Istanbul Street Food - Black & White Series

Well isn't this a coincidence? Today's post is a series of black and white photos from Istanbul. It's not the first time we've done this. And there's the coincidence. On going back to our first Istanbul in Black and White post, it's become apparent that we published it exactly this time last year, on July 31st. Hmm, maybe we start to get a case of Istanbul pangs at this time of year, each year...

Last year's post came about because we were aware of the lack of 'historic Istanbul' posts on the blog. Well, that was rectified with those photos and we've since done articles on Aya Sofya, Süleymaniye Camii and Kariye Museum. Enough with the history for now, then, and let's get back onto another of our favourite topics: Turkish street food...in black and white! 

Çay - a symbol of Turkey

Okay, we know Turkish çay isn't food but this little tulip-shaped glass of goodness looks quite cool in black and white, don't you think? This photo was taken when we were in Beyazıt last October. We'd been to Süleymaniye Camii and then slipped away from the crowds to enjoy a few glasses of çay and a nargile at the Çorlulu Alipaşa Medresesi. Let's call it a Turkish street food of the hot liquid variety.

Kestane in winter - yum

Especially during the winter months, you're not going to be able to walk too far in Istanbul without coming across hot, roasted chestnuts for sale (kestane). There's something very wintery and comforting about the sight of these street sellers wrapped up in woolly hats, tempting us with aromas of chestnut in a huge city. It just doesn't look the same in the warmer seasons - although we're sure the street sellers don't prefer winter in Istanbul! 

Tantuni - almost, but not quite as good as hamsi - or just different

And what a discovery this was. Remember our Turkish street food discovery of 2011? Our tastebuds had the pleasure of partying with our first ever taste of tantuni kebab. It was a cold night, the windows of this place were steaming up but when we saw the words we'd been keeping an eye out for - 'tantuni kebab' - we marched straight on in there. This photo, I think, captures that wintery, early evening, cold and dark outside feel. We love tantuni!

Karaköy balık pazar - mill about by the Golden Horn

And is this our favourite place in Istanbul? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder because this is usually our first stop (we didn't get here on our fleeting trip in April) when we come to Istanbul. Such a welcome - and therefore beautiful, for us - sight. A glance to the left bombards the senses with Istanbul ferries sounding their horns as they criss-cross the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus and, on the opposite shore, the minarets of world famous mosques stretch into the sky...

Would we travel the world just to eat some Black Sea hamsi...?

...And that's all well and good (actually, it's a fabulous view) but we're here for one thing only. Our eyes are locked firmly to the right. We stroll through the small but bursting-with-life Karaköy fish market and only stop when we get to these guys. These are the guys that are going to serve up our fresh, winter anchovies in the form of hamsi ekmek. Mmmm, we can almost taste winter, now.

And wow! Here's another coincidence. We were recently asked if we would like to take part in a collaborative blog post about our special, favourite food. Well, that post has just gone live, as I'm typing. You can probably guess which food we chose. You'll find out over at Migrationology's, 33 Foods Worth Traveling Across The World Just To Eat. 33 bloggers took part and Turkey features three times! Not a bad advert for Turkish cuisine, we're thinking! 

Luxury Lounging On Çalış Beach - A Day At Şat Beach Club

When our friends were here a couple of weeks back, they were thinking of something different to do for the day. We'd spent a good bit of time with them around the pool of the Yacht Classic, where they were staying. They'd had their annual Ölü Deniz fix by spending the day on Belcekiz Beach. We'd had the fabulous day at the Olive Garden in the village of Kabak. What next? Now it was the turn of Çalış Beach...and Şat Beach Club is just the sort of place they like.

Our sunbeds at Şat - before we sat on them!

I'll hold my hands up here and admit that I'm not a big fan of entering the Mediterranean from this little stretch of coast. I prefer shingle to sand, so Çalış Beach has got that going for it - but the sea is just so choppy in the daytime. But swimming at Şat Beach Club is slightly helped by the boom they use to section the area off, so the odd dip becomes a bit more feasible for me. 

Cushions and loungers on the grassy area

But with the minuses come the pluses. The choppy waters of Çalış Beach are due to the near-constant breezes that have been such a relief to the system during this year's humid Fethiye summer. We're not ones for lying in the sun (whereas our friends are) but the act of sunbathing almost borders on pleasurable for us in Çalış - and Şat does have great views back to Fethiye and across to Şovalye Island.

Bar area of Şat Beach Club

There's a pleasant beach bar area at Şat where you can sit in the shade or the waiters wander along the boardwalk of the beach from time to time so you can order food and drink from your sunbed.

