Fethiye For Best City 2012

It's just not our thing. It's not like us to enter and take part in competitions because, well, we're just not competitive people. But then sometimes a competition comes along that really captures the imagination and almost forces you to take part. A competition that's fun and where we're not being asked to be competitive for ourselves but for our city. 

This competition is a perfect opportunity to promote Fethiye - so we entered!

We think the beautiful city of Fethiye would make a worthy winner

So, what is this competition we speak of? 
Each year, for the last four years, Anil Polat of tech travel blog, foXnoMad, has run a competition where people get to nominate their best city to travel to. We threw in our lot and bravely nominated Fethiye - and yesterday, the 2012 competition got under way. This round is the preliminary voting so that the nominated cities can be seeded and as I type, thanks to all the people who have voted and are voting, Fethiye is doing very well.

What happens next?
Well, we nominated our home city of Fethiye as the best city to travel to in 2012. During this month-long competition, it's going to be a David and Goliath battle as, round by round, Fethiye will be placed against some of the most famous and popular cities in the world (should Fethiye get through to the next round, of course). But we are undeterred! 

It looks as though Fethiye is going to finish in the Top 25 of the 128 cities nominated, so it is guaranteed a place in the last 64. That's because lots of you voted for Fethiye!

Traditional gülets in Fethiye Harbour 

How you can help Fethiye through future rounds...
Yes, Fethiye needs YOU. Once this round of voting is over, Fethiye will be paired against one other city and voting will begin again. Whichever of the two cities gets the most votes goes through to the next round and the city with the least votes will be eliminated. We don't want Fethiye to be eliminated!

As soon as the next round begins, we would love you to help out by voting for Fethiye. When it's time to vote, we'll do a post on the blog, we'll put a reminder on our Facebook page, we'll Tweet and Tweet again, we'll tell the people on our Google+ page and we'll be hassling as many friends as we can muster to vote for Fethiye. 

Elsewhere in Turkey...
Two other Turkish cities are also featured in the competition; Istanbul and Izmir. Obviously, they will also be getting our vote in future rounds (if they're not placed against Fethiye) and, at the moment, they are also sitting pretty in the Top 25 cities. If they stay there, there will be 3 Turkish cities with guaranteed places in the last 64! Some achievement - it appears those who are passionate about Turkey are willing to make the effort to vote.

If you haven't already voted in this preliminary round and would like to join in the fun, why not hop over to the voting page right now to vote for your ten favourite cities. It's really quick and simple. Click your ten favourites (one of which will hopefully be Fethiye) and then click 'vote.' Voting closes 29th Feb at 12pm US EST  (7pm in the UK. 9pm in Turkey.)

Many thanks all!
  

Fethiye: Cadde Cafe - A New Kid On The Block

If you're a regular reader of this blog, or just a follower of the weather in Fethiye, you'll know that winter 2012 has been cold, wet and windy with some fantastically loud booms of thunder thrown in just for good measure. It may come as no surprise then that on Friday, whilst the sun was shining down from a cloudless sky and blessing us with its early spring warmth, we just needed to get out of the house and bask.

Advertising the presence of Cadde in Fethiye

We could have just walked along Fethiye harbour and whiled away a couple of hours enjoying the view from Boğaziçi or listening to the clack clack clack of dice and counters on the many tavla boards at Address. But it was Friday, it was sunny and we wanted to try somewhere a bit different. We had no idea where that place was. We just set off. We'd know when we got there.

As we reached the centre of Fethiye, we remembered the guy in the paramotor who had been swooshing around the bay for the last few weekends. We could just make out the words 'Cadde' (Cadde means street) and 'Cafe' on the advert he was trailing under his paramotor so we got the message that there was a new addition to the eateries of Fethiye - we just didn't know where it was.

The entrance to Cadde is up this marble staircase

And then we spotted Cadde whilst walking around town one day. Great! A new place to try out, perfect for enjoying the beautiful weather - Friday was the day we decided to explore this new member of the Fethiye cafe scene. 

Cadde was formerly Kasara, the bar we went to to get a good vantage point for watching the cyclists cross the finish line in the Presidential Tour of Turkey last April. Through the palm trees, the roof terrace provides vistas of the gülets in the harbour, and the surrounding hillsides can be viewed over the rooftops of Paspatur. 

A view of Fethiye harbour from the roof terrace of Cadde

We trouped up the stairs to the roof terrace and were handed a menu. We hadn't come here to eat - but perusing the menu is always a good pastime and usually determines whether we're likely to be making another visit to a place. We're definitely going to be heading back to Cadde soon to sample some of the choices on the menu. 

Cadde Cafe roof terrace

Cadde offers snacks such as tost and burgers - and then there are also more substantial meals such as pizza, pasta dishes, salads and grills. There is also a full bar, coffees, fruit juices and smoothies. Considering the setting of Cadde, prices are very reasonable - hence our decision to give it a try - and we think it's a great addition to Fethiye's choice of eateries. Let's hope it's going to stick around for a bit longer than its predecessor. 

