scenery and calm waters? With petrol-filled jet skis and speedboats and whatever contraptions can be tied to the back of a speedboat that will hurtle people across the water at ridiculous speeds, of course. No, I'm not a fan of watersports. Can you tell? But, if that's your bag, then you might want to get yourself off to Gemiler Bay because there's a fair bit going on to keep you entertained.

So whilst we all had a great day together at Gemiler Bay last week, we're both now looking forward to a little trek through Kayaköy and down to the serenity of the bay...perhaps in November or December.  

Turkish Recipes: Eggplant Salad

In the UK, we call them aubergines but a more common word for those plump, dark vegetables appears to be eggplant. As there are people from various parts of the world likely to be seeing this post, let's go with the more universal eggplant for this particular Turkish recipe. 

Eggplants are difficult to escape in Turkish cuisine

Think of any recipe you could create using eggplants and the chances are it's already an established dish in Turkish cuisine. There's even an eggplant jam! Turkey loves its eggplants and eggplant recipes have appeared previously on this blog: in October, we made Turkish musakka and last summer, we shared a hot weather favourite of ours; Ekşili Patlıcan (sour eggplant).   

Today's Turkish recipe is another favourite - we've inevitably learnt to love eggplant over the years - especially in the searing Fethiye summer temperatures. These days, we're grazing rather than sitting down to big meals. The fridge is full of Turkish meze dishes that we can just dip into whenever we feel like it and this particular meze is sat in the fridge right now.

Patlıcan Salatası (Roasted Eggplant Salad)
Eggplant salads appear in most meze fridges in the restaurants of Turkey. They differ from restaurant to restaurant - and from region to region - but all use the same basic ingredients. This recipe is how we make patlıcan salatası. With regards to the ingredients, you can play around with the amounts you use because it's all about your personal taste. 

Eggplants and peppers

• Preheat your oven to 220 degrees.
• Arrange your eggplants and a couple of red peppers on a baking tray and place in the oven for between 20 and 30 minutes - until the eggplants have softened. The smell in your kitchen will be amazing!
• Once roasted, remove the vegetables from the oven and leave to cool.
• Peel and deseed your red peppers, (the skin will peel off really easily) roughly chop them and add them to a bowl.

Now it's time to scrape the middles from your eggplants.

• Run your knife lengthways from top to bottom along the eggplant and allow it to fall open.
• Don't worry about getting every last one but remove the majority of the seeds by gently scraping a teaspoon through them while holding the stalk of the eggplant. Discard the seeds.
• Now scrape the rest of the flesh away from the skin, roughly chop and add to your peppers.
• Add a handful of chopped parsley.
• Now add salt, crushed garlic, olive oil and vinegar. I did 2 large cloves of garlic, maybe 3 or 4 dessert spoonfuls of olive oil and 2 or 3 dessert spoonfuls of vinegar but it's completely up to you. Just keep tasting it till you're happy with it. We love the tangy vinegar flavours and the strong garlic. Some people add lemon juice, too.

• Mix all the ingredients together and leave to chill in the fridge for a while.
• Once chilled, remove your patlıcan salatası from the fridge, lightly toast some bread and take them all outside.
• Sit in the sunshine, add a spoonful of patlıcan salatası to your toast...and just savour those flavours as you crunch through the crusty bread. 

If it's cold where you are right now, you'll have to use your imagination for this last bit.

Turkish Food: Chicken Shish Kebab

Unless they're vegetarian, it's pretty difficult for food lovers to come to Turkey and leave without sampling good old tavuk şiş (chicken shish kebab). A couple of days ago, I was reading a blog post about Lebanese food being served in a Dubai restaurant and shish tawook was in one of the photos...it just implanted chicken shish in my brain.