Now, the food menu is pricey for us so we've never eaten here. But you know us. We're not ones to take advantage of these facilities without having a little drink. So, after a quick swim and a lie in the sun for a short while to dry off, it's to the shade of the beach bar for an ice cold Efes Pilsen (leaving our friends fast asleep on their sunbeds). 

Şat Beach Club - Useful Information

• Şat Beach Club is at the far end of Çalış Beach, nearest to Fethiye. At the main entrance to Çalış Beach, turn left and keep going until you can get no further. View on map
• If you're arriving by car, take the left at the junction to the beach entrance and keep going to the end, where you'll come to the Şat Beach Club car park.
• As of summer 2012, use of the beach area is 5 Lira.
• The beach bar is fully stocked with both alcoholic and soft drinks and also sells hot drinks and ice-creams.
• There's a children's play park for bored kids.
• Snacks are served all day.
• The restaurant menu is a la carte and the outdoor terrace has fabulous views over towards Fethiye, especially at night.

Budget Turkey - Not Much Money But We Do See Life!

Friday was treat day. After our friends left the previous weekend, we bunkered down at home and had one of our 'cheap weeks.' It's become a game. We keep a spreadsheet and see how little money we can get away with in seven days - it makes for interesting reading! But by the time Friday came, we were ready for a treat so we headed off to the Sundial Hotel for a swim and a weekend Efes Pilsen. 

Sundial Hotel and views of Fethiye

It was over this Efes Pilsen that the idea for this post came about. As we looked out over the pool, the rooftops of Fethiye and the sea beyond, Barry pointed out, "It's not a bad place to come and have a beer treat, is it?" This is very true! But somehow, over the years, we've always managed to have at least one beer in those establishments that weren't really built with budget travellers like us in mind. It's good fun...and makes for fascinating people watching, too.

In Fethiye, we love the Sundial and, if you follow this blog regularly, you'll know we're also quite partial to a swim and a beer at the Yacht Classic, too. But it's not just in Fethiye that we enjoy the occasional swanky beer...

Seven Hills Hotel, Sultanahmet, Istanbul
After leaving the much more affordable Antique Hostel for the day, we've had a beer on the fabulous roof terrace of the Seven Hills Hotel a few times, now. Only one, mind! Sitting on a terrace with 360 degree views that include Aya Sofya, Sultanahment Camii (the Blue Mosque),  the Bosphorus Strait and the Marmara Sea, does not come cheap. You make this beer last!

Aya Sofya, Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Alp Paşa Boutique Hotel, Antalya
Antalya's an interesting one. When it comes to price range, the city is full of out-of-our-league hotels. BUT, in the winter months, these hotels drop their prices to levels that even we would consider. 

And so it was that one winter, a few years ago, we found ourselves not only having a sneaky Efes at the beautiful Alp Paşa Boutique Hotel; we stayed there...for a few days...half board. Oh, how we laughed when we saw the slippers, the bath robes, the bath! What on earth were we doing in a place like this? Cut us some slack here; we're more familiar with tents and hostels. The Alp Paşa Hotel is in Kaleiçi and goes down as one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in. But what about the beers? A gentle couple was all we had and then it was time to explore the more affordable options of the old town.

Antalya harbour and Kaleiçi

Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul
Pera Palace Hotel is a classic. You can't go to Istanbul for the first time and not pop in for a drink at one of the world's most famous hotels. We had a one-off, very expensive beer here before it was refurbished - back when the place creaked under the weight of its history and looked like it hadn't had a lick of paint since Agatha Christie stayed there. 

The waiter's demeanour made it perfectly clear that when he accepted his job at the Pera Palace, he most certainly did not expect to be serving drinks to tourists in jeans and trainers. He was way above that. Çerez (nibbles) were brought over and Barry's mum popped a nut into her mouth. "I think these nuts have been here since Agatha Christie used to stay here, too," she quipped. Chuckles all round, making this beer particularly memorable.

We should point out that the Pera Palace is now all shiny and new and probably doesn't creak at all! 

Sirkeci Station - the last stop for the Orient Express. Guests stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel.

Beech Hill Hotel, Lake District, UK
Yes, we know this isn't Turkey, but this is one of Barry's all-time favourite beers and it's an example that we don't limit our swanky beers to the hotels of Turkey. 

We spent as many weekends as we could in the Lake District when we lived in the UK, camping more often than not. On one such weekend, Barry and his friend took off to, let's say, use some more comfortable facilities at the Beech Hill Hotel. My friend and I stayed behind and waited...and waited. Eventually, we worked out that after using the facilities, the boys had decided to partake in an afternoon beer. We walked to the hotel and there they were, sat on the garden terrace, overlooking Lake Windermere, sipping a pint of lager. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em - so we did.

These are just a few examples of the places where we've enjoyed a rare little treat. Where do you like to go for the occasional treat? 

