Friday 13th January...
Linda - The New Year celebrations turned out to be rather non-existent. The get together that had been planned didn't happen because a couple of the yachties caught Covid, and the room was double booked. On Thesee, Dean and I stayed up to welcome in the New Year, and pretty much kept ourselves to ourselves thereafter because my sister Angela was arriving on the 5th.
The weather was still good. We hired a car from our local agent in the marina and drove up to Antalya to meet her at the airport. Being a little early we stopped off beforehand at one of the shopping malls, where I bought a pair of jeans to replace my ones that have shredded at the knees. We've been on the lookout for a new coffee machine also, still no luck at the moment.
At the airport we had just parked up when Angela's plane came in to land giving us a great view, and although I did my best hand waving, turns out she was on the other side of the plane! By the time we arrived back in Finike it was early evening so there was enough time to play a game of 'Sequence'. Thanks Angela for bringing us more supplies of Bacardi and Quality Street.
Here comes big sis
Looks like Dean is losing
We kept the hire car for another day because the weather was good. The three of us plus our friend Sarah took advantage of the good weather and Dean drove us just around the coast to Karaoz. We've been here before on an organised walk and were eager to visit the beautiful little cove along the headland again, in fact we all took our swimsuits hoping for a January swim in the sea. The walk turned out to be about six miles in all. It was a fantastic day, and yes we did get to swim at the cove too. The water wasn't as warm as last time we were here, but it was so tempting we couldn't resist. After a swim, picnic, and drink stop at the nearby hut, Sarah led us back to the car on the 'proper' Lycian Way hiking route along the undulating coastal edge. Here's some photos of our day out...
Half a motorcycle here
Small quirky cafes
We followed the road,
Dean and Sarah leading the way.
A wonderful sunny day
Great views
Sister selfie
Heading down to our favourite cove
Here we are
Dean the first one in
Dean and Sarah swimming
Angela thinking about it
It was actually quite pleasant
once you were in
Picnic after the swim
The cove is so beautiful
Forgot the picnic knife
Back at the car we stop for a fresh orange juice
Friday evening we took Angela to the Happy Hour in the marina. Seven attendees this week, things are looking up! Then dinner at the restaurant next door, they sell wine too, it was a good night.
We stayed local over the weekend so that Angela could sample some of the delights of Finike, and also see what we get up to, starting with the Saturday market and then the Sunday BBQ. This machine in the marina dispenses pet food biscuits for 1 Turkish Lira.
Angela gives it a go
Today's purchases including Baclava
and Angela's Turkish Delight
Baclava for pudding
Saturday afternoon Angela and I took a stroll up the marina pontoons, all along the breakwater, and then up the hill to the local mosque. For dinner we went into town to a newly refurbed restaurant but it was disappointing and expensive. No alcohol so we each had a non-alcoholic cocktail.
At the end of the breakwater
Made the climb up to the mosque
With fabulous views
Our three different cocktails
On Sunday the three of us strolled along the beachfront promenade, then back through town stopping at the nice little cafe on the riverside. For our BBQ sharing dish later, Angela and I made an Apple Pie and Dean supplied the Ice Cream, it went down a treat.
Local fishermen
On the beachfront
Cafe on the river
Strolling along the river
BBQ Lamb steaks for us three
...with peppers too
Monday we were back on the road again with the hire car. This time it was a day out in the nearby town of Demre. First stop was the Myra rock tombs and ampitheatre. We parked just opposite in a scraggy car park area, the local orange juice seller insisting we buy an orange juice from him. It was very delicious and squeezed right in front of our eyes.
Approaching Demre we pass one of the mosques
Decorative column ruins at Myra
Some carvings still in good condition after all these years
The ampitheatre
...and the rock tombs
Close up
Carvings still visible
Side view
Angela enters the ampitheatre
Dean imagines what used to go on here
Angela takes a throne
Looking down
More carvings
Near the stage
Greek inscriptions
Larking about
At the fresh orange juice car park
Five minutes away by car we arrived at St Nicholas Church. We came here recently with Alan & Yasi, now it was Angela's turn. This time we went inside the Church because it was free for Dean & I, having purchased our residents museum cards at the Myra ruins for 60TL each (about £2.60). Angela's entrance fee being 120 TL so quite pricey considering most of the site is being renovated.