Before we ever came to Turkey, we'd followed recipes for tavuk şiş where we would take our skewer and place a chunk of onion, a slice of pepper, a cube of chicken, a chunk of onion, a slice of pepper, a cube of...and so on before grilling it. That's what all the TV chefs told us to do so we did it. None of that nonsense here in Turkey! A good tavuk şiş is cooked on a large barbecue known as an ocakbaşı. The skewer is crammed only with large chunks of chicken and the peppers, onions and tomatoes are grilled at the side. Just wonderful! So simple - but one of my favourite meals.

  Mozaik Bahçe in Fethiye serves a mean tavuk şiş

For us, this shot is a photo of the perfect tavuk şiş and I was lucky enough to order this for dinner a few nights ago at Mozaik Bahçe Restaurant in Fethiye. Marinated, chargrilled chunks of chicken, slightly blackened in places but juicy and tender in the middle. Grilled sweet red pepper complements the chicken - actually, grilled peppers complement anything for us. We love them! 

Usually, şiş kebabs are served on a bed of pide or lavaş bread - but this time, the bread was served on the side. Specialising in food from the Hatay region of Turkey, Mozaik Bahçe is well known for its spicy pepper sauce and, as you can see in the photo, the flat-bread was covered in it and then heated. I enjoyed getting messy with this, placing a chunk of chicken and a sprinkling of onion and parsley salad on each triangle of bread before rolling it up popping (stuffing) it into my mouth and savouring all the flavours. 

And finally, a lot of restaurants geared towards tourists in the Fethiye area of Turkey will serve just about every meal with a side of rice and chips. We haven't got much of a problem with this but when it's a şiş kebab - just no! Bulgur wheat all the way! Any type of barbecued meat and bulgur are just best friends. Must ask the people at Mozaik Bahçe how they cooked their bulgur wheat because we've never had it like this before...

Changing Fethiye: The New Centre?

For quite a few years now, since the extension to Fethiye's harbour began, we've been hearing rumours that such and such an area is going to be considered the new centre of Fethiye. This apparent 'new centre' has shifted its whereabouts considerably over the years, depending on who you are talking to. 

Recently, we heard a more feasible rumour that work was going to be done around Fethiye's Culture Centre. This makes more sense to us as it will just make the existing centre of Fethiye larger and more accessible. We shall see. As usual, it will happen when it happens and until then, it's pure speculation.

A huge operation is being completed really quickly

To the side of the culture centre, away from Fethiye harbour, there are grids of narrow streets with small businesses lining the footpaths. Pide places, lokantas, florists, internet cafes, car hire offices, jewellers, clothing shops - there's not a lot you can't buy in these streets. But each winter, Fethiye experiences its usual blasts of torrential rain and this area floods within a matter of hours, leaving business owners to clear up once the drains can cope with the water levels and the floods subside.

If you've walked around these streets recently, you will have noticed a lot of disruption (see photo above) and for a while, parts of this area were completely inaccessible as huge holes were dug all along the centre of the roads. Well, a bit of huffing and puffing and the 'Why do they have to do this every year,' rants on my part are being taken back.  

Hayal Cinema, just on the corner, is now in the new pedestrianised area

The holes along the road are huge new drains and the whole area is being pedestrianised; all the cobbles gradually sloping towards the drains. Where before we teetered along narrow footpaths, constantly stepping into the road to avoid plants for sale and tables and chairs, we now have wide boulevards and no cars or scooters to dodge. 

We walked around the streets that are accessible a few days ago and there's a whole new feel to this area now. This could definitely be a new centre for Fethiye. We're predicting the opening of a few new bars and cafes, maybe some High Street clothing chains will venture here...or maybe none of that will happen and it will all just stay the same. 

Whatever happens, of course we'll be writing about it here but, for now at least, let's hope it's an end to the annual winter floods.

Fethiye Culture Centre: A Glimpse of Ottoman Turkey

At any given time throughout the year, there are different types of exhibitions on at Fethiye Culture Centre; otherwise known as 'the blue building.' Sometimes it's local artists displaying their latest work, textile creations or pottery - and other times, it can be a local school exhibiting the results of recent projects or performing a play. Last week's exhibits were a little bit different however, and we have a friend to thank for letting us know about it.