Fethiye Photo: A Meze Of Turkish Şakşuka

Last Friday's Fethiye photo was a shot of the sunset from the Ölü Deniz to Faralya road - it seemed to be a fitting completion of our set of posts from the fabulous day we had spent in Kabak - so this week, we're coming back over the hill and heading into Çalış. To be more precise, we're going straight to Akdeniz Restaurant (we were taking our friends to sample their amazing kuşbaşılı pide), we're going foodie again, and we're going to enjoy a serving of their freshly made şakşuka meze. Doesn't it just look so tempting?

Turkish Şakşuka - Ingredients differ in countries of the Middle East

Yet another example of the Turkish love of the aubergine, Turkish şakşuka is another meze we could have added to our list for yesterday's post about our five favourite Turkish meze dishes. Actually, choosing five was a very difficult task and we could have added many more.

But şakşuka only works when it's been made well and when it's still fresh! Our first few experiences of şakşuka left us thinking, "Hmm, it's okay but it's definitely not a favourite." Claggy tomato sauce almost solidifying the mixture of aubergine and potato. It made sense that the ingredients should go perfectly together to make a tasty meze, but it just never seemed to work. If you've seen it ready-made in the deli sections of the supermarkets in Turkey, you'll know what we mean.

Fortunately, since then, we've had the pleasure of eating şakşuka meze dishes like the one above. Freshly made (this one was even still a bit warm) so the tomatoes, olive oil and juices become a dressing rather than a coating for the cubes of fried potato and aubergine. A dressing that, once you've scooped up all the vegetables, can be mopped up with crusty, Turkish bread! This is a good Turkish şakşuka!

Five Fab Summer Turkish Meze Dishes For Barbecue Season

"Ahhh, summer. My favourite day of the year." 
This is stolen from our friend's recent status update on Facebook and it made us titter. He lives in the UK! However, the semi-arrival of summer in the UK (we know it's intermittent, at best!), and a few people subsequently asking us about our favourite Turkish meze recipes for barbecues, have prompted us to compile this short list. Each of these recipes, plus more besides, is already on the blog but these are our five favourites:

Turkish Meze Dishes - 5 Barbecue Favourites

Antep Ezmesi

If you know us or this blog, you will not be one bit surprised to see Antep Ezmesi in this list. The thing is, if you are inviting friends over for a barbecue and you're going to the trouble of making a Turkish meze dish from scratch, we've never met anyone who doesn't love Antep Ezmesi. It's refreshing, packed full of summer salad stuffs and it can be as spicy as you want it to be. If we were forced to choose, this might be the all-time favourite for us. It's worth the effort!

Click this link to view our Antep Ezmesi recipe.


Cacık

Well, you can't have a Turkish-themed barbecue and not have cacık on the menu. Natural yoghurt is a staple of Turkish cuisine and you will see many meze recipes that have yoghurt as the base. Cacık, with its optional garlic, is probably the most famous of these mezes and, as well as being really tasty, is also a great aid to digestion. Well, you don't want to be sending your barbecue guests home with indigestion, do you?

Click this link if you would like to follow our recipe for cacık.


Kısır

Oh, how we love kısır. Actually, it was this dish that also helped along with the decision to do this post today. You see, summer in Fethiye is a given, and the effect on the appetite is that we crave the grazing on light meze dishes rather than ploughing through heavy meals. I made kısır yesterday just so we could eat it for lunch with crispy lettuce leaves. Nar ekşisi (Pomegranate syrup) is a must-add ingredient for us - but, if you're not in Turkey and you can't get hold of any, lemon juice is a good substitute.

To add this dish to your barbecue table, click this link to follow our kısır meze recipe. 


Patlıcan Salatası

That's Aubergine (Eggplant) Salad to the non-Turkish speaker. Turkey and aubergines are best friends and the vegetable features heavily in Turkish cuisine. It would be a shame to have a barbecue that didn't acknowledge the Turkish love of the aubergine - and this meze is definitely one of our favourites. It goes really well with grilled meats and is nothing short of yummy when dolloped onto toasted bread. 

To make this Turkish meze, follow our recipe for aubergine salad.


Antalya Usulü Piyazı

Well, what's a barbecue without the presence of piyaz? That's what we think, anyway. Anyone who comes to our house will definitely see a huge bowl of this amongst the other meze dishes. Aside from the fact that we just love piyaz, it is just the most perfect accompaniment to köfte (meatballs) - and, more often than not, there will be köfte present at our barbecues. 

Piyaz usually has a dressing of vinegar, lemon and olive oil, but Antalya Usulü Piyazı has the extra addition of tahin (tahini or sesame seed paste) mixed into the dressing. You can leave this out if it isn't to your taste, but we highly recommend trying it. We've eaten a lot of piyaz recently and have used tinned beans just for quickness. They work! 

