The month of November has been and gone, which can only mean one thing: another article to add to our ever growing collection of monthly Fethiye news updates.
Not much preamble for you this month because we’ve just got such a lot to get through. So, without further ado…
A Time For Remembrance
November is a time for remembrance, both for Turkey and for those of us who commemorate the end of the First World War on November 11th.
On Remembrance Sunday and on the 11th November, we paused to remember those who lost their lives in the World Wars and in more recent wars.
We shared our articles about our visit to Cassino War Cemetery in Italy and also the Haydarpasha Cemetery in Istanbul.
On November 10th, at 9:05am, the whole of Turkey comes to a standstill to commemorate the passing of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In Fethiye, traffic came to a halt as drivers and passengers stood by their vehicles.
Runners and walkers stood with arms by their sides while the noise from the horns of naval ships and coastguard boats filled the air.
Political leaders and representatives of various local groups and organisations attended a ceremony at the statue of Atatürk on Beşkaza Meydanı.
I waited until the crowds had dispersed before pausing at the statue during my morning run.
New Restrictions
In November, on two separate occasions, new restrictions were announced by the government in the hope of slowing the spread of Coronavirus.
The second set of restrictions have already started, so if you are travelling in Turkey anytime soon, make sure you check with your embassy what rules are in place.
We don’t want to get bogged down with all the ins and outs on the blog, but, in a nutshell, there are now curfews in place.
- Daily for people aged 65 and over and those aged 20 and under. Their time allowed outside is limited to 3 hours per day. 10am – 1pm for the older age group and 1pm – 4pm for the younger age group.
- There are night time curfews for all age groups
- There are full weekend curfews for all age groups until 5am on Monday morning. No weekend running for us, then. At least for a while…
What is very noticeable for somewhere like Fethiye is the restriction of cafes and restaurants having to close. They can offer a takeaway and delivery service but no table service.
Despite the serenity of the autumn scenery – the clear air and the calm waters – it’s still sad to walk along Fethiye harbour and see clear spaces where we are familiar with the sight of tables, chairs, diners, waiting on staff rushing backwards and forwards.
We look forward to the day when we can once again sit with friends and family at the local restaurants and cafes.
(If you want full details of the new restrictions that are in place and news about any further developments, the Coronavirus Turkey-UK Information Facebook group is useful).
The Çalış Beach Revamp
As well as the restrictions, much conversation in Fethiye has been centred around the revamp that is now well underway along the promenade of Çalış Beach.
No sooner had the belediye (council) announced that work was set to begin – it began!
Gone are the palm trees that lined the grass verges of the promenade. Gone are the cobbles.
Any sort of change – especially when that change is taking place in an area much loved by many – is always going to cause discussion, fear, apprehension, excitement, hope.
And let’s also have a little bit of despair thrown in there for good measure.
For our part, we were of the opinion that the promenade was looking tired and we’re quite excited to see what the new changes will bring.
Obviously, though, we are very much hoping we love the finished product as much as we’re loving the anticipation.
In the meantime, the palm trees are all safely planted elsewhere. And on the beautiful, sunny autumn days, we still head down to the beach.
A bit of builders’ sand and rubble to contend with but nothing too drastic. And it’s only a few strides until you’re safely sat on the wall, looking out to sea.
It’s got to look worse before it looks better and work is set to be completed in April/May.
According to the belediye, the results of that work will include more seating areas and ease of access for those with disabilities, as well as a smarter all-round appearance.
If you follow us on Instagram, we’re posting random photos and videos to our Stories but we’ll post some photos here, too, each month.
You know us. We’re eternal optimists. So we’ll go forth and embrace the fact of changes. Watch this space for developments…and what we think about them.
The November Weather? Just About Perfect
When it comes to the weather in Fethiye, November can be unpredictable. Temperatures are, more often than not, pleasant. It’s the perfect time of year for getting out there and exploring and chilling!
But good old thunderstorms and relentless rain can sometimes put pay to much enjoyment of those temperatures.
November 2020 weather has been the perfect antidote to whatever stresses the year has imposed upon us.
Balmy sunny days along the beach, strolls around the area, shopping at the fish market in Fethiye and the Sunday market in Fethiye. More on our shopping for seasonal fruit and veg below.
So warm was it that the autumn colours took their time but they’re well and truly upon us now.
