May News From Life In Fethiye

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Oh, wow! It’s June, already…

Time for yet another monthly Fethiye news roundup, then!

I know we always say the months fly by so quickly but May was particularly speedy.

UK Visit

A week back in the UK to visit family and friends in Wigan, and then the much needed few days recovery period after that, has made May feel like a really short month.

Part of our week back in the UK was a weekend away in the Lake District with friends.

And it was lovely to be back up there after about 20 years – maybe longer!

We used to spend as many weekends up there as possible, camping and fell walking when we lived in Wigan.

Obviously – and thankfully – not much has changed up there.

And it was special to be able to do our second ever Parkrun along the old railway line at Keswick Parkrun.

An amble to Derwentwater afterwards, to Friar’s Crag with fabulous views over to Catbells – the first Lakeland fell we ever climbed together.

And we got to do all of that in really warm temperatures and glorious sunshine!

Lucky us!

Back To Fethiye

Yes, back to Fethiye. It’s all been a bit daily life, really.

National Holiday

Obviously, in May, we have the national holiday, 19. Mayıs Atatürk’ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı – Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth & Sport Day.

In Fethiye, there was a youth parade along the harbour, folk dancing in the square and a free live concert, amongst other events.

Decorated military ships anchored in the bay and the coastguard invited the public to tour one of their boats.

Çalış Spring Fayre

And we also had the annual Çalış Spring Fayre on the events calendar.

Very much a day of thirds, this year.

The morning started out bright and breezy.

And then the clouds rolled in and we got a downpour.

And then, thankfully, the rain gave way to more bright sunshine in the later part of the afternoon.

The fayre is always a nice opportunity for people to be able to buy from local artisans – and it’s a good kickstart to the season for the local bars and restaurants along Çalış Beach and beyond.

More Oil Wrestling

So popular was the traditional oil wrestling event that took place last year in the Karaçulha area of Fethiye, it was decided to arrange another one for early May.

We didn’t go to the most recent one but we were enthusiastic attendees of last year’s event – even if we didn’t really understand what was taking place before us.

Out & About

And speaking of local bars and restaurants, we added a new place to the blog in May…

Pizza

We’ve had pizza a few times, now, at Mojo Italian Gusto along Barış Manço Bulvarı.

If you love Neapolitan-style pizza, you’ll love Mojo. And they also do takeaway and delivery if you’re staying locally.

Balık Ekmek

We’ve also had another great balık ekmek (fish sandwich) at the Çalış Fishermen’s Cooperative along the canal.

As well as the huge sandwich, you also get the bonus of sitting along the canal and watching the Çalış water taxis slowly motoring by on their way to and from Fethiye.

Kayaköy

It’s always lovely to have a wander around the ruins of Kayaköy.

Friends from the UK were over with their 12 year old so he loved leading the way around the footpaths, exploring.

He then took the opportunity to cool off in the newly renovated, newly reopened pool at Muzzy’s Place.

Koca Çalış Wander

The Fethiye weather was warm, fresh and breezy towards the end of May so it’s been perfect for walking.

We initially set off along Çalış Beach but then decided to continue along Koca Çalış to see what’s going on along there with some of the beaches.

Naturally, by the time we got to the end of the beach, we were a tad thirsty.

So we turned back and went into Surf Beach to chill by the sea, in the breeze, for a couple of hours.

It’s not the cheapest for drinks. But it’s looking great there, at the moment, and it’s such a relaxing place.

It also has the bonus of having the dolmuş station right outside the entrance.

Nice for our tired legs, that day.

In The Kitchen

Whilst we were back in Wigan and the Lake District, we made a conscious effort to go all out and indulge in the local delicacies.

Yes, meat and potato pie was involved!

Anyway, lovely as all of that was, after a week of that, we both returned to Fethiye craving some healthy Turkish salads.

Shepherd’s salad was first up, followed by a side of Antalya-style piyaz to go with some grilled köfte.

I also made another traditional (and healthy) dish which will be added to the blog and our list of Turkish recipes in the next week or so.

On The Blog

As well as our article about Mojo pizza and pasta restaurant, our trip back to the UK gave us the opportunity to get some up to date photos of Dalaman Airport.

Dalaman Airport Guide

So, we’ve now done our guide to Dalaman Airport.

As well as the inevitable price chitchat, there’s also some practical information in the article should you be travelling or holidaying in the area.

Updated Races

As we’re almost halfway through the year, we’ve also updated our page of running events around Turkey.

As well as filling in a few gaps where dates were yet to be confirmed, we’ve also added some new events, too.

One of the these will take place in Ölüdeniz in October.

So take a look at that if you’re in the area around that time.

In Other News

Our little bits of news that catch our eye from elsewhere around the country.

Spawning Season

As I type, thousands of inci kefal (pearl mullet) that are unique to Lake Van in the southeast will be swimming upstream from the lake to spawn.

We were privileged to be able to witness this when we were in the area a few years ago.

This is our article about the pearl mullet of Van.

Night Museum Project

Whilst the UK media is falling over itself to share mass tourism horror stories from around Europe, the Turkish tourism authorities have been quietly busy with an innovation that we’re really excited about: The Night Museum project.

We don’t have any information about whether the new opening hours are in place, yet, but the project is apparently starting off with ancient Ephesus.

Specialist lighting has been fitted so that visitors will be able to visit the site until midnight; seeing the ruins in a literal whole new light.

Obviously, in the summer months, this means visitors can explore without battling the heat of the sun.

And it means more visitors can visit the site on a daily basis.

Reopened – Again

If you’re heading to the wonder that is Istanbul any time soon, you’ll be pleased to know that Galata Tower reopened to visitors in May.

And if you follow heritage news and you thought it had already reopened recently after extensive restoration, you thought correctly.

And then it closed again for a bit. And now its reopened again.

Heritage To The Future Project

All very archaeological Turkish news, this month.

There are currently extensive digs taking place at Side in the Antalya Province.

And recently, archaeologists and their team discovered a large 2nd Century BC floor mosaic.

The excavations are taking place as part of the Heritage To The Future project.

A Cultural Heritage Road tour route is being created that starts in Alanya; passing through ancient Perge near Antalya city centre, before ending with the ruins of Phaselis and Olympos.

Sounds great to us!

Tebrikler, Bodrumspor!

That means, ‘Congratulations,’ in Turkish. And we’re saying it to Bodrumspor!

The little football team from Bodrum, who not so long ago were in the same league as Fethiyespor, last week won their final playoff match.

They’ve only gone and gone won promotion to the Turkish Super League!

As in, next season, they will be playing against the likes of Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.

Their stadium isn’t much bigger than Fethiyespor’s so we’re wondering if a big stadium is coming to our Muğla Province.

Bodrumpsor are now representing our province in the Turkish Super League. It’s all a bit crazy.

Good luck to them, next season.

Into June

The hot summer temperatures are kicking in and we’re currently waiting to be shrouded in yet another Saharan dust storm.

But we have friends arriving next week so lots to look forward to.

And we’re sure there’ll be tales to tell by the end of the month…

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