To give your guests the perfect accompaniment to their barbecued köfte, click this link for our Antalya Usulü Piyazı recipe.

The great thing with all these Turkish meze dishes is that, apart from the hard-boiled egg which garnishes the piyaz, they can all be made the night before your barbecue. Just remember to lift them out of the fridge a couple of hours before you eat and give them all a stir. Of course, the abundant presence of meze is also going to mean your vegetarian friends won't be going home from your barbecue with a rumbling tummy!

If we've tempted you and you'd like to see more ideas for your barbecue, click this link to view all of our meze & salad recipes.

Istanbul Street Food: Late Night Kokoreç And Midye Tava

Back in April we flew to Rome from Turkey and, as we were flying from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, it meant we got to spend a night in our favourite city, Istanbul. It all coincided with a meet-up with some other bloggers...which meant going out for drinks...which of course meant ending the evening with a late night snack before bedtime. And Istanbul is not a bad place to be if you need that all-important food that you are convinced will prevent the following morning's inevitable hangover. 

We were in Beyoğlu so we hit the side streets and pushed our way through the crowds of revellers packing the streets around the famous Balık Pazarı and Nevizade Sokak. "Buyrun, buyrun, yes please," rang out above the noise as waiters and barmen tried to attract us into their establishments. We turned round to the others to see what they'd like to eat - and we'd lost them! 

Midye tava and kokoreç in Beyoğlu, Istanbul

Don't stand still for too long in Istanbul. There are seagulls - even late at night! As we stood, trying to catch sight of familiar faces, a seagull flew above, relieved itself, and the contents landed on me and my camera case. "Buyrun, buyrun, would you like to sit here?" Ten out of ten for persistence Mister Waiter - but what I really need right now is one or more of your serviettes. This fell on deaf ears, but thankfully, some people are more organised than we are. We were rescued by Joy of My Turkish Joys who had a ready supply of wet wipes in her bag. Thanks, Joy!

All cleaned up, we jostled our way back up the street and found the others at a street food stand. We had a choice. Kokoreç or midye tava (deep-fried muscles). Well, no competition for us. After a night on the Efes Pilsen the perfect dessert has got to be spicy kokoreç. The meat was expertly chopped into tiny pieces, chilli flakes mixed in, the crusty half-bread was placed, bread-side down, onto the hotplate to soak up the juices and then it was all brought together to produce a delightful kokoreç half-bread.

We headed off, up towards Taksim Square, got in a taxi and then straight to bed, ready for our onward journey the morning after. At 8am the alarm clock jolted us from our slumber. Had the night before's kokoreç hangover prevention worked? Of course it hadn't. It never does...but it's still good!

Yacht Classic Withdrawal Symptoms - Going Cold Turkey

It's Monday, the start of a new week, and the start of week where we are bunkering down to get back to some sort of normal, daily life where we do things like cooking and ironing and spending as little money as possible (we have the latter down to a fine art). You see, we've just spent the last fortnight with friends who came to Fethiye on holiday and, luckily for us, they stayed at the Yacht Classic Hotel along the Karagözler.

The Yacht Classic Hotel, Fethiye

Why was it lucky for us? Because, on occasion, we love to go there for a swim. But, because our friends were staying there, we had a perfect excuse to go there for a swim almost every day. We got used to it! So used to it, in fact, that even on the days when our friends took themselves off to the beach (they're professional sunbathers), we would still pop down to the pool for a cooling dip late in the afternoon, telling ourselves we were just waiting for our friends to return for the evening ahead.

Dining area at the Yacht Classic

On top of Fethiye's usual hot, summer heat, we also had a mini heatwave to deal with last week. Fethiye is not known for its breezes, but we found welcome respite by the sea here. Apart from actually sleeping in one of the rooms, we feel like we've just had a holiday at the Yacht Classic - and now we've returned home. We're suffering withdrawal symptoms, but this is self-imposed cold turkey - at least for a short while, anyway...

We even spent a few evenings around the bar

The Yacht Classic is getting itself a reputation as the hotel where the celebs stay when they're in town. And yes, Fethiye has seen some major celebrities of late. None other than current James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, stayed here while filming was taking place for the latest Bond film, Skyfall. Did he go for a swim while he stayed here? Who knows, but it's nice telling yourself you've been for a swim in the same pool as Daniel Craig!

Compare Rates At The Yacht Classic Hotel or other Fethiye Hotels

Faralya to Ölü Deniz Road - A Photo

It's Friday and time for another Fethiye photo. Last week's photo was the view of Fethiye's Karagözler and the Ece Saray Hotel, taken from the marina at the Yacht Classic Hotel. We've spent a lot of time there this last fortnight as our friends have been staying there. Alas, another holiday has come to an end and we'll be taking them to Dalaman Airport later on today.