St Nicholas Santa Claus meets Angela!
The real St Nicholas
Inside the Church
Excavations showing original floors
Mosaics
Painted ceilings
Presumably once St Nicholas's tomb
More mosaics
Another tomb?? Now confused
On the way out
The garden
View of the Church
From there we found a small cafe nearby for lunch, which turned out to be a good choice, nice food, and lovely helpful staff. After we had eaten we headed to the beach, actually trying to get a look at the once started but never finished marina, but there was security so we couldn't pass the road. Instead we stopped for a walk on the very long and stony beach. It was a lovely day so we sat down for a while building megaliths and skimming stones.
In the square at Demre
Ang on the beach
It's deserted
Megalith 1
Dean skimming stones
Megalith 2
There was more sightseeing to be done. I never knew there was so much to see in Demre. A couple of miles away was Andriake Antik Kenti (ancient city) and museum. Unfortunately for us it was closed on Mondays so we popped down to the quayside instead. The place was full of gullets ashore for the winter and they were even in the process of hauling another one out. Strangely it was a pretty place with a small inlet and new bridge which crossed to a fabulous sandy beach with donkeys.
Gullet propellor
The small inlet
Looking across to the sandy beach
This tractor just finishing one job
Next very large gullet waiting to come ashore
A diver in the water
At the new bridge
Donkeys roaming free
There's always a dog around accompanying us
The very large gullet gets hauled out
It was quite a sight to watch
Finally ashore after quite a while
And so, after quite a few evenings playing Rummikub, eating Quality Street, and drinking Bacardi & Coke, it was Tuesday. The weather had begun to turn for the worse, but we managed a couple of hours local sightseeing at Limyra Antic Theater ruins in the morning before the rain started.
Approaching the cenotaph for Gaius Caesar.
He died in Limyra on 21st February 4 AD
Gathering the information
Gaius Caesar, grandson and prospective heir
to the Roman Emperor Augustus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Caesar
The cenotaph is surrounded by this small moat
Here comes the stormy weather
Angela approaches the Ptolemaion
It used to look like this
Sadly not anymore
The river now runs over the ancient street
The Church outline now underwater too
Nice stroll long the riverside
These days moss grows between the stone blocks
that was once the Roman street
There were four days of bad weather due. By Tuesday night it was raining heavily. We still managed to get off the boat and go to our little social club, where our friends on SV Mai Tai were showing a film which they made 20 years ago. It was packed with all sorts of useful sailing information from their time in New Zealand. It was like a movie night, we took popcorn!
Wednesday's weather was dire. We decided it was pointless trying to go out anywhere, so Angela and I continued with a jigsaw that we had started the day before whilst Dean caught up on paperwork. The jigsaw was quite tricky even though it was only 500 pieces, and in the end all three of us were at it to get it finished. Sadly a number of missing pieces, but here's a photo.
It was Angela's last night here. Still raining heavily, we were able to get off the boat and go for a meal in the local restaurant in the marina which we discovered last week. It's very cosy and warm.
Thursday came and we set off from the marina around 9.30am giving ourselves plenty of time to get to Antalya for Angela's flight. The weather was atrocious, we even drove through cloud in the mountains on the way. The rain relentless, Dean took it steady driving. Lots and pools of water on the roads, but fortunately no floods to cause a problem. We also passed two small landslides at the side of the road. Approaching Antalya the sea looked menacing, with some occasional thunder and lightning.
We arrived with plenty of time to spare, which meant that we could visit the Antalya Mall for coffees and a snack before dropping Angela at the airport.
Time for Ang to say goodbye to Finike
On the way to Antalya
we were above some of the clouds
Antalya Mall
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