Fethiye Culture Centre sits on the corner of Fethiye harbour

When we think of the Ottoman Empire, we think of the grand, ornate palaces and mosques of Istanbul, Edirne and Bursa. We think priceless jewels, riches, harems and sultans, battles and empire. For me, it's romantic and mystical and, until reading Louis de Bernieres' Birds Without Wings, I'd never really considered the lives of ordinary people outside the Sultan's circle. 

Last week's small exhibition at Fethiye Culture Centre provided us with a little visual taster of life in Ottoman times in the form of black and white photos taken by Professor John Garstang at the turn of the 20th Century. According to the information provided at the exhibtion, John Garstang was an archaeologist from the University of Liverpool who pioneered the use of photography for recording finds. His main focus was the Hittites but, fortunately for us, he also photographed the local people he employed and those he came across along the way.

We were given permission to take photos as we walked around the exhibition so I took some shots of our favourite boards. A lot of the information about the exact location of where the photos were taken has been lost but it doesn't take away from the interest in these images.
Photo 1 is labelled Man on a Donkey and I love his curled up Ottoman shoes.
Photo 2 (top right) is Professor John Garstang and colleagues enjoying a picnic during a dig. Doesn't the scene just look so English? He's carrying out a dig but still wearing a suit.
Photo 3 just made us smile. It's a photo of nomadic ladies going about their weaving - but obviously enjoying posing for the camera.

I took the two photos above just because you can see so much detail in the types of clothing people wore. If you'd like a closer look, don't forget, you can click on the photo to make it bigger.

This small exhibition of photos at Fethiye Culture Centre closed yesterday but, if you're in the UK, you haven't missed out. There is a full version running till 2013 at Victoria Gallery and Museum at the University of Liverpool. For those of us in Turkey, the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara houses some of the Hittite discoveries made by John Garstang. 

(Permission was given to take photos of the exhibition. All photo boards were printed in Fethiye by Kandiye Foto and copyright belongs to the University of Liverpool.)

Is The Fethiye Harbour Sunset The New Çalış Beach Sunset?

Those of you who know this area of Turkey will be more than aware that the Çalış Beach sunset is famous and oft photographed. Each evening, throughout the summer season, scores of holidaymakers and locals alike will reserve the outermost tables at the restaurants lining the beach, only to have their view interrupted by others climbing the wall, cameras pointing towards the sun or at silhouettes of palm trees and romantic couples. 

My laptop is completely overloaded with photos taken of the sunset at Çalış Beach throughout all seasons, and the differences between the colours in the sky is startling; from the hazy orange glows of summer to the vibrant, clear blue and cerise of winter. 

A hazy summer sunset along Fethiye harbour

I take hundreds of photos each week and not all of them fit neatly into posts for this blog so I decided to share this photo today all on its own - well, I rather like the photo. A couple of weeks ago, we were walking back from Fethiye centre, along the new harbour and as the sun went down, it really caught our attention. 

Has the Çalış Beach sunset got a challenger to its throne in the form of the Fethiye harbour sunset? For me, I've always had a fascination with working harbours rather than beaches and so I like the extra interest of the fishing boats framing the sun. What do you think?

Fethiye Eating Out: Cafe Doğa Sefası

Update 13.03.2012: Cafe Doğa Sefası is now also a bistro and has a more expensive and varied evening menu as well as the snack menu.
We're always on the look out for meals where we can sit down and eat some food for less than 10 lira and there are countless places like this in Fethiye. Previously, we've posted about kebabs and burgers. Lest you go thinking the only cheap eats available to you are of the sandwich variety, we're going to take the healthier option today. 

A few months ago, we posted about a new development on Fethiye harbour. We were curious about what the new building was going to be and nothing happened for a long time. Furniture arrived, toilets were built, awnings were erected...but nothing happened. And then at the beginning of this summer season, all was revealed.