But let's not dwell on that. On the blog this week, we've had a a series of fabulous food and views from Lycian Turkey's village of Kabak and the road that leads up to the village. Today, we're going to round that mini series off with a photo we stopped to take while we were driving back from the Olive Garden towards Ölü Deniz.

Ölu Deniz and the Mediterranean from the Faralya road

To be honest, the sun was blinding as it lowered in the sky, so the stop was a good break from the futile shielding of eyes. We couldn't see too much as we were taking the photos either but this one didn't come out too badly. A fitting end to this series of posts and to our friends' holiday.

We will return to Kabak, maybe in October or November, when the weather is cooler. This area is a beautiful stretch of the Lycian Way - many who have trekked the whole length say it's the most beautiful stretch - and we want to hike along more of the path. As we said in previous posts, Kabak and Faralya are a perfect base for walkers and we want to make the most of that in the autumn and spring months. We couldn't help but feel a little bit of frustration that it was so hot while we were up there last week - too hot to consider a good leg stretch in the hills - but then that's a good excuse to go back there soon...

A Turkish Food Feast At The Olive Garden, Kabak

We've had a bit of running theme this week, enjoying the amazing scenery of the west side of Lycian Turkey. On Sunday, we looked out over the Mediterranean as we did the drive from Ölü Deniz to Kabak and then on Tuesday, we lazed the day away and were blown away by the views from the terraces at the Olive Garden. 

A bit of a break from the scenery of the area now though, because we also indulged in the fabulous food of the Olive Garden. (No one was allowed to start their meal until photographs had been taken!) It's a very simple menu that, when reading through the choices, doesn't particularly excite you. For example, 'Beef casserole.' That's it. No extra information to make your mouth water... But in the end, it didn't really matter. The food spoke for itself.

Antep ezmesi is probably our favourite meze

Spicy Antep Ezmesi and hummus, served with crusty bread, were chosen as a meze. Of course, we ate more bread than we really ought to have done - we'll learn to refrain one of these days - but what's a meze dip without the bread to dip into it?

Time for main meal and the beef casserole. Remember, that was all it said on the menu. It didn't say, 'huge, tender, lean chunks of beef, served in a traditional clay pot, in a casserole of charred aubergines, tomatoes, potato and onion.'

A Portion of Beef Casserole - the rest is still in the pot!

But that's what the Olive Garden beef casserole is. Everyone coveted my choice when it was placed on the table. This is a dish to take your time over. A perfect summer dish it may not be - but who cares? We'll recommend this one!

Cumin köfte

Two of the crowd went for the cumin köfte (kiremitte kimyon köfte). The köfte was served in a sizzling dish. Cooked in a tomato sauce and topped with roast pepper, tomato and a couple of potato wedges, cheese was melted over the top before it was brought out to us. We all sampled. We all gave the thumbs up. Again, perhaps not an ideal summer dish but we were hungry! 

Stuffed aubergine

And the last of the main meals: our friend went for the aubergine stuffed with chicken breast pieces and mushroom before being topped in a tomato sauce. She was the only one who was defeated, but the men were only to happy to help out. Forks were soon stabbing at the leftovers! 

You might be getting the theme now. Again, this is perhaps not a very summery dish but it was very tasty. We should point out that the Olive Garden has a good choice of salad dishes if all this heavy food doesn't appeal to you in 90+ degree heat. We were just really keen to try different dishes and there are definitely no regrets on our part. It's a rare occasion that we have no appetite!

Were we full after all of this food? Full-to-bursting, but Fatih, the owner, had told us that he had dessert prepared for the evening meals. Would we like a dessert? No, how could we possibly even entertain the idea of a dessert? Except our friend has a sweet tooth. Once Fatih had explained what was waiting in the kitchen, our friend set about persuading Barry to join him in the act of sugary over-indulgence.

Poached apricots

Poached apricots served in a light syrup on a bed of yufka (phyllo) and topped with a spoonful of natural yoghurt and cinnamon. Yes, complete over-indulgence, but we all helped out and managed to get through two platefuls between us. It was all worth the effort and it was four very satisfied people that drove back to Fethiye that evening. 

Olive Garden, Kabak - Extra Info

• To get to the Olive Garden, follow the mountain road from Ölü Deniz to Kabak. You will see the signpost on your right just before the road ends. View The Olive Garden On Our Map.
• We found prices to be very reasonable - for example, at the time of writing, the beef casserole is 18 TL. 
• For those who want to really relax, it's possible to stay overnight in one of the wooden bungalows. See our previous post about Olive Garden for the website and booking information.
• For more ideas of where or what eat in the Fethiye region, take a look at our Fethiye Eating & Drinking Page.
  
