Happy New Year From Fethiye

The plan for today was to have a photo of Fethiye that we'd taken today on the final day of 2011. However, heavy raindrops are falling from the sky in steady fashion, the sky is a blanket of grey and there are no signs that the situation might improve any time soon. 

So, here's the final Fethiye photo this year, taken in 2011 and in sunnier circumstances.

Fethiye in winter...on a sunnier day than it is today

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It's been a great 2011 for us and for the blog with more and more people finding us. Earlier in December, we looked back on the year by choosing our favourite posts about Turkish food and recipes and also reminisced about where we had managed to travel in Turkey. 

So later on, we'll say güle güle to 2011 and hoşgeldin to 2012.

To all of you who read this blog, a great big thank you and Happy New Year! Enjoy the last day of 2011 and hopefully, we'll see you on the other side in 2012.

Herkes için, İyi Yıllar!

Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun!

Hotels In Fethiye & Turkey

A little claim to fame and some good news for Fethiye this morning as Trip Advisor placed the town on its list of 'destinations on the rise.' Whether that means the whole Fethiye region or just the town itself, we're not sure - but it's still nice to wake up to when a sizeable bunch of your friends rely on good tourist numbers in order to make a living. We'll see what the season brings.

It's that time of year when thoughts turn to summer holidays and short breaks - we've already mulled over quite a few ideas of where we might like to go in Turkey in 2012 - so this post is a reminder that you can book hotels and flights to Turkey via our blog.

Çalış and Fethiye Hotels

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As we write many of our posts about Fethiye, the page opens on the Fethiye & Çalış hotels section, but you can compare prices and book hotels all over Turkey (actually, you can book hotels all over the world but well, we're a Turkey blog).

2 of the hotels along the Karagözler in Fethiye - Yacht Classic and V-Go Guesthouse

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These two collages are photos I've taken throughout this year and all of these hotels - and hundreds more - feature in the Fethiye & Ölüdeniz sections. The site compares prices from most of the top online booking companies such as booking.com and hotels4u, so hopefully, you should be able to find the hotel you're looking for and at the best price.

You'll find the Fethiye & Turkey Hotels section towards the left-hand side of the menu tabs at the top of the page.

Are you planning to visit Turkey in 2012? If so, where will you go? 

Turkish Street Food: Cihan Derya Balık Lokanta

Turkey is well known for its fantastic street food and, in Istanbul, you could probably lay your hands on street food traditional to just about anywhere in Turkey. Whenever we visit Istanbul, one of the highlights of our time there is working our way through the variety on offer, and in October, we made our Turkish street food discovery of 2011 when we sampled and fell in love with the delights of the tantuni kebab.

The tiny and unassuming Cihan Derya Balık Lokanta in Beyazıt

But sometimes, we like to keep things simple and return to our familiar favourites. Hamsi ekmeği (anchovies in bread) at Karaköy fish market certainly fits into this category, as does this tiny balık (fish) lokanta in Beyazıt. This is also a place where you come for fish in bread. 

Which would you choose?

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This is seafood of the crispy, battered, deep-fried variety and it's a welcome sight after you have walked uphill, along Divanyolu from Sultanahmet. As you trudge past the expensive restaurants geared towards the foreign tourists and pass the döner kebab stands, you do start to wonder if this little stretch of Istanbul has anything to offer the hungry wanderer on a budget. Don't get us wrong, we do munch our way through and enjoy a good few döner kebabs over the course of a year - we even did an ode to the döner kebab -  but there are only so many you can eat on a long weekend in Istanbul when there's so much other tasty street food out there to get your gnashers into.

Deep-fried crispy prawns in fresh, crusty bread.

These days, our trips to Istanbul  must involve a visit to Beyazıt so we can catch up with a friend who recently set up a business there after a move from Fethiye. Of course we look forward to seeing our friend...but we also look forward to stopping off en route at the Cihan Derya Balık Lokanta.

You can choose from calamari, hamsi, mussels, crab meat, mackerel, whiting and more, all lightly battered and plunged into steaming hot, bubbling oil. But our favourite - the one we always go for even though we say we'll get something different this time - is the plump, deep-fried, battered prawns. Topped with a white sauce and chilli flakes, this is heaven in a half-bread! 

Cihan Derya Lokanta is in the Beyazıt area of Istanbul, opposite the Beyazıt metro stop.
Take away or eat in - there is an indoor seating area down a small alleyway just to the left.

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Sıcak Şarap - Christmas In A Cup

For us, there's no other drink that makes you feel quite as festive as a steaming hot cup of fruity, spicy red wine. Fortunately for us, sıcak şarap (mulled wine) is now popular in the bars of Fethiye over winter, and we've been known to enjoy the odd one just to warm ourselves up on arrival. 

This time of year sees Christmas markets sprouting up all over Europe and we'd love to visit one of them sometime. When we were working in Manchester (England) over the winter months, we would finish work and head straight to the European Christmas market for a comforting glühwein and a bratwurst. It didn't matter what the weather was like; a glühwein with a shot of rum warms the coldest of hands and puts a smile on your face! 