Cafe Doğa Sefası, Fethiye Harbour

Cafe Doğa Sefası is the latest business to open along the new harbour and we've been known to sit and enjoy the sea breezes there this summer and enjoy the odd Efes Pilsen. They're not a full-on restaurant with an extensive menu; just a few simple salads, pasta dishes, gözleme and the like. They're also not super-cheap - well, they are right on the seafront - but there are still meals to be had that won't do too much harm to your budget.

Chicken salad at Cafe Doğa Sefası

A few weeks ago, we decided to go there for lunch as it isn't too far from where we live. As it was a hot, sunny day in Fethiye, I opted for a lighter option than usual and went for the chicken salad. 

View of Fethiye from Cafe Doğa Sefası

Not huge - but perfect for a lunch, and you do get to sit by the sea and look over the beautiful Karagözler in Fethiye. This is the view that contributed to us falling in love with the whole of Fethiye many years ago so we're more than happy to while away an hour or three there. 

Cafe Doğa Sefası is the last business at the end of the current section of the new Fethiye harbour. (Phase 3 is currently under construction.)
Meals and snacks are served all day and evenings in the summer season.
During summer, there is live acoustic music every night. 
My chicken salad was 8 lira. Barry ordered karışık tost (cheese, spicy Turkish sausage and tomato toastie) which was 5 lira.

Weddings in Fethiye: The Turkish Version

Monday's post was all about weddings in Fethiye - but weddings of the foreign variety; people from countries other than Turkey who decide they'd like to get married in Fethiye. Today's post is about our Turkish friends - Turkish friends from Fethiye who have opted to get married in Fethiye. Well, it's not such a bad choice is it? 

A common question we get asked as expats living in Fethiye is, 'Have you ever been to a Turkish wedding?' Well, we've been to three and they've all been very similar but that doesn't mean we can write an all-knowing blog post about the details of 'the Turkish wedding.' For example, we've never been to a village wedding and I know they're very different to the ones we've been to.

With regards to the weddings we've been to, just as our friends in the UK plan and arrange their weddings to their own taste and add their own little extras, so our friends in Fethiye have done the same. So, this post is only about the Turkish weddings we have attended. 

Meze and wine at a recent Turkish wedding

In the Turkish weddings we have been invited to, the bride and groom have already attended a civil ceremony a few days earlier (in one case, 6 weeks earlier) so they're actually already legally married when the wedding party takes place. But, it's the wedding party where the bride and groom wear their full wedding regalia of suit for the guy and white wedding dress for the lady.

The Wedding Party
When our friends got married three years ago, they told us it was going to be a small wedding. 'Only 500 people,' they said.
'Only 500?' we said. Wow. That would be a huge wedding in the UK. Immediate family, cousins, second cousins, cousins twice-removed, friends - the Turkish wedding tends to be a large affair and, at a guess, the wedding we went to at the weekend at the weekend probably had around 1,000 guests - all of whom were fed and watered in a pretty impressive logistical operation.

And of course, rakı

And for those that wanted it, as you can see in the photos, there was wine and rakı on offer. The serving of alcohol is not usual at a Turkish wedding but our friends enjoy a tipple so all the weddings we have attended have had alcohol available. 

Not that alcohol is needed to encourage wedding attendees to get onto the dance floor and take full part in the festivities. The live band sing the night away, the bride and groom dance the night away...and all the guests dance the night away while a drummer weaves his way around the dance floor beating out rhythms to keep the dancing in check. Attendees of a non-Turkish background - as in, us! - are very grateful for the afore mentioned drummer. He does help us to keep to the non-Western beat and prevent us from looking like complete idiots! 

The Wedding Venue
One thousand guests is a lot of people so how on earth do people choose their wedding venue? We've been to weddings in the grounds of larger hotels and the one we attended at the weekend was in a school yard. This is perfectly normal in Fethiye. If you walk around the streets during the summer evenings, don't be surprised to see school yards filled with hundreds of plastic chairs and tables, set up with various colourful bows and frills attached to them. Some couples also have their wedding party in the street where their family live, closing the road by filling it with plastic chairs. 