  

A Day At The Olive Garden Restaurant, Kabak

On Sunday, we took you on a journey from the maze of hotels in Ölü Deniz, and up along the remote, mountain road that leads to Faralya (Uzunyurt) and eventually to Kabak. We stopped a few times en route to take in the amazing scenery and to try to capture it on camera. Some of the photos are in that post. 

We were heading towards the Olive Garden Camp, Restaurant & Bar. We'd heard so much about it and it was to be our first visit. Well, we can safely say, it won't be our last visit. We were here for hours!

Bungalows at the Olive Garden

Kabak is a remote mountain village that happens to sit on the side of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, and so far (fingers crossed this continues), looks after its overnight visitors in various 'camps'. It's chilled, relaxed and the higher camps, such as the Olive Garden, benefit from the slightly cooler air. 

Interior of the bungalows

Fatih, the owner, showed us inside one of his bungalows. For 150 TL per night, you get a double bed, mosquito net, bathroom, fan...and breakfast and evening meal with an amazing view. The chefs here are good at what they do - but that's another post. We've got too many photos to be going on with for now.

Chill out areas with a view of Kabak

The Olive Garden is a business that is being built up slowly and sympathetically. 'Responsible tourism' is the phrase that comes to mind. The wooden bungalows blend in with their surroundings as do the shaded köşks and the not-so-shaded sunbathing areas. We didn't bother with any sunbathing, though. We were here for the food and the views - and we wanted to see if Kabak had changed at all since our last visit.

Plunge pool with a view

But before the food, we enjoyed a few drinks and a swim in the pool. The plunge pool is a new addition for this year and the water is refreshingly cool on such a hot day. For now, we can only imagine how welcome it would be after a day's trekking.

Bungalow, garden and mountains

There's already a patch of garden by the pool, growing what appears to be corn, but for next year, the plan is to extend the garden so they can grow more of their own fruit and vegetables for the kitchen (they already grow a lot of their own produce). It's a long way to the market from here! 

View of Kabak Bay from the Olive Garden

We chose to admire the view of Kabak Bay from the terraces of the Olive Garden - beaches always look better from above. There's a path from here for those who want to hike down, but we were in no mood for hiking back up in the heat. We saw the state of the guests arriving back from their 'stroll.' Not today, thank you. But we are in Lycian Way territory here. We've hiked the first stretch as far as Butterfly Valley in the past but would love to return to this area to tackle some of the trails around Kabak and beyond. The Olive Garden and other camps in Kabak make a perfect base for hikers.

Olive Garden Restaurant

After a day of complete relaxation, it was time to decide what we were going to eat before we left this haven for the metropolis of Fethiye. (That's what Fethiye now felt like after a few hours up here in the mountains.) We were keen to leave before sunset as the road back to Ölü Deniz doesn't seem so inviting at night time. We sat on the edge of the terrace, overlooking the sea and Kabak bay, below, and wishing we were staying overnight. Could the food surpass the views? We'll tell you next time about the food we ate at Olive Garden Restaurant in Kabak...

Fancy Staying Overnight At Olive Garden Camp?

Ölü Deniz To Kabak In Photos

Whenever we have friends over to visit, we always like to try to take them somewhere in the area that they've never seen before - somewhere that sends them home with vivid memories of their time in Turkey. The friends who are here at the moment have been to Fethiye many times before, and so, for this visit, we were racking our brains. This one had to be good...

And then it came to us. The ultimate in dramatic, Southwest Turkey beauty; that which inspires awe amongst all - and even makes you feel a bit dizzy if you look down too quickly. We'd hired a car for a couple of days so we decided it was high time we introduced our friends to Kabak.

A gület heading towards the lagoon at Ölü Deniz

The road from Ölü Deniz to Kabak is clearly visible to sunbathers on Belcekiz Beach in Ölü Deniz, those enjoying a relaxing day at Gemiler Bay and to sailors going about their business along this stretch of amazing coastline. It's a scar that begins amongst the hotels of Belcekiz before stretching off into the distance and climbing the foothills of Babadağ. 

Inviting waters around the coast of Ölü Deniz

Within minutes, the driver and passengers are rewarded with enough height to force the driver to pull over to the side of the road, admire, oooh and ahhh, take lots of photos and come to realise just why it is that Ölü Deniz became so famous. This is not a stretch of road to be rushed. No. Take your time and allow yourself to be blown away by natural beauty.

Climbing through the mountain scenery

The road to Kabak isn't for everyone. It's steep, winding and narrow with sheer drops, but, in our opinion, those who brave the journey get to see Southwest Turkey and the Turquoise Coast at its fantastic best. No one said you had make it to Kabak in record time. 1st and 2nd gear, easy does it...and as soon as you spy an opportunity, get out of the car to take yet more photos.