Whether you call it glühwein, mulled wine or sıcak şarap (hot wine), this time of year just isn't the same without it. We've got our ingredients ready, and we'll definitely have a pan on the hob, steaming away later on tonight.

A Recipe For Glühwein / Sıcak Şarap

No apologies for the holly frame. It's Christmas! 

Making your own glühwein is easy. You just need a few ingredients, mix them together in a pan, heat them up and the result is festive, winter comfort in a cup.

• Pour a full bottle of red wine into a large saucepan. You don't need to use expensive wine. Just a cheap bottle of house red will do the trick.
• Add the juice of one large orange.
• Crush a pinch of coriander seed and a couple of cloves and add that to the pan along with a small cinnamon stick. A pinch of allspice can be added instead of the cinnamon and cloves, if you like.
• Now add a dessert spoonful of brown sugar and give everything a stir. 
• This bit is optional but DEFINITELY recommended. Add a good splash of brandy or dark rum - whichever you prefer - to the pan.
• Place the lid on the pan and bring to the boil slowly. Remove the wine from the heat but leave the lid on and let it stand for a few minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
• For more comforting results, your mulled wine should be served in a cup rather than a glass. Place a sieve over the cup and ladle the wine through it until your cup is full to the brim with the festive goodness that is glühwein.

Cheers! Şerefe!

To all of you out there celebrating Christmas or enjoying the Holidays, thank you for reading and Merry Christmas!

Fethiye Weather - Four December Photos

It's a question everyone asks: What's the weather like in Fethiye in _____? (Insert month). We all know July and August are scorchers on the Southwest coast of Turkey and rain or cloud is very rare. Spring and autumn are pleasant - our favourite time of year in fact - and winter can be anything from mild and sunny to stormy to just downright cold. 

So far, this December has been wonderfully mild and I'm still to drag my winter coat from the wardrobe. A cardigan or small jacket (with an umbrella) is enough for now - but that could change any day. As we head towards the end of the month and New Year, December in Fethiye heralds the end of autumn temperatures and the beginning of wrap-yourself-up winter. It's a time of clear skies and crisp outlines; perfect for taking photos of the area. All of these photos were taken in December 2010.

December Sunshine in Fethiye

Koca Çalış

Koca Çalış Sunset

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I took this photo last December as we were walking along the beach in Koca Çalış. It was 6th December and a beautiful, sunny day. The temperature was mild and we'd been sat at a beach bar, enjoying a drink.

Ölü Deniz

A beautiful and deserted Belcekiz Beach in Ölü Deniz

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Why would we want to visit Ölü Deniz on a sunny day in the middle of winter when nearly everywhere is closed (Kumsal Pide is an Ölü Deniz winter haven) and the place is deserted? We've just answered our own question. To take in the amazing scenery in relative solitude. 

Of course, December is not always wall to wall sunshine. This photo was taken on December 30th. The boulders you can see on the  beach  were washed up during the storm of 16th December; a storm that caused quite a bit of damage in nearby Çalış. Take a look at these post-storm photos of Çalış beach - the morning after the night before.

Gemiler Bay, near Kayaköy

Clear December sea at Gemiler Bay

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This photo of Gemiler Bay was taken on December 30th, the same day as the Ölü Deniz photo above, and looking at it has just jogged our memory. This was a particularly warm day. We had friends over from England for New Year and we were sat at the beach bar, enjoying a beer in the sunshine. It was so pleasant that one of our friends even went paddling in the sea - and it was a Turkish friend who went to paddle; not a British friend pretending it was summer. That's how warm it was.

Fethiye

Fethiye Marina in December

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Winter is when I really enjoy going out with my camera to take photos of Fethiye under vibrant blue skies. This photo was taken on December 28th. The friends who came out for New Year were staying at the Yacht Classic Hotel along the Karagözler. They had a fantastic terrace with jacuzzi and a seating area overlooking the marina. As you can see, the weather was perfect so we were able to sit outside with New Year drinks, admiring the view. 

And we did say anything could happen with the Fethiye weather in December. As I'm typing this, the sky is heavy with grey cloud and steady rain has been falling since the early hours of this morning. But, the winter cold is still being kept at bay...for now.  

Turkish Beer: Efes Gusta Wheat Beer

Back in November we wrote about an interesting variation on the Efes Dark beer theme. That was no ordinary dark beer. That particular beer was Efes Dark Kahve Aromalı; a dark beer with a hint of coffee flavouring. It's not a beer we could drink all night, but it's definitely a good winter tipple and we'll no doubt be enjoying the odd bottle over Christmas and New Year.

Over the festive season we'll be in Fethiye, and the fridge will of course be well-stocked with Efes Pilsen along with other festive liquid treats. We'll also be making space somewhere on the shelves for a few bottles of another Efes production, Gusta Buğday Bira. 

Gusta is Efes's contribution to the world of wheat beer and, despite my love of beers, wheat beer is a drink that just does not suit my palette. No, Gusta will be in the fridge for the benefit of any visitors that care to call upon us - and as one of the beers of choice for Barry.

Whenever we go to Greece, we always make the most of the various choices on offer and enjoy working our way through a few beers from different countries. And Barry always goes for a wheat beer as one of his choices. When we were beer sampling in Rhodes Old Town, the choice was Paulaner. The weather was hot and sunny and a cloudy, murky looking beer just does not cut it for me in those temperatures. As soon as he poured it into the glass, I could smell those familiar fruity aromas that distinguish wheat beers from a refreshing pilsen. Not for me! Crisp, light and clear is what I'm looking for.

With wheat beer, as far as I'm concerned, you either like it or you don't. For those of you out there that do enjoy the distinctive aromas and flavours of murkiness in a glass, Gusta is a perfectly good example of a wheat beer...according to Barry. It's usually served in bars in Turkey in its corresponding tulip-shaped Gusta glass and at 5% it's not as strong as many of the German wheat beers out there. But when it comes to the morning after, that's not always a bad thing - especially if you're like us and are likely to be mixing your drinks between now and January 1st 2012!  

Are you a fan of wheat beer? Have you tried Gusta? If so, what did you think of it?

Istanbul: Sultanahmet's Secret Underworld - Palatium

Howling wind, driving rain - and a huge floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window radiating a warm, inviting glow to the outside world. It's little wonder that every time we walked past Palatium restaurant in Sultanahmet, it was a packed. We were two of its very regular customers whilst we were in Istanbul in October, as it was only a few doors down from Antique Hostel & Guesthouse where we stayed and they were serving large bottles of Efes Pilsen; a treat we have never found previously in Istanbul!

A former carpet shop, Palatium is now a thriving bar / restaurant serving meals baked in a brick oven. It's one of many establishments in Sultanahmet serving the masses of tourists who are here to visit the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya amongst other attractions. At first glance, all appears normal. But not everything is as it seems in this restaurant. In fact, from frequenting this building, we realised that not everything is as it seems in Sultanahmet.

Palatium, Sultanahmet, Istanbul

We'd been in Palatium twice before we noticed a section of floor made from reinforced glass - it had been obscured by floor cushions on our previous visits. Not being one to trust reinforced glass, I peered down from a safe tile-floored distance while Barry stood directly above the emptiness below.

Dim, yellow lighting created shadows over piles of earth, bricks and archways. The waiter came over and told us that the building's owners had discovered this underground world and had excavated it themselves. 'You can go down there if you like,' he said and pointed to some steep, iron steps in the rear courtyard. We liked! Off we went, ignoring the wind and rain.

Byzantine archways beneath Sultanahmet

Underneath this restaurant, and the roads and pavements of much of Sultanahmet, is an underground world of brick arches and tunnels. Even in this small excavated area, it's possible to see further pathways, still blocked by earth. A rabbit warren of tunnels that must have linked up to serve this area of Istanbul at one time.

And then we heard voices. Where could they be coming from? We were the only people down there...or so we thought.

Byzantine corridors beneath Palatium

We ducked our heads and went through an archway towards where the voices were coming from. A group of tourists were stood listening to a guide as he explained about the mini maze of corridors. It's thought that if they ever get fully excavated, this particular section of tunnel will eventually lead to Topkapı Palace, formerly the Great Palace in the Byzantine era. We listened for a moment, fascinated - and then remembered that we were supposed to be the only people down there. Where had these people appeared from? 

Barry disappeared round the corner and through another archway and immediately bobbed his head back round, grinning. 'You'll not believe this. Come and look at this.'  

Peering across to another restaurant while gazing up to Palatium

I followed him and we entered into a smaller chamber. A chandelier hung from bare rock and a tall plant obscured a doorway - a doorway into a completely different restaurant! We were about 15 feet below our restaurant. We could see the customers sitting on beanbags on the reinforced glass above our heads (top right of the photo directly above). We found out that this restaurant is Albura Kathisma Restaurant - this is where the tourist group must have appeared from - and it has its entrance somewhere round the corner from Palatium on Akbıyık Caddesi, down the hill. 

It was as though the people dining in the restaurant had no idea we were there, spying on them.  Maybe they didn't. We felt invisible. How exciting. How completely weird...and definitely one of the unexpected highlights of this year's trip to Istanbul. It certainly wasn't on our Istanbul itinerary! We sloped away unnoticed, through the archways and back upstairs into the other 2011 world from whence we came.  

Useful Info For Wannabe Sultanahmet Underground Explorers

• Palatium is on Kutlugün Sokak, opposite the 4 Seasons Hotel in Sultanahmet.
• This is not an official tourist attraction and we were not asked for any entrance fee or 'donation.'

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Turkish Food & Recipes: 2011 Favourites

A few days ago we went through our Turkey travel highlights of 2011 and, despite a bit of 'we never go anywhere' grumbling from me throughout the year, we realised that we've actually not done too bad! It was a good exercise to look back at where we have actually been. 

Well, now it's time to loosen belts, forget about calories, sit back and enjoy a foodie feast. 

Turkish Food & Recipes - 2011 Highlights
As with the travel post, we had difficulty choosing favourites for some months. If you know this blog well, you'll know we're quite partial to investigating, tasting and making Turkish food and then writing about it. There are a lot of Turkish food posts for 2011!

January 2011 - Turkish Breakfast: One of our favourite pastimes in Turkey is whiling away a few hours with friends, picking our way through köy kahvaltası, the traditional Turkish village breakfast. Whether it's sitting in Kayaköy or by the sea, it's the best meal of the day. More of a banquet than a meal, click the link to see photos and read our post on Turkish breakfast.

February 2011 - Döner Kebabı: The döner kebab is probably the meal that springs to mind when you ask people what they know about Turkish food. This post was a celebration of the real döner kebab - not the poor quality ones sold throughout the UK at 3am every weekend. Click the link to read our post about this most famous of Turkish street foods, the döner kebab.   

March 2011 - Pumpkin Soup: Balkabağı Çorbası (Pumpkin Soup) is a regular on our menu throughout the colder months in Fethiye. Squash is widely available on the Fethiye markets and the soups they make are colourful and comforting when the weather is miserable and grey outside. Click the link to follow our Turkish recipe for pumpkin soup.

April 2011 - Sigara Böreği: Börek (phyllo pastry dishes) is very common in Turkish cuisine. There aren't many people who come to Turkey on holiday and leave without having tried sigara böreği - or 'cheese rolls' as they're often called on the menus of Fethiye. Sigara böreği was the first Turkish recipe I ever attempted and it's taken until April of this year to post the recipe! If you'd like to make your own, you can follow our Turkish recipe for sigara böreği. 

May 2011 - Ayran: Foreign visitors to Turkey have a love/hate relationship with ayran. We've never met a Turkish person who doesn't like ayran, but when foreigners are let loose to do their own shopping, ayran is often mistaken for milk. A watered down yoghurt-salt drink does not taste good in your morning tea! This post got lots of comments from people who had fallen into that trap (we've done it, too!) Here is our post on the famous Turkish drink, Ayran.

June 2011 - Meze: Thank you to the people who invented Turkish meze in an age gone by. We take great pleasure in going to the glass fridges of restaurants and choosing an array of meze dishes - we usually choose too many! But meze is not just about the food. It's about the company you're with. Read our post about the joy of Turkish meze.

July 2011 - Geren: Still on the meze theme, geren is our meze discovery of 2011. We were in a restaurant in Dalyan, choosing meze dishes from the fridge and the waiter explained to us what geren was. We ordered it, loved it and the waiter explained so clearly what it was that we then came home and made it ourselves. Here is our Turkish recipe for geren. 

August 2011 - Spicy Chickpea & Aubergine Stew: This dish is popular all over the Middle East and, despite it being called a 'stew,' it's a light meal in summer when served lukewarm. As soon as we see the word spicy, we're immediately interested in trying a dish. This recipe is from one of our favourite, cookery books, 'Best Ever Mediterranean Cookbook.' If you like the looks of this dish (centre photo), click this link for spicy chickpea and aubergine stew.

September 2011 - Lamb Tandır: Slow-cooked, tender, juicy chunks of lamb. Words cannot describe how good this dish is and the people who commented on the post agreed. Our favourite place to eat lamb tandır is at Cin Bal in Kayaköy. If you want to know why, read our post about lamb tandır.

October 2011 - Köfte: We've done a Turkish recipe for köfte in the past, but this post from October was about the best köfte meal we have ever eaten. It's possibly one of our favourite meals of 2011 because of the journey we had beforehand. Click here to find out why this köfte was so memorable: Köfte comes to the rescue. 

November 2011 - Tantuni Kebabı: This is easily our foodie discovery of 2011. We've read so much in the past about this meaty kebab from Mersin and we really wanted to try it. When we were in Istanbul in October, we made it our mission to hunt down tantuni. We stumbled across a tantuni place in the back streets of Beyoğlu and loved it so much, we returned again the day after. Here is our post about our new favourites when it comes to Turkish street food: tantuni kebab.

December 2011 - Kanat (Chicken Wings): Another staple of the meaty side of the Turkish diet. We love chicken wings and have eaten lots of them since moving to Fethiye. They're a regular feature on any Turkish, Sunday afternoon barbecue - but we also enjoy them baked in the oven. Here is our recipe for oven-baked kanat. 

There really were too many Turkish food and recipe highlights to choose from for this list. We've eaten our way through a lot of food throughout 2011 and we're looking forward to continuing in the same fashion throughout 2012.  What are your favourite foodie highlights of 2012?

Datça Peninsula - Exploring Knidos

When a friend asked us if we fancied a weekend on the Datça Peninsula a couple of weeks back, we jumped at the chance. After our long weekend in Istanbul in October, we thought our 2011 travels in Turkey were through. Datça was to be an unexpected, added bonus - especially when we found out we would be staying with our friend's parents in the village of Yazıköy. Petrol money and paying towards food and drink was all the money we would need.

The road to Knidos from Yazıköy

It soon transpired that Yazıköy is really close to the tip of the nose of the Datça Peninsula - and therefore close to the Hellenistic ruins of Knidos. We were excited. The last time we were in Datça, 8 years previously, we had tried to get to Knidos, but the mountain road was a track at the time and, on that particular day, impassable. Knidos has remained on our radar ever since.

Thankfully, despite being very high and narrow in places, the road to Knidos is now tarmacked and the ruins are easily reached. It was November and we had the whole site completely to ourselves.

The ancient Greek site of Knidos

Turkey is well known for its plethora of ruins spanning many significant historical periods and, to be honest, when it comes to ancient Greek and Roman sites, it's easy to become blasé about their presence. It's easy to become 'ruined-out.' But some sites are special - and Knidos is one of those sites. 

We could go into detail and tell you all about how Knidos was a rich, cosmopolitan city, how famous mathematicians studied here, how a certain Sir Charles Newton helped himself to many of the site's statues and shipped them to London (you'll have to go to the British Museum if you want to see them) but you can read all that in a guidebook. And, whilst we're interested in the historical value of Knidos, it's not just the history that makes it special for us.

The round temple at Knidos

Like the Lycian and Roman site of Tlos, Knidos is perched on a steep hillside, providing dramatic views. Whereas Tlos affords views over the Xanthos Valley, Knidos is surrounded by the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. This very tip is the place many people class as the geographical division between the two seas. 

Normally packed with tourists, on the November day we were there, Knidos was windswept, lonely and beautiful. A place to come and sit or explore in solitude. We battled the constant wind to make it to the top of the hills and I was grateful for the focus-lock feature on my camera - it was impossible to hold my hands still to take a photo, so strong were the gusts rushing in from the open sea.

Excavated stonework at Knidos on the Datça Peninsula

Like many ancient sites all over the world, there are occasional information boards describing the purpose of particular structures or marble blocks, but we were too taken with the scenery - both the natural setting and the layout of Knidos around it - to concentrate on the details. The last time we were completely alone in trekking around a site like this was when we hiked around Cadianda above Üzümlü, near Fethiye. 

Knidos theatre, over looking the sea

From Cadianda, we looked out across the Taurus and Akdağlar mountain ranges and we looked down over a distant Fethiye and the Mediterranean. It was silent and hidden. From above Knidos, we viewed the ancient city below us and the vast, open sea. Where Cadianda is tucked away, as if being kept a secret by the thick, forest pines, Knidos is completely exposed to whatever ferocities of weather care to pass that way. Exploring Knidos on a cool autumn day is an exhilarating experience.

Knidos: Useful Information

• Knidos is situated on the Tekirburun tip of the Datça Peninsula close to the village of Yazıköy.
• The site is open daily from 8:30am.
• Entrance fee (November 2011) was 8 TL (about £3). 
• A museum shop at the entrance to Knidos sells books and souvenirs to do with the site.
• Refreshments and snacks are available from a cafe, opposite the site entrance, by the marina. 
• Knidos is completely exposed to the elements and there is no shade. Take protective clothing if you are visiting during the hot summer months. 

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Travelling Turkey - Our Favourite Posts of 2011

December is whizzing by and we're careering headlong towards 2012, so we thought we'd do what everyone else does at this time of year and take a look back at 12 of our favourite posts of 2011; one for each month. 

Sitting with notebook and pen and scrolling through the archives this morning, we soon realised there were too many posts to choose from. How do you choose a Turkish recipe over a fun day trip from Fethiye, a short break or a fantastic meal in Turkey? Well, we couldn't! The solution we came up with is a 3-part mini-series; a celebration of 2011 before it disappears forever. Without any further ado, here is Part 1:

Travelling Turkey: Our 12 Favourites of 2011

There are a couple of cheats in this section as we couldn't decide between posts for some of the months.

January 2011 - Gökova: Due to annoying flight changes, last December and the one before involved long drives to Bodrum to pick up stranded friends who were coming to Fethiye for New Year. The highlight of such a long drive is the amazing view over the Gulf of Gökova as you climb towards Muğla. Click this link to see our post on the Gulf of Gökova.

February 2011 - Af Kule: Not so much travelling Turkey as trekking Turkey. Our post on the trek to Af Kule monastery from Kayaköy attracted a lot of attention and is still the 'most commented' post on the blog. The views are as dramatic as the sheer drops beneath you so Barry had to be let loose with the camera whilst I remained rooted to the spot.

March 2011 - Antalya: March was the month where we headed 3 hours east of Fethiye to the city of Antalya. One of the highlights of Antalya for us was exploring Kaleiçi, the old, walled city.

April 2011 - Antalya: Still in Antalya, we posted a photo of Hadrian's Gate and told the story of our communication problems with a local traffic policeman. How were we supposed to know that the Üç Kapı he kept repeating to us was the Turkish word for Hadrian's Gate?

May 2011 - Rhodes, Greece: Wow. We couldn't get over how crowded this Greek island was. This post was all about trying to get our heads round how many people could possibly squash into the walled enclave that is Rhodes Old Town.

June 2011 - Sarsala Koyu, Dalaman: This beach was voted for by readers in a favourite-beach-poll we did on our Facebook page. We'd never heard of it and asked for more details. A few days later, in between a drop-off and pick-up at Dalaman Airport, we drove to beautiful Sarsala Koyu. Thanks to the people who told us about Sarsala. This is possibly our find of 2011. We were torn between this post and our day trip to Kalkan for June. Which one would you have chosen?

July 2011 - Istanbul: I had a set of photos sitting on my laptop that I had changed to black and white. Most of them were of older areas of Istanbul - a city we just can't stop ourselves from visiting - so we did a photo post called Istanbul In Black And White. Click on the link to view the photos.

August 2011 - Meis / Kastellorizo, Greece: We're not sure when we'll see this beautiful Greek island again, so this post had to make it into our travel highlights of 2011. August was the month we were supposed to apply for our Turkish residency but it wasn't to be. We made the most of it by taking the opportunity to enjoy a day trip from Kaş to Meis. 

September 2011 - Dalyan: A strange one to use as a travel highlight as we were sad to be taking friends back to the airport. But this post was about using the pretty Dalyan area as a fun way of putting off the post-holiday-blues before you even get on the plane. Click to read about a perfect last day in Dalyan.

October 2011 - Saklıkent Gorge: It was a tough decision not including Kariye Museum in Istanbul for October but we couldn't ignore Saklıkent either. How on earth did we manage to write a blog about the Fethiye area for so long without getting to Saklıkent? We finally visited this colossal gorge again in October of this year when we spent a very relaxing day there with friends. Click the links to read more about Saklıkent Gorge or our very filling Saklıkent lunch.

November 2011 - Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul: Süleymaniye Camii is our favourite mosque and, after a long wait while it was closed for restoration, we got to visit it again this year while we were in Istanbul. This post has photos of the interior and of the peaceful garden area. Click the link to read more about the Magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque.

December 2011 - Datça Peninsula: We didn't expect any more travels for 2011 so we jumped at the chance when we were invited to Datça with friends. We have more posts to come on our time spent soaking up the tranquillity of this peninsula, but this post is about the olive growing area Yazıköy, our friend's lovely home village. 

Have we missed anything out? What are your travel highlights of 2011? Let us know in the comments below. 

Istanbul: Nostalgic Beyazıt

If you know this blog, you'll know that we're a team effort - and this half of the team knows very little about, and just cannot get interested in, the tech side of blogging. I like to write about our daily life in Fethiye and our travels and eats in Turkey. I love to take photos of the Turkish landscape, foods and people. I can arrange the writing and the photos into a post and then that's my half of the deal done. I don't do tech!

It's only 4 years since I got my first digital camera, having resisted for as long as possible. Photos were for flip albums and frames (if they were good), not for sitting on computers. Eventually, I succumbed and a gradual process began where I became less fearful of sticking the camera lead into my laptop, loading the photos and then (obsessively) filing them into correct folders, numbered and labelled.

Beyazıt, Istanbul

And then, just as I got used to that simple process,  photo editing became possible. Just no! I wasn't into that one little bit. Under the guise of being a purist and standing by my very strong view that a photo is what it is, I ignored the existence of all photo-editing software. Of course all of that refusal was to do with my distinct lack of interest in, and fear of, tech. But then we started this blog and I started to use Picasa to store my photos. It was more convenient that way. I worked that bit out.

And over time, because of the blog, I have become more interested in sitting with my laptop and playing around with my photos. A couple of days ago, I ventured into a whole new world and started to familiarise myself with supposedly simple tasks. Needless to say, it was anything but simple at first, but I persevered. 

About this photo
I took this photo in Istanbul when we were there in October. This is Divanyolu, the main road through Sultanahmet, going towards Beyazıt. The side streets of Beyazıt are crammed with tiny shops, market traders and shoppers. No room for cars or vans means these guys are the main traffic to watch out for should you want to leave the area with your toes intact.

It's amazing how much weight they load onto these trolleys before dragging them up the steep, narrow streets, passing us by as we trudge ever upwards. These guys and their carts are a big feature of the Beyazıt area of Istanbul and as this whole section of the city has such a nostalgic feel to it, it seemed fitting to give this photo and older, more historic effect. What do you think? (Be kind. It's my first attempt!)

Fethiye to Kayaköy: A Winter Afternoon Walk

A few days ago, we were going to Cin Bal in Kayaköy for a bit of a leaving do for a friend. She'd never been before and was determined to try lamb tandır before she left. There were ten of us going and arrangements were going backwards and forwards about how we were getting there. We'll get the dolmuş. I might drive. Can we come with you if you drive? Oh well I'll drive as well then. Great, I'll wait at the mosque at such a time. Who's going in which car? You pick them up. Oh well if you're picking them up, you might as well pick...

...we decided to walk. We've not done the little hike from Fethiye to Kayaköy for a while and we've certainly never done a late afternoon, winter walk so we figured it would be good way to arrive in Kayaköy in time to meet up with the others later.

By the time we set off, the sun was already getting low so it was a quick march up the hill in the hope that it wouldn't be dark when we were still in the forest. 

Sunset on the walk to Kayaköy from Fethiye

As we reached the top of the hill, we were just in time catch this sunset over the distant sea before we started the descent towards Kayaköy. It had been a clear, sunny day so, as the sun had gone down, I was expecting to get some good photos of the ruins when we arrived in the village. (Usually, the sun obscures the view.)

Except, I forgot something. It's winter. The going down of the sun correlated with a drastic going down of the temperature and of course, people need to keep their houses warm.

Kayaköy in winter

My hoped-for crisp, clear views and the breathing in of fresh, winter Kayaköy air was not to be. Plumes of wood smoke hung over the village and filled our nostrils as we rushed downhill and towards Cin Bal. This is not a complaint. We were both reminded of when we used to go winter trekking in the Lake District, hurrying down the mountain with hunched shoulders, knowing a cosy pub fire would be waiting for us at the bottom.

No cosy pub for us on this occasion but it was a huge, roaring log fire in the centre of the room that welcomed us as we entered Cin Bal. The sight of that fire was worth the walk. 

How We Got Our Residency In Turkey...The Gentle Way

Our Turkish Residency Process

As of last Thursday, we are now proud owners of the little blue book that makes us official residents of Turkey. It's taken a while but, in our defence, there were a few factors that prevented us from getting residency sooner. Thanks to a drastic reduction in residency fees by the Turkish Foreign Ministry earlier this year, we were able to consider our options and, around three weeks ago, we decided it was time to start the process. 

We needed to make this as gentle as possible rather than a day of tedium (for us), traipsing around the various official buildings of Fethiye - bureaucracy and officialdom is our pet hate. As a British passport holder, if you know what you're doing, it's completely possible to go through all the necessary channels of obtaining residency...in one day...independently...but that was just never going to happen for us.

Here's what we did over the course of gentle few days:

Step 1: Eight Passport Photos
We knew we needed at least 5 passport photographs. There are many foreigners in this area of Turkey who have gone through the process of getting residency so it's difficult not to know a few of the necessary steps. We were in Fethiye one day doing a bit of shopping so we bobbed into Hakan Photography and had the photos done. Of course, passport photos come in sets of 4 so we had to have 8 each taken. 
**Point to Note: All 8 of our passport photos were used up during the process (maybe someone just liked our faces) - so when you start the process, have them all with you, just in case.

Step 2: Current Bank Statement
You need to be able to show you have enough money to keep you in Turkey throughout the period of your residency so you need to provide an up to date bank statement with your current balance. Going to the bank fills us with dread! Queues that never go down. But we were brave and we boldly entered where thousands of others have dared to enter before us. The bank was empty! Straight in, straight out. Great!
**Point to Note: Tell your bank that you need the statement for your residency. They will sign and stamp the statement for you. 

Step 3: Tapu or Rental Agreement
Naturally, the Turkish authorities would like to know where you're residing throughout the period of your residency. If you own a property, you need a copy of your tapu (deeds). If you're renting, you need a rental agreement saying how much rent you pay. (We were pleased with life for this step as we already had a copy of our tapu that we'd had done for some other long-forgotten reason).

Step 4: Go to your local bar and mention you're going for residency!
This is Turkey. Everyone knows someone who is in a line of business that just might sort you out. 'We're thinking of sorting our residency soon,' we mentioned.
'Oh, Volkan has just started a business doing that. I'll call him now. He'll help you.' We were in Cafe Pazar and Volkan was called. 'Come to my new office,' Volkan said, and we'll sort it out.

The entrance to the building for the 2GETHER office is on Çarşı Caddesi. The office is on the first floor.

2Gether is in the centre of Fethiye in the new building above the Dikmen change office. We went there the day after....
"You need your passport, tapu, bank statement, tax numbers and photos."
"Got them." (We're feeling happy now as we hand them over).
"Right, now you just need to register with the muhtar."
**Point to note: 2GETHER then very kindly took us to the muhtar to negotiate the 'fee' for registering. The fee varies from muhtar to muhtar and we were in no mood for negotiating alone. 

Step 5: Give Everything to 2GETHER. THAT'S IT!!
"That's it?"
"Yes, we'll do everything else. Wait a couple of weeks and then go to the passport police for your residency."

We waited a couple of weeks and then went to the passport police. 'Thank you for your residency,' the officer said as he passed us our passports and residency booklets.
"Thank you for having us," we replied.

And, that's that!

We do feel different...

How Much Did It Cost Us (Per Person)?

8 passport photos = 10TL
Residency Fee = 152TL (This fee is for 12 months' residency and may vary slightly depending on exchange rate. Official fee is in Euros.)
Residency Booklet = 150 TL (Your residency booklet is valid for 5 entries)
2GETHER's service fee = 50TL

TOTAL COST = 312 TL (Around £110 at today's rate of exchange)

• Next year, we won't have the residency booklet fee or the one-off muhtar fee. We've not included the muhtar fee here as it appears to be very negotiable. We were glad of a negotiator! Prices seem to range between 10TL and 30TL per head.
• There are a few companies in Fethiye that will arrange residency for you. We used 2GETHER as we already knew Volkan, the owner. You can get him at his office in Fethiye on 6120774 or on his mobile on 0532 5770625.
• We chose to use a company to arrange this for us for 2 reasons. One was admittedly a  bit of laziness on our part - but the main reason was, should anything go wrong, we would have someone to go to to help us sort the problem. Some things we just don't want to take chances with and residency is definitely one of them.

NB: As of January 2012, the fee for the residency booklet has increased to 172 TL from 150 TL. 

Top Turkish Christmas Gifts - 10 Suggestions

Yes we know, Christmas is very close and we started to get ourselves into the Christmas spirit by going to the Çalış Christmas Fair over the weekend. It worked! We're even pondering dragging the Christmas tree out from its little cubbyhole a week early!

Click on the images above to view them on Amazon.co.uk

And so to Christmas shopping. A lot of our friends and family like to receive Turkey-related gifts either from us or from others so we thought some of you might have had similar requests.  For that reason, we decided to compile a list of Ten Turkey Gifts - a few ideas for gifts you could buy for others...or even yourself of course. You may notice a running theme through this list. Most of them are goodies that we've either bought ourselves or that we intend to buy soon...

10 Turkey Gifts For Christmas

1. For those who who are interested in Turkish food and recipes: 
The Sultan's Kitchen is a recipe book focusing on Ottoman cuisine. We had a flick through this book in a bookshop in Istanbul and it's now top of our list for must-buy Turkish cookery books. As well as recipes, the Sultan's Kitchen is packed with colourful photographs and information about the dishes and meal ideas.

2. And in the kitchen, you need the right tools for the job:
For those more interested interested in making Turkish breads and desserts, a decent set of kitchen scales is going to be necessary. Well, that's going to be our Christmas present to each other this year, anyway! 

3. Do you like trekking in Turkey but don't know many walking routes? 
We're definitely in that category. Walking maps are not easily available in Turkey and, if you like the solitude of hiking rather than being part of a large trekking group, this is a big hindrance. Problem solved thanks to this Hiking The Coast Near Fethiye book, which contains walks around the Fethiye region and other areas along coastal Turkey.

4. We all know a history/ biography boffin:
Well, I know one anyway....Me! If you know someone interested in the people and history of Turkey and are wondering what to buy for them, Osman's Dream is a very readable history of the Ottoman Empire. And for a read about why Atatürk is so important to modern Turkish history, Andrew Mango's award-winning biography, Atatürk is a good place to start.

5. For the person who struggles to keep within the 15-20kg weight limit when flying to Turkey:
We recently viewed a Kindle in the flesh with cynical eyes but think we actually may be converted. The screen resembles the actual page of a book (as in, it doesn't hurt your eyes like a computer screen does) and you can do all sorts of fancy things like add bookmarks, highlight and underline, flick between books and some also allow internet access. So, you can now carry hundreds of books in one lightweight reader rather than cramming books into your hand luggage.

I like the sunset shots taken by the Fujifilm Finepix I have now

6. This is one for the wannabe photographers:
Fujifilm Finepix HS20 EXR - This is a personal one to me because I'm saving up for this camera at the moment. This is an award-winning camera and one of the nearest you'll get to a DSLR without having to carry around expensive lenses. If you enjoy photographing Turkey, there are loads of cameras - from cheap point and shoot to more expensive DSLRs - available from Amazon.

7. Do you know someone who is coming to Turkey in 2012?
Whether it's for a short holiday, a long travelling stint or even to live here permanently, up to date guidebooks are invaluable for getting the most out of your time in Turkey. We can recommend Rough Guide To Turkey and Lonely Planet Turkey for more detailed information about the history and culture of the places we visit in Turkey. And for whetting the appetite and making us think, 'We've just got to go there,' we also have the colourful, glossy and pictorial Eyewitness Turkey.

8. For A Great Introduction To Turkish Music:
One of our favourite films is Crossing The Bridge. It's a perfect introduction to both Turkish music and the fantastic city of Istanbul.

9. If you're doing your Christmas shopping near and around Fethiye:
Sunday's post about the Çalış Christmas Fayre gave you a few ideas for original gifts, many of which are handmade here in Turkey.

10. For the foodies:
You don't need to break the bank to be able to dole out the Christmas presents. All you need is an empty jar and a few cheap ingredients and you can give the pickle appreciator in your life a much-appreciated foodie treat. Follow our chutney recipe and make it now, in time for Christmas. A couple of days before, you could also follow our pickled red cabbage recipe.

Suggestions 1-8 are available in the UK from Amazon. Most have free, next day delivery so you can receive your selections in time for Christmas. If you don't like what you see in our selections or would like even more ideas for Christmas gifts with a Turkey theme, visit our Amazon Store. Our book and DVD shelves are crammed with many of the Turkey books, music and film we've chosen to include here.

The Amazon links in this post go to Amazon UK but, if you are reading from outside the UK, then visit our Amazon.com store of Turkey items.