The Wedding Cake
Oh my! Well, if you have to feed so many guests, you need a pretty big wedding cake to feed them with. 

Turkish wedding cakes are huge

The Turkish wedding cake is brought out to a round of applause by the guests and it's not surprising. I don't envy the guys who have to wheel out these colossal constructions while the eyes of the guests and the bride and groom are upon them. I applaud them just because they manage to deliver it to the bride and groom without it teetering and tippling.

This is the biggest Turkish wedding cake we've seen - 10 layers

They're nervous moments for me and you can probably see why from these photos! 

Wedding Presents
Well, should we ever get round to tying the knot ourselves, we're going to make sure we do it in Turkey. After the dancing and the cutting of the cake, the bride and groom will drape a red or white ribbon around their neck and the guests queue up to pin either pieces of gold or paper money to the ribbons. I rather like the idea of leaving at the end of the night with a nice little booty!

Weddings in Fethiye: The Sundial English Version

It's summer, and for Fethiye that means Wedding Season. Every weekend, the evening air is filled with the sound of bands playing and the beating of drums. Fethiye harbour sees a queue of newly-wed couples waiting to have their photos taken with the sun setting behind them. Yes, it seems everyone is loved up so it's time for a wedding post on this blog!

So far, we've been to two weddings this year. One of them - the marriage of Turkish friends - was last night and there'll be more about that tomorrow. 

During our 8 years in Fethiye, we've been to a couple of Turkish weddings but in June, two of our English friends decided to tie the knot. It was to be our first English wedding in Turkey and, to top it off, they chose to get married at the Sundial Hotel. Wonderful. I can't tell you how long I've been hoping someone we know would choose to get married there - and hoping we'd get an invite, of course!

The Sundial is a beautiful setting for a wedding in Fethiye

These days, when British couples choose to get married in Turkey, there are arranged package deals where everything is taken from your hands and arranged for you. These particular friends live in Fethiye and decided to take the DIY approach, visiting the Sundial a couple of times to decide on foods, music and colour scheme. It all culminated in a wedding day that was just lovely, relaxed and informal - and a few tears shed. Well, it's a wedding. We're allowed to sniffle.

Details of the wedding decorations

Naturally, a wedding at the Sundial means you have the beautiful views over Fethiye and across the bay towards Şovalye Island and Red Island (Kızıl Adası). The wedding was a sunset affair so we all started to drift into the Sundial at around 5pm. Chats over a few wines and Efes Pilsen before the ceremony at 7pm.

Once the bride had made her fabulous entrance, winding her way down the stone terraces, she  and the groom sat at a beautifully decorated table with the bay as the backdrop. The short ceremony took place, performed by a Turkish official with a friend of the bride and groom reading out the translation. A few minutes later, the 'partners' were 'man and wife.'

A toast to the bride and groom

Within fifteen minutes, we were toasting the bride and groom with sparkling wine, saying our congratulations, taking photos...making our way back to the bar for a few more Efes. Our friends had opted for a barbecue buffet (which was half-demolished by the time I remembered to take a photo but just trust us that it was fantastic. A huge choice of meze dishes to go with the meats.)

Chocolate - always a winner!

Fresh fruit and a chocolate fountain that pleased many of the guests were brought out before the cutting of the wedding cake and the all-important compulsory first dance. And a wedding at the Sundial wouldn't be a wedding at the Sundial without...

Yet another Sundial sunset

...without the obligatory photo of the sunset over Fethiye bay. Very romantic!

If anyone is interested in finding out more about weddings at the Sundial, they have a Facebook page where you can find all the contact information for getting in touch with them and view more wedding photos. 

The Perfect Turkish Convenience Food: Kömürde Piliç

These days, Fethiye is considered to be 'coming up in the world' amongst a lot of our Turkish friends because three of the world's major fast-food companies have set up shop in the town centre. The fact that not many people seem to have flocked to these places is completely unimportant. As far as our friends are concerned, Fethiye has been considered worthy of internationally famous burger and pizza joints and everyone's happy - it shows Fethiye is a recognised town.