Spectacular coastal views near Butterfly Valley

You don't realise how much you've climbed until you see the vast Mediterranean directly below you. Yachts have become the only specks of white that interrupt the blanket of vivid blue...

A sneak peek of Butterfly Valley

...and the cliffs plunge vertically into the sea, occasionally allowing the formation of bays and beaches. You'll know when you reach this section of road. Colossal boulders by the side of the road remind us how small and insignificant we are as we potter about in our little car. Stop the car here and, without getting too close to the edge of course, take a peek downwards. We're standing above Butterfly Valley and are almost in Faralya.

But we've not come to Faralya today. We need to drive through the village, passing the fork in the road that leads to the village of Kirme before becoming the Lycian Way footpath back to Ovacık. Drive by the agricultural terraces, boutique hotels and camping bungalows of Faralya and continue to follow the road. We've got a further 7 kilometres to go...

Entrance to the Olive Garden Camp and Restaurant

We're in Lycian Way territory now and Kabak is a popular first overnight stop along the route. Eventually, 100 metres or so before the road ends completely, we see a sign that tells us we've reached our destination. We've been to Kabak in the past (a good few years ago) but the Olive Garden is a first for us as well as for our friends. We've got high hopes as it's been recommended by so many people. 

I don't much fancy inching the car down the steep, rubble track so we park on the road and follow the arrows on foot. Five minutes later, we're on the terraces of the Olive Garden, mouths agape...but those photos are for the next post!

Fethiye Marina Photo - An Alternative View

You may remember that last week's Friday Fethiye photo became a Saturday photo because we were at Dalaman Airport to pick up friends. That shot was of Gemiler Bay near Kayaköy and everything is beginning to connect because we're off to both Gemiler and Kayaköy with them over the next couple of days, and today's Fethiye photo has come about as a result of their visit.

Fethiye's 1st Karagözler is home to many hotels and pensions

Our friends are staying at the Yacht Classic Hotel along the Karagözler and so we've spent a few days lazing around the pool with them and enjoying the breezes coming in from the sea - the July heat is intense, this year. On one of the days, it was time to go out to get something to eat so our friends went off to their room, Barry was fast asleep...and I was bored. 

After perching on the end of the sunbed for a few minutes, twiddling my thumbs, I set off for a little wander with my camera and suddenly realised I'd never walked through the Yacht Classic Marina. So many photos I've taken here, but they've always been from the hotel grounds, looking over the yachts and the sea. Wouldn't it be a bit different to get some shots from the end of the pontoons; views from the sea, looking back towards the Karagözler?

And so off I went - and this is just one of the many photos I took in the few minutes I was there. The view is of the houses and apartments built on the hillside of the 1st Karagözler and the white building on the seashore is the rather grand-looking Ece Saray Hotel. This is Fethiye - part of the Turkish Riviera - and doesn't this view epitomise just that? 

Turkish Seasonal Food - Cold Tomato Soup Recipe

Back in June we celebrated the arrival of the giant, summer, Turkish tomatoes and posted a recipe for tomato salad. Well, we're just about surviving the Fethiye July heat and mentally preparing ourselves for a predicted temperature rise over the coming weekend. 

Enter the tomato. Such a versatile, seasonal food that is the main ingredient in so many Turkish dishes (spicy Antep Ezmesi is a dish that immediately comes to mind) and today, with the temperature increase in our thoughts, we're thinking cold tomato dishes once more. It's not a Turkish recipe but it's perfect for the Turkish summer heat.

A garnish of fresh mint leaves on the tomato soup

A Recipe For Refreshingly Cold Tomato Soup
Does a cold, tomato soup automatically become a gazpacho? Whatever you choose to call it, it's a perfect recipe for long, lazy days in the sun and it's easy. If you have a food mixer, you can just throw everything into your food mixer. We use a hand blender so all our ingredients just go into a large pan, ready to be blended.

• Take a handful of stale breadcrumbs and pour a little water over them. Leave for around 20 minutes and then drain off any excess water.
• Roughly chop 2 of the huge, summer, Turkish tomatoes (about 1 kilo) and add to your food mixer, along with the bread crumbs.
• Roughly chop a cucumber and as many chillies as you can handle and add to your mixture.
• Deseed and chop a couple of peppers and add those. (If you want to change the flavour slightly, you could roast and peel your peppers first.)
• Now add a clove of garlic, a dash of vinegar and a good few glugs of olive oil.
• Blend the soup to a smooth consistency and chill in the fridge for a few hours.

A serving of refreshing cold tomato soup

When you're ready to serve the soup, garnish with a drizzle of oil and fresh seasonal mint. A quick scan of gazpacho recipes across the internet will show a variety of ideas for different garnishes but we prefer to keep it simple. Some people add ice to their soup but, for us, although it's tempting at this time of year, it takes away from the sweet tomato flavour so we leave it out.

Afiyet Olsun

Fethiye Beaches: Aksazlar Bay

Whenever people come to Fethiye for a holiday, the general assumption is that if a day at the beach is in order, they must either head across to Çalış or jump on the dolmuş to be taken over the hill to Ölüdeniz. The local bays are often overlooked, and that's a shame because they each have a beauty of their own.

We're not the type of people to idle away hours on end by remaining horizontal under the blazing sun but, occasionally, we do hit the beach for an hour or so - and last week was one of those occasions. We decided to go to Aksazlar Koyu (Aksazlar Bay); a perfect angle from which to enjoy the Fethiye scenery while sipping an ice-cold Efes. And 'bay' is a more accurate description. When we say 'beach', we mean 'shingle seashore'.

View of Fethiye from Aksazlar

Aksazlar Koyu is roughly one kilometre away from Marina Vista Hotel, further along the peninsula road and we've never seen it crowded, hence the reason why we like to sit here - but we don't lie on the beach. As you can see in the photo, there are sunbeds, and you can  also lounge around, Ottoman-style, in the shade of a köşk, but we forgo all of that and sit under the pine trees.

Hammocks and garden seating at Aksazlar

There's something really relaxing about sitting in the shade of the encroaching pine forest, watching the yachts come and go in the distance. This bay has always been here - in many years gone by, we used to come here to with friends for Sunday afternoon winter barbecues - but it's only around five or six years ago that it was made into a business. 

Lots of natural shade at Aksazlar Koyu

Aksazlar Koyu isn't for everyone. For example, if you're coming here to enjoy a swim in the clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, then you're going to be disappointed. People do take a swim here - the water is calm and shallow - but we're very close to the boatyard and we're in Fethiye harbour. The water's murky. Take a look and decide for yourself before diving in. 

BUT, the less than ideal swimming conditions are of benefit to people like us who just want to sit in a peaceful bay. The sea-swimming masses tend to give Aksazlar a miss and that means we get to come here to chill out in relative seclusion for a couple of hours. And if you come here and start to feel too lazy to move...

Camping at Aksazlar

...you could always hire a tent and stay overnight. The tents are set in the forest clearing behind the restaurant and waking early to the cries of the cicada and to views along the Karagözler - well we've done that in the past, in our own tent, and, if you like camping, we can highly recommend it.

Aksazlar Koyu: Useful Info

• Aksazlar is just off Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi, between Marina Vista Hotel and Letoonia.
• There is a fee for those wishing to use sunbeds or a köşk. 
• We've never eaten here but the menu has a good choice and meals are reasonably priced. 
• To get to Aksazlar Koyu, take the orange-fronted Taşyaka-Karagözler dolmuş. Tell the driver you are going to Aksazlar and he will take you all the way down to the bay. 2012 price is 2.50 TL (around 90 pence). These are every 15 minutes, each way.
• If you want to stay overnight, you can hire a tent for 50 TL. If you have your own tent, then camping fees are 30 TL per night. There are toilets and showers.

Fethiye Photo: Gemiler Bay

It's July and we've hit that time again - that time where we hire a car to dash off to Dalaman Airport and pick up friends, drop the car off, go to meet those very friends, spend the day with them...and the Fethiye photo for Friday once more becomes a Saturday photo. If you're a supporter of real chips, then take a look at last week's Fethiye photo. For this week though, we're going scenic again...

Yachts anchored in Gemiler Bay

This is the beautiful Gemiler Bay, taken in July of last year. It's one of our favourite places for swimming because the sea is so calm here - although admittedly, it does get more crowded than it used to in the summer months. Well, when we say crowded, you can see what we mean in the photos from last year's post about our July day trip to Gemiler. It's not that crowded.

It's just that we love Gemiler for its tranquility and, as you can see in the photo, for its amazing setting. Pine forests surround the beach and the rugged coastline towards Ölüdeniz, St. Nicholas Island (Gemiler Adası) with its Byzantine ruins beckons sunbathers - and all of this is watched over by the huge hulk of Babadağ (Father Mountain). This is our favourite angle of the Fethiye region's highest peak.

For us, we prefer to wait for the season to finish and then we head to Gemiler Bay in winter. The little cafe on the corner of the beach (remarkably) stays open all year. To enjoy a drink while having all this scenery to yourself, listening to the sea lapping on the pebbles just below...well, just perfect.

In summer season, the Kayaköy dolmuş goes all the way down to Gemiler Bay. Not all of them go so check with the driver for times.