We’ve also been blessed with some spectacular cloud formations and dramatic stormy skies, too. The full mix.
And now, just as December has arrived, so more wintry weather is daring to announce its presence.
Rain and storms are forecast and we’re sure the natural environment will very much welcome a good dousing.
A few sunny days along the way will be much appreciated, of course.
Happy Sporting Days
A lack of supporters in the stadium doesn’t seem to be doing any harm to Fethiye’s two big sporting teams.
A 3-0 win away for the Fethiyespor football team took them to the top of their group in 3. Lig. With the wins being seemingly convincing, there is already hope that the team can win promotion at the end of the season and climb back up into 2. Lig.
Update: And that’s the beauty of articles like this. Hit the ‘save’ button, go out for an afternoon wander, come home and Fethiyespor have had another fantastic win. 5-0 (yes, FIVE) at home.
As for the basketball team, each home game is still a convoy of cars and flags and sirens as supporters escort the team coach to the stadium.
Update: The team are currently in 14th place after losing away to Tofaş last night.
Seasonal Cooking & Eating
Springtime is often associated with new growth and abundance, but when it comes to cooking and eating seasonally, we’re not sure November, and the few weeks that follow, can be beaten.
Sometimes, at the pazar, it’s difficult to know where to start. We need to keep telling ourselves that there’s just the two of us. No need to scoop up everything in sight.
Çıntar Season
The November rains brought with them the first çıntar – saffron milk cap mushrooms – of the season.
We always kick off proceedings with our simple seasonal garlic mushrooms on toast recipe. This time, we’ve also mixed them with spinach and served them over pasta. Always fun to experiment.
Perfect Spinach
Did we just say spinach? The spinach on the local markets is so plentiful at the moment and its flavour so delicate.
Turkish spinach and eggs has been on the menu on numerous occasions throughout November and we’ve also done a spinach and potato börek.
This time, we used yufka (filo pastry) instead of puff pastry and added sweet red peppers, chilli and spices. Again, just a bit of experimentation.
Yesterday morning, our new replacement oven arrived (after the previous one broke) so we’ll definitely be making pide with a spinach filling over the coming days.
Time For Cauliflower And Broccoli
And it’s also cauliflower and broccoli season.
There’s something about the look of cauliflower and broccoli on the markets that just says, ‘Buy me.’ And we’re always happy to oblige.
Apart from the tasty, super spicy curries that are Barry’s domain, we also love the Turkish dishes that make use of these classic winter vegetables.
Roast cauliflower and yoghurt dip is a winner. And if you’re looking for something more comforting – as we were last week – this Turkish cauliflower stew is a lovely winter warmer, especially when served with fresh, crusty bread!
This time, we added some beans to fill it out a little.
As for the broccoli, we revamped our recipe this month. This traditional broccoli meze is so simple but completely delicious. And we’re saying that to you even if you think you don’t like broccoli.
Of course, as the weather has started to cool a little, broccoli soup has also been on the menu.
And The Beloved Hamsi
Ahh, and we saved the best til last. For us, November is awaited with much anticipation.
This is the month when we can head to the fish market and buy our favourite seasonal fish, hamsi.
That’s seasonal fresh anchovies to the English speakers out there.
As with the çıntar, we started off nice and simple just to enjoy that first taste of the season. Throw a good few of these into a half bread along with some rocket leaves and onion and it is just heavenly!
And, now we have our new oven in place, we can’t wait to make hamsili pilav – a shame we can’t invite friends round to share it with us but we’ll definitely manage to polish it off between us.
Photo-A-Day Countdown
We guess that just about wraps up November. Over on our Facebook page, December is the month where we do our photo-a-day countdown.
Today’s photo – and also our Wednesday online jigsaw – was taken yesterday. Rain was forecast for December 1st but the sun won the day.
What better way to kick off the first day of the final month of the year than a stroll to Çalış Beach?
Click the link above if you want to have a go at the jigsaw and any previous ones. They’re quick and easy – and a perfect procrastination excuse.
Happy Blog Birthday To Us!
Yes. It took our Instagram Memories to point that one out to us. It’s been a funny old year and perhaps we’re a bit more preoccupied than we thought we were.
At the end of November, our blog turned 11 years old. Can you believe that? Happy blog birthday to us! And here’s to many more!