But, just because they're there, it doesn't mean they have to be packed solid with customers every day - and fortunately, life continues as normal here. The independent Fethiye eateries are holding their own. Every lunchtime - during term - most of the kids shun the burger joints and pack the nearest (cheaper) kebab places to their school, guzzling down special-student-price half-breads and slurping ayran. Popeye's boat receives its regular trickle of balık ekmek (fish half bread) fanciers - and the lokantas in town and near the otogar are filled with lunching workers. 

And then there's this....

Kömürde piliç - perfect convenience food

Wonderful! These places are just the ultimate in take-away convenience food for us - and for a lot of other Fethiye folk too, judging by the amount of chickens sold here. We've had a lot of friends out to visit this summer and regardless of how organised we try to be, we end up living a bit of a hand-to-mouth existence, grabbing a bite to eat here and there as we go along. Fortunately for us, Fethiye has an abundance of kömürde piliç (chicken, barbecued over hot coals) shops. The one in the photo above is our nearest one and it's rescued us on many an occasion.

Take last night for instance. After waving friends off to Dalaman Airport, we were shattered.
'What shall we have for tea? More to the point, who's cooking tea? Neither of us. Let's get a chicken!' Problem solved. 8 lira gets you a hot, juicy, barbecued chicken (minus its wings as they're sold separately) and a tub of salad and we've even got some leftovers for tea later on today. Two easy and healthy teas, ready-prepared.

On another occasion, a friend was organising a birthday party for her husband. After deciding she couldn't be bothered to prepare lots of food in the Fethiye summer heat, we had a brainwave and strolled to the kömürde piliç shop and ordered a raft of chickens, salad and cooked rice. Party prepared! No hassle! 

We love our kömürde piliç. Have you ever tried it? 

3 Kömürde Piliç Tips:
If you're in Turkey for a while and you think this fantastic chicken may become a regular feature in your diet (like us!), here are a few tips for ultimate enjoyment.

• Try to find a kömürde piliç joint with a good customer turnover (our local one is always busy) then you know the chickens aren't sat over the coals, roasting to a dry, chewy crisp throughout the day.
• Some places only open for lunch and close once all the chickens are sold. If this is the case with your local shop, learn what time they start to barbecue the chicken then you can time your roasted chicken to perfection.
• And an important food safety tip: You don't want food poisoning so make sure the cooked chickens are always above the raw ones on the spits. 

Life in Turkey: Looking Back

Today's post is a bit different to the norm. Tripbase have started a project called My 7 Links, where bloggers look back at their previous posts, some of which are perhaps buried deep in the archives, and drag them back into the present by linking to them via 7 questions. We had to be nominated by other bloggers to be eligible to take part so, many thanks to Erin and Brett of Our Tasty Travels for nominating us. It's been interesting to go back in time...

Our 7 Links

1. Your most beautiful post: Istanbul Karaköy Fish Market
We just get really caught up in all that is Istanbul and when we were there last October, we spent most of our time wandering around the fish market in Karaköy in a little dreamy haze. Perhaps not our most beautiful piece of writing but definitely a favourite memory; eating hamsi on bread while watching the sunset over the Golden Horn. Just perfect.

2. Your most popular post: A Börek Recipe
Now, this was a surprise. The homepage and the pages across the top are viewed more than any other pages on the blog so we ignored them and looked down the list to see which actual post has been viewed the most. I was really proud of my börek recipe (especially when it was voted in the Foodbuzz Top 9 too) so I'm really happy that it's also our most popular post!

3. Your most controversial post: Camel Wrestling comes to Fethiye
This was a tough one to answer because the whole ethos of Turkey's For Life is that we concentrate on the positives of life here. We don't do politics or controversy - at least, not intentionally. After a bit of thought, I remember being a bit nervous about the possible reactions to the post about when we went to watch the camel wrestling. We know a lot of people don't agree with it but we wanted to go to see for ourselves and I wanted to write about it. The post actually ended up receiving a lot of positive comments. 