Cadde is on Atatürk Caddesi, opposite the belediye bus stops.

Kayaköy Spring Lamb: A Photo

It's Friday again, so that can only mean one thing: time for another Fethiye photo. As we've mentioned before, most of these photos are from my photo archives of the last three years and each one will have been taken in the month we're currently in. So, here's our final photo for the month of February.

A ewe and her lamb in Kayaköy - February 2011

Very fitting again as today has been the best day we've had so far in 2012. Beautiful February sunshine and pleasant temperatures just like the day we took this photo in Kayaköy. We took it on the day we did the trek to Af Kule. We were on our way back to catch the dolmuş back to Fethiye when we spotted this ewe and her lamb hiding behind the trunk of the tree.

If you remember two weeks ago, our photo was of a calf in Kayaköy. Baby animals are always a perfect reminder that the harshness of winter has passed and we have spring and the new life it brings to look forward to. 

In March, we have five Fridays this year, so it's time to trawl through the archives again and find five photos from around the Fethiye area which best portray the springtime atmosphere. March can be wet and windy on occasions but we're sure we'll be able to hunt out five great pictures from previous years. We've yet to show a photo taken in Ölü Deniz in this series. I wonder if we've got any March photos taken in Ölü Deniz...

A Street Food Feast At Fethiye Market

The Tuesday market in Fethiye (the Salı Pazarı) is a small city of stalls set up, a few rows deep, along the canal and also jutting out, perpendicular to the gushing waters. Regular readers will know we love markets and we've done many posts in the past about the seasonal food on Fethiye market.

The eating area at Fethiye market - usually covered but it was a beautiful, sunny, winter's day on this occasion

However, although we've alluded to it in the past when we've written about our love for gözleme, we've never actually written about the eating and drinking area of Fethiye market; a street of trailers with hatches propped open, plastic seating, 'greeters' welcoming you to their establishment (whether you're going to sit there or not), diners, people passing through to do their weekly shopping...and the oh-so-tempting aromas of grilled, fried and barbecued Turkish street food staples.

Döner kebab stands line one side of the food area

Every Tuesday, shoppers, workers on their lunch break, schoolchildren and tourists descend on this area to replenish expended energy. During the hot summer months, thirsty customers slurp on hot çay, ice-cold cartons of ayran, freshly squeezed fruit juices, lip-numbing kar şerbeti, cans of fizzy drink and bottles of water kept just off cold in buckets of water. 

We always opt for a çay, whatever the weather. So the theory goes, hot tea is better for you in hot weather as well as in colder temperatures. Well, that's what Turkish friends insist - and who are we to argue? And we always have something to accompany our glasses of çay. Some people opt for döner kebab served between a fresh, crusty half-bread...

Gözleme and bazlama stands line the opposite side of the food area

...and some, like us, go for the gözleme. Shredded potato, herbs and minced meat sprinkled between a wafer thin dough and cooked on convex metal plate called a saç. There are many other fillings but this one is our long-time favourite. Other people will opt for the bazlama; a flat, circular bread sliced through the middle, loaded with cheese and then placed on the saç to heat through. Crispy on the outside and warm, melted buttery, cheesy loveliness in the centre. Sharing is recommended for this one!

All tables have a plentiful supply of turşu (pickled vegetables)

But whether you go for the kebab option, the gözleme or the bazlama, and whichever eatery you choose to dine at, you can rest assured that pride of place on your table will be given to one or two large, plastic tubs of turşu. Well, sitting down to street food snacks without the accompaniment of various Turkish pickled vegetables just wouldn't be the same.

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Scenic Fethiye: Along Fethiye Marina in Winter

A couple of weeks back, we got one of those crisp, sunny Fethiye days that only happen in winter; sharp outlines on the snowcapped mountains, bright blue, an almost cloudless sky and a perfectly calm, glass-like sea. This weather is perfect for taking photos so we went off into Fethiye, camera in tow.

A man sands a gület along Fethiye Harbour

Our aim was to head for Fethiye marina to get some photos of the yachts, but before we could head that way, we were first of all sidetracked by the hoardings displaying an artist's impression of the new Fethiye town square. (Click the link to see photos of the proposed layout.) Along with a smattering of other people, we were there for half an hour or so, trying to work out angles, which building was what, what was sea and what was land - there's a very blue look to the pictures.

Reflections in Fethiye marina

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Once we were happy we'd worked everything out, we eventually made our way towards the marina. At this time of year, bar a few security and boat-office staff, you have the marina to yourself. I have no idea why - what a beautiful place to sit and while away a bit of time. The uniform row of yachts standing to attention, their masts creating near perfect reflections in the sea. 

