It’s (past) time for another Fethiye news update for the month of April.
A bit late this month – but we do have the excuse of being in Istanbul towards the end of April and into the beginning of May.
So lovely to be there again after a 5 year absence due to the pandemic and life stuff.
As usual, it was one of the Turkey’s running events that gave us the excuse to go back there again.
30th April was the Istanbul Half Marathon.
Barry ran the half marathon and bagged himself a race PB.
I was registered for the 10k but a niggly injury I’ve had since Runtalya at the beginning of March put pay to my run.
I was cheerleader and watched from above, enjoying a lovely fresh Istanbul simit and ayran in the process!
Anyway, more of our Istanbul exploits in future articles. Let’s get to the joys of Fethiye!
İyi Bayramlar
A double whammy in April for Turkish festivals.
The end of Ramazan brought the Eid festival; Ramazan Bayramı. A time for sweeties and favourite Turkish desserts.
And, along with that religious holiday, we also had a national holiday; 23rd April National Sovereignty & Children’s Day.
Performances and activities for the kids in Beşkaza Meydanı. And a march, too, with children’s folk dance troops from different countries.
Spring Has Sprung
April is the month where springtime really makes its presence felt.
We might have had a mixed bag of weather – and we still are during this first week of May – but nature does its thing to brighten up the darkest of days.
April is wisteria season. So many people’s favourite bloom and it’s easy to see why!
A stroll along Fethiye harbour in April always brings a smile when the wisteria blooms cascade from the tops of the pergola seating areas.
Çalış Water Taxi
In years gone by, the first Çalış water taxi of the summer season was always May 1st which is widely regarded as the official first day of the summer season, generally.
This year, the season started early for the water taxi and the boats have been toing and froing across the bay to Fethiye and back since April 1st.
They’re being well used, too. Especially on Tuesdays when holidaymakers from Calis Beach use the boat to get to the Fethiye Tuesday market.
Along with the water taxis, the day trip boats were also put back into the water. And they, too, have been going out to the Blue Bays on their day trips.
Springtime Eating
When it comes to seasonal eating, springtime is the season of so many treats.
It’s difficult not to buy too much when we’re shopping on the Çalış Sunday market!
From colourful fruits to wild green herbs, many of the stalls are piled high with the latest seasonal goodies!
Fruits
April is the month for local strawberries. Strawberry sandwiches or this breakfast strawberry tart are lovely. But I also just love them in a bowl topped with local yoghurt and honey.
With strawberries come the mulberries! Again, perfect with yoghurt and honey. Which you can also freeze to make a froyo.
So far, though, the cooler-for-the-time-of-year Fethiye weather hasn’t given us the urge to start hitting the frozen treats.
It’s also loquat season. And, as well as a loquat and cardamom jam, we love to mix sweet and savoury with this fruit. Yeni Dünya Kebabı is a real centrepiece for the table.
And The Greens
Inflation in Turkey means prices on the local markets have rocketed.
We’re not sure of the reason – abundance or ease of growth, perhaps – but Swiss chard (pazı) is much cheaper than other produce at the moment.
And the way it’s presented in neat bunches on the market stalls – it just looks so tempting!
So in April, we added a new dish to our list of Turkish recipes.
Pazı kavurma – sauteed Swiss chard – makes a great side dish or main meal.
We love it and it’s so healthy, too!
Broad beans are also a feature of the markets at the moment, too. Broad bean and orzo salad has been on the menu.
It’s so easy to eat more healthily when there’s so much fresh produce to choose from. And springtime is the perfect season for variety.
Chocolate Treat
But it’s not all just about healthy eating. Tying together strawberry season and the Eid enjoyment of sweet treats, we also made a little chocolate treat in April.
Turkish mosaic cake – mozaik pastası – is really easy to make and also really naughty-but-nice.
As you know, we’re not massive sweet eaters but we do like a bit of mosaic cake. We’ve decided we’ll be making it again as part of our Turkish Christmas menu in December.
Eating Out
Not a lot of eating out during the month of April because we knew we were going to Istanbul.
Before shopping at the Sunday market, however, we have sneaked a little lunch treat in at Can Çekti.
Specialising in the cuisine of Gaziantep, they do a fabulous lahmacun and the famous Gaziantep soup; Beyran Çorbası.
This soup is amazing!
Best Stand Award
April is the month where the local municipalities of touristic areas attend travel and tourism fairs to promote their towns and cities.
At the recent EMITT (Eastern Mediterranean International Travel & Tourism) Fair – apparently one of the five biggest tourism fairs in the world – the Fethiye delegation won the award for Best Stand.
Well done to those who designed the stand. And let’s hope that success translates into a good season for the area!
Fethiyespor Goal Fest
Fethiyespor seem to have found their goal scoring abilities as the current season draws to a close.
A home win against Balıkesirspor on the 23rd was more than just a win. It was a massive 7-1 victory.
And then the following week, the team was away to Pazarspor.
And guess what – they only went and won that match 7-1, too!
Into May…
As I type, the International Fethiye Festival is underway. The weather really hasn’t been the best for it but they’re soldiering on with the events.
We’ll be having a wander up there tomorrow (Saturday) to watch a friend who is taking part in one of the performances.
And with this blog, we are a ‘time out zone’ where politics is concerned, but we can’t ignore the fact that the Presidential elections take place on May 14th.
Let’s see…