4. Your most helpful post: Meis - Top 5 Things To Do

We'd like to do more of these type of posts where we just give a few tips about making the most of the time you have in various places. One that springs to mind is the 5 Things to do on the Greek island of Meis. 

5. A post whose success surprised you: Trekking to Af Kule Monastery
I think people enjoyed the photographs as much as anything in this post and it's also still reigning at number 1 in our 'most commented' list. I knew people would like the scenery but I was really surprised at the number of comments people left about our hike to Af Kule monastery. 


6. A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved: 11 Reasons to visit Ölü Deniz
Again, another tough one. We're happy that our posts receive any attention at all so it's not a comfortable feeling thinking about why a post didn't get more attention. We did this post quite a while back and I guess it's been buried over time but I'd like to think it's quite helpful to people visiting the area so I'll have to go for 11 Reasons to Visit Ölü Deniz.

7. The post that you are most proud of: Love your local Market
Hmmm, that's got to be our little story about the sad demise of the food markets in our town of birth, Wigan in the UK. As a result, we will always support the food markets in the Fethiye area. I've just reread the post, too...and I'm still proud of it! 

Those are our 7 Links. Hope you enjoyed going back in time with us! Would you have chosen anything different? We'd love to read your opinions. 

Our nominations for taking part in the "My 7 Links" project are:
Gourmantic
Foodbridge
Life in the Expat Lane
The World is Waiting

Fethiye To Göcek Boat Trip: Photo Story

We posted about the boat trip from Fethiye to Göcek market last year and, last Sunday, we made the trip again. In this post, we'd like you to join us on our outing as we sail from Fethiye, across the bay to beautiful Göcek and back again.

View of Fethiye Marina from the boat

Our journey begins at 11 am, just after all the other day trip boats have left their moorings and exited Fethiye harbour in a long procession. The sea has calmed by the time we set off and we can apply suncream and take photos of gülets and of Fethiye marina without worrying too much about having to adapt to our 'sea legs.'

Letoonia All-Inclusive Resort

Our boat passes the lighthouse at Letoonia Hotel before heading out into more open sea and (sometimes) choppier waters. We're lying on the top deck of the boat, enjoying the cool breeze from the sea. Some people are reading, others chatting. Some are already fast asleep. I'm taking photos.

The staff on the boat come round to ask us what we want for lunch; fish, chicken, köfte. Today, we're with friends - the friends who we took to Göcek in winter - and we tell the staff we're going to eat when we get to Göcek. 'Our food is good,' they tell us. 'Göcek is expensive.' Their faces are telling us, 'On your own heads be it!'

After a 30-minute stop for a swim, those who are eating make their way to the bottom deck and we peer over the side of the boat to see what they're eating. Improvements have been made since last year. The chicken is real chicken rather than a processed burger. Wafts of barbecued meat and fish hit our noses and we're very hungry. We should have eaten on the boat!

Göcek Marina

At 1:15, we pull into Göcek harbour, packed with gülets and luxury private yachts. We rush down the gangplank to the sounds of, 'The boat leaves at 3:15. Be back by 3:15.' No problem there. We know exactly where we're going - straight to West Cafe and Bistro for some long-awaited lunch.

Huge tuna salad at West Cafe Bistro

We order a burger, köfte, fettuccine and our friend decides on a light lunch of tuna salad. Except, when it comes, it doesn't look quite so light. It's a creation and as usual, I covet what somebody else has ordered instead of my own choice. A quick Efes Pilsen and a stroll around the quiet streets and then it's back to the boat. 

Flat Island is a popular stop for Fethiye day trip boats

15 minutes later, we anchor at Flat Island for a 40-minute swim stop. While we inch into the cold,  refreshing water, Barry and friend jump from the top deck, plunging deep into the water and causing a mini tidal wave for those all around! By now, we've had more than enough sun.