Looking towards the mountains from Fethiye marina

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And if it's cold and the novelty of standing along the marina taking photos of rows of white yachts that all look the same wears off, you can always bob into the MOD bar/restaurant and admire the view while sipping an Efes Pilsen. It's open in the daytime throughout winter (except Sundays) and, as with the rest of Fethiye marina, you'll probably have the place to yourself. We usually do. 

Turkish Souvenirs: Istanbul Ceramic

We've been looking forward to doing this post for some time for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because of the visual effect - I'm a sucker for mixed, vivid colours. The second is because all these mixed, vivid colours spill from our friend's shop in Kapalı Çarşısı (known as the Grand Bazaar or Covered Bazaar) in Istanbul.

Istanbul Ceramic

People who know Fethiye well will remember Necmi as the owner of the silver shop, opposite Deep Blue Bar in Paspatur. A couple of years back, he decided Istanbul was the city for him, and he and his family packed up and left for a new future in this most beautiful of cities. 

Which would you choose?

He now owns a business in one of the most famous, historic shopping centres in the world, selling one of Turkey's most famous souvenirs; hand-painted ceramics from Turkey's ceramic capital, Kütahya. All are inspired by the historic ceramics produced in Iznik and Kütahya from the 14th Century onwards. They were highly prized by the Ottoman sultans.

Turkish souvenirs to suit all budgets

Whenever we go to Istanbul now, woe betide if we don't squash in a little visit to catch up with Necmi. Of course, trying to hunt him down in the maze of streets that make up the Grand Bazaar is a challenge itself and, when we went to see him in October, we gave up and phoned him. 'Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you,' was the reply. Easy when you know how; he was at our side within seconds.

My favourites - the blue collection

When we lived in England, we had a few of these hand-painted plates and bowls that we'd brought back as souvenirs of our holidays in Turkey. Now we live here, we have yet to purchase any. But we do intend to change that. My favourites are the blue-coloured plates and vases in the photo above.

Istanbul Ceramic also sells that other well known souvenir from Turkey - the glass lantern

Of course these days, you can buy these famous Turkish souvenirs in all manner of shapes and sizes and Necmi's business, Istanbul Ceramic, sells hand-painted ceramics to suit all budgets. Anything from fridge magnets starting at 1 TL (less than 40 pence) right up to beautiful, intricately painted floor vases coming in at an eye-watering 7,000 TL (around £2,600 at today's rate). Of course, if you were to purchase one of those, we're sure you'd get the fridge magnet thrown in for free! 

• Istanbul Seramik is on Çadırcılar Caddesi, Lütfullah Sokak (near the Lütfullah Gate) in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar
• If you're not in Turkey but would like to purchase ceramics, you can view the Istanbul Ceramic website or email Necmi at info@istanbulseramik.com
• And if you know Necmi from Fethiye and happen to be in Istanbul any time, he'd love you to drop in to say hello and drink a çay or three. You can give his shop a call on +90 212 518 64 07

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Fethiye Photo: Abandoned Boat

For last Friday's Fethiye photo, we were in Kayaköy. It was February and we were enjoying the clues that spring was on its way as we walked over from Fethiye to Kayaköy via the boatyard. And therein lies the tenuous link between that photo and this week's photo. 

A vista of Fethiye through the abandoned boat

There's much to interest the curious trekker as they walk to Kayaköy from Fethiye. Whilst still on the flat, before starting the ascent, it's the goings on in this little corner of the Mediterranean that are of interest. Just past the boatyard, this boat, in its sinking state, has been stuck here for sometime now. To be honest, we've not walked over this way for a few weeks so we're not sure if it is still there, but it had certainly been there long enough to become a feature of the landscape. I've got many photos of it in different light because we've passed it each time we walk to Kayaköy and it always catches my eye.

This particular photo was taken in February, mid morning sunlight. I really like the scene. It's sad but peaceful and beautiful at the same time. We'd love to know the story behind the boat's demise. Did its owners decide they couldn't care for it anymore and abandon it to its fate here in Fethiye harbour? Maybe it was damaged somehow and had to be towed here so the bay was safe and clear for the other water traffic.

Whatever its story, it's made a significant contribution to our Fethiye photo collection which is why we're sharing one of them now for this post. What do you think? Eyesore or a beautiful feature of the Fethiye landscape? 

Fethiye Famous Heads: Yavuz Sultan Selim

We're now up to number 4 in our series about the identity of the figures important in modern Turkish and Ottoman history; the figures considered significant enough to be made into a bust and fixed atop a marble fountain along Fethiye harbour. Known as the Fethiye heads, they're a well known landmark and often used as a meeting point...but we want to know who these people were.

Yavuz Sultan Selim 1470-1520 

Fethiye head number 4: Yavuz Sultan Selim

The last significant Ottoman figure we wrote about was Fatih Sultan Mehmet; he who is famous for finally conquering Constantinople in 1453 and making Istanbul the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Yavuz Sultan Selim was also a man of conquering habits and it was he and his armies who significantly expanded the size of the Ottoman Empire and cemented its power in the region by marching east and southwards to conquer Syria and Egypt.

We've said before that the history of the Ottoman dynasty is packed with murder, mystery and intrigue and Yavuz Sultan Selim (yavuz means stern or grim) certainly had his role in this. He earned his nickname for not only being a keen warrior but also for being a man who was determined to get and keep what he wanted - the position of Sultan.

In 1512, Selim gained his place on the historical timeline of Ottoman rulers by deposing his own father, Beyazid. And, fearing his two brothers may pose a threat to his rule - one of his brothers was actively challenging his leadership - he went to battle with them on separate occasions and both were strangled. 

Yavuz Sultan Selim died in 1520 on the way to Edirne. Some accounts say he died from disease...others suggest he was being poisoned by his own doctor who was pretending to treat him. In his short 8 year reign he had expanded the Ottoman Empire to cover a landmass of over 1 billion acres. His only son, Süleyman, succeeded him without challenge.

You can read more about the Ottoman Empire in the fantastic book, 'Osman's Dream' by Caroline Finkel.

Not Very Turkish Recipes: Homemade Lasagne

Today's recipe is not a Turkish recipe by any stretch of the imagination, so how has a recipe for homemade lasagne made it into our blog? Well, you may remember last Wednesday's blog post was all about our love for visiting Istanbul and, at the end of it, we said we would be in Istanbul again in April of this year - but we are only there because we will be en route to another city of the world.

That city of the world is Rome. We're very excited to be going to Italy for a week to see some friends where we'll have one night in Rome (yes, we know we're not going to be giving Rome the attention it deserves in such a short amount of time but at least we get a taster) before heading south to our friend's town of Monte Cassino. The upshot of all that is we've got Italy on the brain at the moment and, as yesterday was Valentine's Day, we treated ourselves to some minced beef (expensive in Turkey) and I made a lasagne. 

A Not-Very-Turkish Recipe For Homemade Lasagne
We're quite fussy with our lasagne. It's got to be homemade! While the invention of jarred sauces may have made life more simple and the making of lasagne much quicker, they've also taken away the flavour of what a real lasagne should taste like. In this recipe, we're making our own bechamel sauce and we're certainly not going to be using a jarred bolognese sauce!

Making the meat filling for a homemade lasagne

First of all, we need to prepare the meat filling.

• Finely chop two medium-sized onions, 1 sweet, red pepper and a green chilli (optional).
• Heat a glug of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and peppers.
• As the onions start to sweat, peel and grate 1-3 cloves of garlic (depending on how strong you want the flavours) and stir the garlic into the mixture.
• Now add 500g of minced beef, mix it all up and stir it round until the meat has browned.
• Pour in a tin of chopped tomatoes (we usually use 3 large, fresh tomatoes but they're not so red and juicy at this time of year) and a splash of water.
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper, a splash of vinegar and half a teaspoon of sugar and a sprinkling of dried oregano.
• Mix it all up and simmer for around 20 minutes, adding a dessert spoon of tomato puree at the end. 

Now the meat is prepared, we need to preheat the oven to 190 degrees and move onto the bechamel sauce. 

The bechamel process

There is a myth that making a bechamel sauce is difficult. It's actually very easy. You just need to keep stirring, hence the lack of photos for each stage of the process. Stirring and snapping photos isn't easy.

• Over the lowest heat, melt 50g of butter into a saucepan.
• Now add half a cup of plain flour a little at a time and keep stirring. Once you've used all the flour, your mixture will resemble a rich, sticky pastry.
• Remove the pan from the heat and, a little at a time, add 2 and half cups of milk, stirring all the time.
• When all the milk is used you should have a sauce resembling creamy milk.
• Sprinkle some parmesan cheese into your sauce (parmesan is really expensive in Turkey so we substituted parmesan for a handful of strong, grated cow's cheese) and return to the heat.
• Keep stirring the sauce on a medium heat and after a few minutes it will start to thicken.
• When stirring becomes slightly more difficult and you can see the traces left by your spoon, remove the sauce from the heat.

Now we need to build the lasagne.

Build your lasagne in layers

No need to be too careful with this; try to work quickly as your bechamel sauce will thicken as it stands.

• In a shallow oven dish, place a layer of lasagne sheets.
• Spread some of your meat mixture over the top followed by a thin spread of your bechamel.
• Now you need another layer of lasagne sheets, then meat, then sauce.
• Keep going till you run out of mixture. The final layer of your lasagne should be lasagne sheets topped with the rest of your sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan.
• Place your lasagne in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it is browned on top.

A serving of homemade lasagne

About this lasagne recipe:

• This recipe makes 4 big servings. If you're intending to have garlic bread and/or salad on the side, it will easily serve 6 people.
• Our oven dish measures 11 inches by 11 inches and is just over a couple of inches deep. Our lasagne had 4 layers of pasta, including the base and the top layer.
• As it was the only choice available to us, we used lasagne sheets that didn't need to be pre-cooked. If you use pasta that isn't quick-cook, blanch it first in boiling water for a few minutes just to start it off.
• The measurements for the bechamel sauce don't need to be too accurate. We used a small coffee mug to measure out the milk and the flour. If you buy a pack of butter, the weights are usually marked out on the back so you don't need to use kitchen scales.

Turkish Food: It's Not Just About The Street Food

Regular visitors to this blog will know we have a fondness (slight obsession) with Turkish street food; particularly when we go to Istanbul and gorge on hamsi and tantuni kebabs. Simplicity is the key! 

However, we also realise that we do need a bit of variety in our diet occasionally and, of course, a quality sit-down meal in a respectable establishment is always a welcome change. Before we went to Istanbul last October, we decided one sensible foodie treat was necessary and a bit of surfing on the internet led me to stumble across this article on The Guide Istanbul blog. Lokanta Maya lodged itself in my brain straight away.

Views around Karaköy

There are two reasons for this. The first one is that Lokanta Maya is in the Karaköy district of Istanbul. We like Karaköy. On one side of Galata Bridge there's the ever-crowded, lively Karaköy fish market, but on the other side, there's something a bit gritty, urban and forgotten about the area. Grand old buildings, whose frontages are in desperate need of a good clean up, are a reminder of an affluent past. This was a money place in days gone by and we're keen to explore the area further.

Reason number 2 was the photo of Lokanta Maya. British readers will know of the recent regeneration work that has taken place to transform previously neglected areas of large British cities. We witnessed a lot of this while living in Manchester and albeit on a more intimate scale, something similar is happening in Karaköy. While one side of the road receives international tourists from the cruise ship dock and houses countless businesses selling boat engines, the other side of the road is a feast of foodie goodness.

The understated entrance to Lokanta Maya 

If you weren't paying attention, it would be perfectly easy to walk past Lokanta Maya without giving it a second glance. We knew where to head for because we'd booked a table for a late lunch beforehand and checked the map to make sure we were wandering in the right direction. It was a Saturday afternoon and, when we entered, we were the only customers in there - but that soon changed. 

The contemporary interior of Lokanta Maya - we loved the walnut shells along the wall

A Turkish lokanta is a canteen style eatery. Workers go there to grab a good meal during their break, usually served immediately from a Bay Marie and at a reasonable price. Lokanta Maya is to the lokanta what the British Gastro Pub is to the local village pub. It certainly doesn't resemble a lokanta, and the food - highly recommended on various websites - is certainly not presented like lokanta food.

The menu changes daily so the waiter handed us a card displaying the choices available. We had spinach börek as a starter and then Barry ordered seabass stew whilst  I went for yoghurt-marinated chicken breast. Perfectly cooked and very tasty - but I coveted Barry's seabass stew as soon as it was placed on the table!

Lokanta Maya will not blast your budget wide open. 17 Lira for a seabass stew of such quality was very reasonable. And, just as we were wondering how they were making money, serving food of this calibre so cheaply, we saw the price of a bottle of Efes...But hey, we were treating ourselves! 

We'll definitely head back to Lokanta Maya for a treat when we're in Istanbul again - the food was the best restaurant food we've eaten in a long time - but if you're tempted to visit yourself and you're on a budget like us, you might want to stick to the water for your refreshment. It's free. If you're not on a budget however, the wine list had no shortage of choice and looked very tempting! 

Changing Fethiye - A New Town Square On The Harbour

Yesterday being one of the few sunny days we've had so far in 2012, we set off for a stroll along Fethiye harbour to make the most of the pleasant, late winter temperatures - and to take some photos. The lighting at this time of year is perfect for photographing the yachts and gülets anchored in the marina. 

Hoardings display the proposed layout of Fethiye's new town square

We bumped into a couple of friends along the way and they asked us if we'd seen the hoardings displaying the proposed layout of Fethiye's new town square. No we hadn't...but we soon put that right.

The mayor of Fethiye, Behçet Saatçi, appears to be on a mission to leave his legacy in the form of the creation of a bütik şehir (boutique city) and residents of Fethiye are being told on advertising hoardings, 'Her şey size özel olacak.' (Everything will be special for you.) So far, the second section of Fethiye harbour has been completed and phase 3 is currently underway...albeit slowly. Then last July, we were wondering if the newly pedestrianised Dispanser area would be the new centre of Fethiye. 

 Parking, pathways and seating are in the artist's impression

It looks as though this is indeed going to be the case with the brand new town square - complete with clock tower, waterways, swirling footpaths and seating areas - being built by the sea, just on the edge of the pedestrianised Dispanser area. 

So whether you live in Fethiye or if you're a regular visitor, we're all going to be noticing some big changes to our surroundings in the near future. At the moment however, it looks like this - and has done for the last couple of weeks...

The new Fethiye Square as it looks right now

...constant rain does not firm building ground make! As soon as work can begin again (it's very pond-like at the moment) we'll get some photos and keep you updated.

If you know Fethiye and are trying to picture where all this is taking place, the restaurant on the corner with the green banner is the recently-reopened Buffalo Steakhouse. The war memorial is just to the side of this shot. For a closer inspection, click on any of the photos to make them bigger.

Kayaköy In February - A Photo

From last Friday's photo of a snowy, winter scene in the mountains above the village of Nif, we're coming a little closer to sea-level for this week's Friday photo, and with it, showing the gulf of difference between the February winter scenery around Fethiye. 

As far as the weather is concerned, it's not been a great start to 2012. Heavy rain and thunderstorms have prevailed over the bright, sunny days. But at least today, the sky is blue and, for the moment, there's not a cloud to be seen...which means today's photo doesn't look so out of place.

A February calf in Kayaköy

At this time of year, we're usually taking off and doing small treks around the Fethiye area, making the most of the crisp air and gentle heat of the sun. As yet, that's not happened in 2012, but this time last year we did the trek from Kayaköy to Af Kule and got some great photos. 

This photo isn't from that day. This photo is two years old and I took it on a sunny, February day when a few of us set off to do the hike from Fethiye to Kayaköy. We were heading downhill towards Belen, the hillsides were covered in lush greenery and the spring daisies and Peacock Anemones were peeping through. 

Even if it might have been a little too early to feel like this, with the flowered meadows of Kayaköy and just the cutest calf nestled in amongst the daisies, we couldn't help but feel our spirits lift, sensing that the worst of winter was over and spring was most definitely springing into action. 

Istanbul: It's A Love Thing

Attaining the peaceful, laid back Mediterranean lifestyle we now indulge in has been a long-time dream for both of us. Countryside or seaside, we weren't fussed either way, just as long as our lives were free from all things hectic. Oh, and just as long as we were in Fethiye, too. But give us a roof over our head, access to local markets, trekking and a decent bar at the end and we're happy people.

So what is it that keeps enticing us back into the big, sprawling cities; the antithesis of all we've strived for? For a short time, on two separate occasions, we lived and worked in Manchester in Northwest England and we find ourselves jumping in and defending the city vociferously if anyone dares to mumble anything derogatory about the place. Why should we be bothered so much? We're not even from Manchester!

A former short-term home - Castlefield in Manchester

And then there's Istanbul. Istanbul, the city that is just there in the back of our minds and barging its way to the forefront if we don't manage a visit at least once in a year. Whenever we're toying with any travel plans for the year and dividing out the budget, Istanbul is the overriding voice in our heads. 'Yeah, you might want to go there or check out that place but I'm here! You know you'll be back.' And while we always try to visit at least one different place each year, another place will always be once again relegated to the back burner for another 12 months just so we can get up to Istanbul again. 

One of our close Turkish friends is originally from Kayaköy and has the quiet life ingrained in him. He even grumbles about the size of Fethiye these days, complaining that it's more of a city than a coastal town. 'And why do you keep going up to Istanbul?' he'll chunter as we announce our plans to return. 'You've seen it. What do you find to do there?' 

What do we find to do there? We bask in short-lived, overcrowded, relentlessly noisy bliss, absorbing all that is Istanbul and, the more we visit, the more we know we've barely even started. 

Galata Bridge - never short of noise or crowds

A first visit to a new city is usually a dash, guidebook in hand, around all those famous sights that have been on your must-see list for an age. Our first visit to Istanbul was a zigzag rush between all the usual suspects: Aya Sofya, Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque) and Topkapı Palace. Then we came up for breath before squashing in as many other sights as we could such as Süleymaniye Camii, Galata Tower and a Bosphorus Cruise before hopping on the bus back to Fethiye. 

Did that mean we'd seen Istanbul? That'll be a definite 'no' as far as we're concerned. All cities have their own personalities and characteristics and it's impossible to discover, take in and understand all of these in a single visit. For us, cities like Istanbul are for dipping into - choosing or stumbling across something new to explore - neighbourhoods, sights, food, music, meeting people - jumbling that up with what we thought we already knew about the city and then completely changing our mental picture of it. You become attached to and protective of cities because you've worked so hard to try get to know them.

The ferries and traffic that make up Eminönü

And so, how many times we've been to Istanbul is irrelevant. The more we go, the more we feel the need to go back for more. We've not even started with Istanbul. Could we live there? Maybe for 6 months or so before we once again feel the draw of the quiet life and open space, and even if we lived there for 6 months, we still wouldn't really know Istanbul. That's why we keep going back. 

And yes there is, by default, a short 2012 trip to Istanbul that is already a definite. We'll be passing through en route to another city of the world - but more on that in another post...

Camel Wrestling: A Fethiye Fashion Show

Continuing from our previous post about eating deve sucuk at the 2nd Karaçulha Camel Wrestling event, today's post will carry on the theme of camel appreciation - but we'll be concentrating on the aesthetics rather than the flavours. 

In the UK, we used to live near a major race course that hosted many horse racing meets throughout the winter months. My birthday falls around the time of one of the scheduled meets so we would go along as part of my birthday celebrations. We loved going to the paddock to watch the horses parading and would try to guess which groomer would be awarded the prize for 'best turned out horse'. Of course, we were also trying to decide which horse looked capable of winning the next race so we weren't returning home with empty pockets!

Because we had a Turkish friend with us at yesterday's camel wrestling event, it meant we also had a translator - and so we found ourselves witnessing the parade of what we were told were the four winners of the 'best turned out camel' awards. In no particular order, here are the four winners:

Suslu was in 3rd place for us

Number 1: Suslu
Suslu was standing proud and sporting a costume based around the primary colours of red and yellow. He was certainly a beauty - all the male camels in these events are fascinating creatures - but he wasn't our favourite.

This camel didn't have a good fashion designer for us - he was 4th

Number 2: Name Unknown
Decorated this immense young man may be, but we were all agreed that his outfit wasn't quite cutting it for us. A handsome young man such as this doesn't need to be parading around in a red, silky headscarf. He is however displaying many nods to the Turkish flag. Maybe this helped in his ascent to the winners' podium.

Okulu was our second-placed camel 

Number 3: Okulu
Again, sporting the primary colours of red and yellow, Okulu cut a fine figure of a bull camel as he paraded the ring. Okulu was perhaps our second favourite of the four winners. The flowing silk scarves and the beaded saddle covers did it for us.

Osman Ağa was our champion

Number 4: Osman Ağa
What a beautiful bull camel you were Osman Ağa as you strutted your stuff around the parading ground. Barry and I were both agreed - immediately - that the handsome Osman Ağa was the hands down winner of the 'best turned out camel' award for us. He stood out straight away for us in his vibrant blue silks and beaded saddle. 

The Karaçulha region is populated by a high percentage of former yörük (nomads) and, in the past, winters would be spent in the warmer climate of sea-level Fethiye and Karaçulha whilst the hot summer months would see an exodus of yörük and their livestock to the yayla (higher, cooler, more lush and fertile countryside). 

Our friend explained to us that the move up to the yayla wasn't done without ceremony and the camels would be dressed up with colourful scarves and other regalia as they all set off towards the hills. This was only a generation ago and sadly, this isn't seen anymore, so events like this are a reminder of Turkey's yörük tradition. Having said that, these camels, as in the horse racing world, are generally owned by wealthy business men - and the costumes they were wearing yesterday cost thousands of lira; not quite 'padding-up-to-the-yayla' outfits...but a fine spectacle all the same.

All four of these camels were yesterday's winners but we had our favourite in Osman Ağa. Which is your favourite? 
 

Turkish Food - Camel Sausage

Today was the 2nd Karaçulha Camel Wrestling Festival, just up the road from where we live. With just a 10 TL entrance fee and proceeds going towards the local school, we would have been negligent not to go again. Last year, we entered the 'arena' (read 'spare land') with trepidation and a little excitement at being able to witness an Aegean Turkish tradition we had never before seen. This year, we went along with TeDe In Turkey and her husband and this time we knew roughly what to expect.

These beautiful beasts are huge!

Last year, we were all shocked and surprised that there would be camel wrestling in Fethiye and so, when we wrote the post, we were fascinated by the actual camel wrestling bouts. However, this year, we found ourselves talking about what we were going to eat once inside - although when we got out of the car, the majesty of these beasts still took me aback. They command your appreciation and attention - especially when they're all waiting in the car parking area. 

A meat feast at the camel wrestling events

We arrived early so, once inside, the food stalls, all using charcoal barbecues to grill their meats, were only just beginning to cook for the expected crowds. The stall above was cooking red meat which, when fried up and placed in a half bread, resembled tantuni kebab. They just didn't have the tantuni to saute it in. Köfte was also widely available.

Deve sucuk - spicy camel sucuk - for sale at the camel wrestling event

Tempting as the tantuni and köfte looked, especially once the smoky, charcoaled, meaty aromas were wafting through the air around us, we hadn't come for that. We were there for the sucuk. But when you go to a camel wrestling event, it isn't dana sucuk (beef sucuk) that gets placed between your half-bread for your enjoyment. No. This is camel wrestling. These food stands are specialising in deve sucuk - a spicy sausage of cured camel meat. That was what we came for; a camel sucuk half-bread.

We all had half an eye on the food stands while we were watching the camel wrestling bouts and were trying to work out what exactly was going on. Food simplicity is always the best. Eventually, our friend looked at his watch and suggested going for some food. It must have been on all of our minds because, without speaking, we were at one of the food stands in no time.

Deve sucuk - heaven in a half-bread

Long slithers of deve sucuk were browning and sizzling over the hot coals beside grilled köfte. We ordered 4 half-breads of deve sucuk and, with impressive deftness, the half breads were cut through the middle and placed bread-side down on the griddle to soak up previous meat juices. Within seconds it was scooped from the griddle, a generous serving of deve sucuk was dropped between the slices and then salad and crisp, strong-tasting, raw onion was thrown over the top. 

The bread was slapped closed and paper was wrapped around the bottom before being thrust into our waiting hands. Money was taken, change was given. The whole process took less than a minute. You can't see in the photos, but the guy in the blue shirt was turning sucuk and köfte with his right hand. His left hand was gripping a wadge of notes as he was also in charge of the monetary transactions. 

Verdict: Deve sucuk is highly recommended, especially when it's as spicy as ours was!! A half bread was 5 TL (about £1.80) and a kilo of deve sucuk to take home was 20 TL per kilo (about £7) at the time of writing. Good value all round!

Fethiye Photo: Nif Winter Scene

A bit of a cheat today as we're stretching the boundaries as to what actually constitutes a Fethiye photo. In our first photo in the series - a photo of the Fethiye harbour sunset - we said we would include the areas surrounding Fethiye. Well, that meant places like Kayaköy and Ölü Deniz that get swallowed up under the umbrella of 'Fethiye' in the holiday brochures. I'm not sure we meant mountain villages on the Denizli road...

Nif: A snowy scene in the mountains above Fethiye

But the last couple of weeks in Turkey have seen the onset of particularly low winter temperatures and a lot of snow. Friends up in Istanbul have been posting photos online of their city, disguised under various shades of white (oh, how we want to see Istanbul in the snow) and, from here in Fethiye, when we cast our eyes towards the surrounding mountains, we can see a thick, crumpled duvet of snow resting over their peaks and shoulders.

Yes, we get snow in the mountains every winter - but some years, like in this photo, taken in the mountains around Nif in 2009, we get a deluge. We'll not repeat ourselves and tell you about why we were in Nif that day in February 2009. You can read about that by clicking this Nif link.  

But, that's the reason why we've included this scene in our Fethiye photo series. It's February, it's seasonal and it's of the time. There's snow in them there hills and we'd like to go back up there this year to once more get a taste of a snowy winter.

Turkish Recipes: A Meze Of Broccoli

At the end of March 2011, we decided it was about time we grew up and ate some of the vegetables we had both avoided as much as possible when we were younger - that meant it was time to take the plunge, go to Fethiye market and purchase the dreaded broccoli. We made yoğurtlu brokoli and discovered that broccoli wasn't as painful as we remembered, and was even quite enjoyable.

So enjoyable, in fact, that broccoli is again in season and yesterday we bought another broccoli tree in confidence. This evening, I made a more traditional Turkish meze with it.

A serving of broccoli with garlic, lemon and olive oil dressing

This recipe was passed on to us by a friend soon after I told her about our new found appreciation of the dreaded green tree. It's very quick and simple and really worth a try - even if you think you don't like broccoli. You might just surprise yourself. 

A Turkish Recipe Using Brokoli

• Cut the thick stem from the base of the broccoli florets and then divide the florets, leaving a short stem on each one.
• In a pan, bring some water to the boil and then add the florets. 
• Boil for no more than 5 minutes and then remove from the heat.
• Drain the broccoli in a colander immediately and then pour cold water over it to prevent it from losing its colour and cooking further.

For the broccoli dressing

This dressing really brings the broccoli into its own. We're coming to the end of citrus season in Fethiye so we have a fridge full of bol sulu (very juicy) lemons at the moment. We used one of these to make our dressing.

• Into a small dish, squeeze the juice of a whole lemon.
• Now add olive oil. Work on 1 part lemon to 3 parts oil. You can add more of one or the other later to suit your taste.
• Grate a large clove of garlic and add to the dressing.
• Finely chop a fresh green chilli, add to the dressing and stir it all together until the lemon and olive oil have blended.
• Add a sprinkling of salt and black pepper, taste and make the necessary adjustments.

When your broccoli has cooled, arrange it on a plate and then drizzle the dressing over the top. 

Broccoli makes for a very healthy Turkish meze

Trust us when we tell you that this Turkish broccoli recipe is very tasty - but if you're still not convinced enough to try it, a quick search on the internet about the many health benefits of broccoli might just change your mind.

Afiyet Olsun!