The Oasis boat is a medium-sized day trip boat

We decide to sit on the lower deck of the boat in the shade and we order a beer. Our friends are professional sunbathers and they go straight back to their sunbeds on the top deck. 

Sailing back to Fethiye from Göcek

After one more stop for a swim, we plough through the waves and head back to Fethiye, enjoying a couple more small Efes beers in the process. 

Useful Info:

• The Göcek Sunday Market boat trip is 25 lira (roughly £9 - summer 2011) per person, including lunch.
• Boats leave at 11 am and arrive back in Fethiye at 6:30 pm. There are usually 3 stops for swimming and around 2 hours in Göcek.
• We went with Oasis but there are a couple more companies doing the trip, too. Boards along the harbour advertise which companies do it.
• We've done this trip many times and the boat has never been too crowded, making it a relaxing - and good value! - day out.

Turkish Recipes: Geren - A Yoghurt-Based Meze For Summer

A few days ago, we did a post about Turkish meze and included a photo of a new meze we had never come across before. We were in Yakamoz restaurant, along the river in Dalyan and we spotted it in the glass fridges straight away; it jumped out at us because neither of us recognised it.  The waiter introduced it as geren; a yoghurt-base meze containing sea beans. 'Sea beans' is how deniz börülcesi is usually translated to English from the Turkish but we're more familiar with the word, samphire. 

In most meze fridges around the Fethiye area of Turkey, you're more likely to see deniz börülcesi dressed and marinated in finely chopped garlic, lemon and olive oil and we've enjoyed them served in this way many times in the past. But, when we ordered geren, we were immediate converts and decided to try to recreate the recipe at home. We think we came pretty close to the meze we ate in Dalyan.

A Turkish Recipe For Geren: A Perfect Summer Meze

Samphire is in season at the moment and is widely available on the Fethiye markets. It's sold in bunches for around 1 lira. If you can't buy it where you are and you live near the sea, you could always go down to the shore to pick some of your own.

Samphire / deniz börülcesi

• Wash your samphire and remove the obvious woody ends. 
• The tips of the samphire will be crisp and tender so you can tear these off and place them to one side.

The mid area of the stalks can be quite tough and you don't want those in your meze. So, once you've removed and discarded the woody bits and placed the samphire tips to one side, you need to remove the tender shoots from the stalks.

• Hold the top of the stalk between your finger and thumb so that the younger shoots are pointing upwards.
• With your finger and thumb of your other hand, grip the top and run down the stalk. The younger shoots will snap away. Tear any off that remain, discard the stalks and bring all of your young shoots together.

Washed and prepared samphire.

• Next, you need to bring a small pan of water to the boil.
• Plunge your samphire shoots into the boiling water for about three minutes, drain in a colander and then run cold water over them so they don't continue to cook as they cool.
• Roughly chop and deseed a banana pepper (red or green) and fry it in hot oil till the edges are charred. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
• In a bowl, mix 5 tablespoons of natural süzme yoghurt with 2 cloves of crushed garlic, a generous glug of olive oil and some chilli flakes. 
• Once your samphire and peppers have cooled down, add these to the yoghurt and mix together.

Geren, chillies and tomatoes - refreshing summer food

Serve your geren as a meze, along with other summer Turkish meze dishes such as Antep Ezmesi or barbunya pilaki.

A serving of geren

While we were happy with our attempt at recreating the geren we so much enjoyed in Dalyan, as you can see from the photos, there is a distinct lack of red chilli flakes in the mixture. We realised we had run out and so fried a fresh chilli with our pepper. If you have chilli flakes, use these as they'll begin to rehydrate in the oil and you'll get lovely swirls of redness running through the yoghurt and oil.

After doing a quick scan around the internet, it looks as though geren could just be a name for a local variation of deniz börülcesi, rather than the name of another meze dish in its own right. If anyone knows anything more about this, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks!