Shirley's back for 2015 Finally!!!!

[Bob & Jayne]

Hi Guys, well all I can say is I am sorry this has taken so long! but you wouldn't believe the few days we have had! albeit in Paradise with a few hitches

We departed from London Gatwick on Friday evening for our Easter break in Kalkan. After a safe flight, with no turbulence thank God, as my fear of flying is awful, but we arrived safely in the early hours of Saturday morning.  After a speedy departure from the plane, we arrived at the Visa check point, only our plane and not the normal thousands of people, so we thought yippee we will be out of here in no time.  Not sure why but it was chaos, it took ages, they were checking the computer and the paperwork, and still they didn't look like they knew what they were doing.  After what seemed like an age, we finally were beckoned through, no suitcase to wait for as only 6kg hand luggage this time! mine full of my things, Bob's full of charging leads air con remotes, and the normal boy's stuff!

Off we wnt to collect our car we were driving this time, well Bob was as I was the designated alcohol person! He was on coffee! Sure enough there was a guy waiting for us, took us to the car, a Renault saloon we had booked, but in actual fact, when we saw it, rather than what we thought, it was a Postman Pat Van! He assured us it was a good car, and very economical, so after instructing us to sign the relevant paperwork in triplicate in complete darkness we were on our way. When we arrived at the Gojec Tunnel, the lady at the toll booth, was fast asleep with her head on her hands, we pulled up next to it, we thought do we bib the horn to wake her, we couldn't find the damn horn at first, and finally we did, she jumped up in panic but it did make us laugh though There were roadworks and there was a section that was not made up at all, pretty scary in the middle of the night I have to say so if you are driving this stretch from the airport, please do take care, but hopefully they will fix it soon.  Feeling very tired by this time, but determined to stay awake, I remember seeing the sign for Fethiye, and the next thing I knew we were coming into Kalkan and Bob was waking me up saying look at that View even though it was pitch black well it was 4am, and blowing a gale and pouring with rain, so not as beautiful as normal, but still we were here.  Called in at the Petrol station to get bread and milk, and then arrived at our apartment.

Saturday - after about 4 hours sleep we were awake and excited to be back.  First stop was brunch or in actual fact turned out to be lunch! There aren't many restaurants open, but everyone is saying Wednesday! The sun was shining, but thought won't be that hot, so jeans and a jumper it was, got outside, and it was roasting, so back in to change to thinner trousers and a top, back in the car, and still boiling, so 3rd time lucky back in sun dress for me and shorts for Bob and we were finally ready to go. The sea was still so blue a few familiar faces around, saw Ewan at Chillies, they were getting ready to open next week, Ibrahim from the Sunglasses Shop by the harbour, the happy chappy at Akin, always smiling.  Drove up to Cafe Vita, they are semi open, so said we would go back next week. Fener sadly is closed, but hoping that too will be ready next week. We decided to go to the new restaurant in town Coriander, sat down and asked for the menu, no you are invited into the kitchen to choose what you would like! Strange, but the food is excellent.  We went for a selection, which included liver, beef, chicken and vegetables, and of course the normal salad and bread.  Really enjoyed it and will go back. 

Next stop was to pop up to Adem's to book a table for next week to have dinner with Julie and Paul who are out on Thursday, and deliver his flower and herb seeds that we took for him.  He was busy in his garden, but was so so happy to see us, it was so beautiful up there, seriously hot now, we ordered coffee and sat at his top table admiring the view.  After an hour, and fresh lemons and rosemary from his garden that he gave us, we were off to Kapatus Beach.  We arrived not a single car there, parked up, got our sun chairs out of the boot and down we walked, starting counting the steps, but forgot half way, as was concentrating more on not falling over in my flip flops! Not a single person was on that beach, it was fabulous.  We pitched our chairs and we were in paradise! A couple of Turkish chaps arrived for a swim, I had tested it out earlier, and although fine for paddling, wasn't anywhere near warm enough for swimming in yet! but they didn't seem to care, in they went, they came over and chatted for ages to us, everyone is so friendly here!
Time to go almost 5pm, and we needed to get to the supermarket for provisions! Went via Bim, Migros and Yali and got everything we needed, including beers for OH, some lovely fresh lamb for dinner on Sunday as well.  The meat is so good here, and still lots of choice even out of season. Back home (that's what we find ourselves saying when we are here) and a little rest before dinner.  OH opened a bottle of Majestic Red, his first drink of the holiday due to designated driver! it went down without touching the sides, well in fact most of the bottle did. We were getting hungry again by about 8pm, so we decided to walk into town, we went to Hunkar, and as ever the food was delicious. The lads are as friendly as ever and were telling us they now have a restaurant in Kas, so may have to sample that one when we visit in the week! Next stop was Blue Turtle Bar, a few people were in there and Barish was singing, really fab atmosphere, and we wish him well for the season, we think it will be a winner.

Back home it was getting on for midnight now, and we really were tired. Remembered that the clocks were going forward so another hour's sleep lost! Our heads hit the pillow and the next thing we knew it was 10am on Sunday! weren't sure whether it was 11am or 10am! but we had had a good sleep anyway!

Sunday - A few odd jobs to do today, started off with lovely scrambled eggs, we love the eggs out here, they are so yellow! Bit of a shock suddenly it started to thunder, and flash lightening, then the heavens opened! Just started to clear up now! so we are going to venture out somewhere this afternoon.

We have had no internet, hot water and then yesterday (Tuesday) all of Turkey no power! Our internet as having it changed over to a new wireless system, but couldn't be done because of the rain and electricity being off.  Water being fixed tomorrow fingers crossed!


We have heard that Moussaka is opening in town where Limos was last year and Odak the previous year, so that is good news.  It is sad to see the harbour  but we imagine it will be done very soon, fingers crossed!

It is so different this this time of year, but somehow it is so nice at Easter, busy with not much open, but everyone is so lovely and so happy to see you.

We went to Yesilkoy Market and again to Patara beach today, it all seems so quiet but lovely. We have found a fab place on the main road out of Patara opposite Yesilkoy for lunch, a little shack, well basically a van with an awning attached, that do the most amazing chicken and kofte sandwiches for 4TL! what an experience, oh how Bob likes to treat me! 

We have been told that Wednesday is the day for a few more restaurants to open, but the best news tonight for us is that Asian Gary opens on Friday!

Market day tomorrow,hopefully water will be fixed, the forecast is sunny so hopefully the beach in the afternoon and meeting up with Christina for dinner at Akin.  I will be back!

Sorry it has taken so long, and I have forgotten a few in between bits, but hopefully you will enjoy!

S xxxx





   



 




Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=12645.0

[Blue Lizard]

Huzzah !!! Glad your back with your reports! you are my eyes and ears for the foreseeable future

[Lizilu20]

Yeah!!! Shirl's back and on form!! Loved the bit about the tunnel lady fast asleep. I bet it's a different story in a couple of months - no time to sleep then.
Looking forward to the next instalment. 

[Haybo]

Yay! Welcome back Shirl!  Thought i recognised the Hunkar  spicy rice!

[Tatilde]

Good news about Mussaka. Good luck Mehmet and Kitty. See you both soon.

[joycie]

Thankyou for your wonderful report. So jealous because of different health issues too numerous to bore you with we can't make Kalkan this year. Every report I will be there with you enjoying and salivating every moment. Have a wonderful magical time.
Us were taking our narrow boat to Liverpool. Two months when for some of the time we would have been in magical Kalkan. Still I'm sure Liverpool will be just as magical it's on water at least.
Well love to all who are lucky enough to go to my favourite place of all and I will wait with baited breath for all the lovely reports. I won't believe any that are bad mind you.

[Babs]

Hooray! Shirl's back and Bob as well! 
The thought of Kaputas beach empty has just sent OH into raptures! Sounds as if you are having a great time......your confirmation that Mussakka has a home for this year will certainly make my younger daughter's boyfriend a very happy man......he'd been sulking since he heard that the restaurants wouldn't be rebuilt for this year.
Keep up the good work Shirl and how lovely to see you back Joycie! 

[kalkan4eva]

Oh what a treat...! A real live holiday report - the first of the 2015 season and what a corker it is. Thank you, Jayne - been impatiently waiitng to hear from you
I feel as though I'm there with you - we all are I suppose. Looking forward to reading more about your stay. Corriander is on the list....which is sure to grow as the weeks go by before our visit. If you get a chance to check out Black and Gold which opened yesterday be really interested to know what you think.
Enjoy 

[Haybo]

Our current restaurants to revisit and new ones to try means we will be having breakfast, elevenses, lunch, high tea and dinner EVERY day...... No time for trips, beach clubs, sun bathing, shopping.....
Feel bad even considering missing some out!  We love the guys at Ata Mezze Grill and Hunkars....some days it is just impossible to pass Hunkars....
Loved alternatif last year, and Gurus, Adems, want to try gourmet and the olive garden,akin... Aaagggghhhhhh... Maybe my dream the other night  of staying on when my family went home might have to come true!!

[Joeyloveskalkan]

Thanks for the report Jayne, really enjoyed reading it.

Gary and I will be in Kalkan two weeks later that usual this year as a newbie at work got her holiday request in before I did.  Never been heard of before.  We were thinking of going later as it has been a little chilly in the evenings the last couple of years and only just warming up as we leave.  Only 43 days to go until we will be at the aiport waiting to fly out. 

Enjoy the rest of your break and look forward to reading about it.

Jo

[Skunk]

Hi there Bob and Jayne
Good to hear your news from Kalkan. Sounds like you've been very busy! There are quite a few new places for us to try when we go in September. We are planning a quiet Easter this weekend - Jess is in the States in New Orleans with Arthur and another couple. Apparently it's really hot there. I gather the weather is a bit unreliable in Kalkan so hope it brightens up for you as time goes on. Keep having a great time and a good relax. 
Skunk.

[Babs]

I just love how a holiday report brings all the regulars back out in force.....Joeyloveskalkan and Skunk!
Seems despite there being a shortage of Garys (according to the news a couple of weeks ago) there will be two in Kalkan around the same time.....when do you go Jo?

[Rachey]

Hurrah!  Holiday report!  Thanks for posting and please blog as often as you can tear yourself away from the views, the food, the people, the relaxation!

[kalkan4eva]

Not long for you now Rachey....I need all the info about "our place" when you're there 

[janeb]

So good to have the first, of many, I hope, holiday reports and what a great one to kick the season off with, thank you so much. We're here in early July this year and, hopefully, again in late September. So glad to hear all the adventures had by likeminded people. Brings our holiday ever closer. Yay.

[Rachey]

Seven weeks today K4E!  It really can't come soon enough. Looking forward to seeing everyone and all the changes. Don't know if I can face going down to see the harbour devastation though  .  Looking forward to meeting Mirza - Şakir and Reyhan's new baby boy  . Will post some blogs when we're there.  In the meantime, keep the reports coming please 

[Joeyloveskalkan]

We are flying out on Fri 15 May, so 6 weeks from this very moment we will be having our first coffee; where we will be having it is a different matter.  The best coffee we had last year was at Mussakka, feel sad that we will not be sitting there this year enjoying a cup with them.

Look forward to hearing more from Jayne and Bob.

Jo

[Mayday1]

Hi Joey,

Mussakka are still going to be around at the site in the old town,that  was Lipsos last year and Odak previous to that.............on the same run as the PTT.Sad that they will not be by the harbour,but I am pleased that they can at least trade at their new location for 2015 and maybe they can return next year to a harbour position,which I am sure they would prefer.

[antler]

Thanks, Bob & Jane for a first-in-the-year fix of Kalkan.

Your timing was perfect!

So good to get an early season "holiday" feel after just completing my 20th flight for work this year (sadly, involving waiting  2 days at the British Embassy in  Berlin regardarding a stolen passport....let alone Durham in the UK..).

Hope you enjoy every minute and I look forward to sharing more of your reports.

Take care and enjoy!

Antler

[Bob & Jayne]

Hello again! why has it taken me so long to do my second blog! Firstly, thank you all for taking the time to read it, and Joycie hope all is okay with you and OH.

Well it has been a busy few days since my last post, the weather has been mixed, but the last 2 days have been beautiful.  Sunny, warm and we are now beginning get the start of a nice colour.Now where did I get to?

Thursday - Market Day, off we set via the bank and the Beliyde to sort out the Council Tax.  Last year we had trouble finding it, but we knew exactly where it was now, in between the first aisle of market stalls! That all sorted, and off we went.  The normal "cheap as chips" and genuine fakes was what we were greated with.  We did laugh, oh how we had missed this.  First market trader was the Pandora stall.  He offered us a bracelet and 9 beads all for 50 lira! then he spotted mine on my wrist and asked to look at it, told me it was similar!!! An entertaining hour or so was spent, we bought a nice rug for our lounge, a nice classy plastic linen bin, some chicken breasts 10TL per kilo, and they were seriously lovely and 30 eggs for 10 lira! Bargain! I forgot Bob purchased a nice hack saw and file from the boy's stall, boring! but I tried to show some interest!

It was brunch time now and off to Suleyman's cafe opposite. Turkish breakfast for Bob and a chicken sandwich for me, 2 nescafes and total bill 24 lira! it was fab. 

In the afternoon we went to the town beach, it is such a habit for us, we love it, even though hardly anyone on there, we pitched our chairs and sat looking at the view, couldn't be better!

Around 4pm we wandered back to the car to go back to the apartment to get ready.  We were going to Christina's for sundowners at 7pm.  We showered (still no hot water, and still no Plumber! we are really used to cold showers now! We arrived at Christina's and after 2 lovely glasses of chilled white we were ready for dinner at Akin.  Off we went all went, and had a lovely meal, and lots of giggles!  After dinner, we thought we would just have a nightcap, so we went to check out Black and Gold that opened the day before.  It is fab, absolutely lovely people, straight away they offered Chris and I pashminas to keep us warm, strangely Bob declined the offer! It turns out that Burak is Bulent the lovely butchers son.  We wish them well, and am sure that the bar will be a great success.  They will be doing tapas food in a couple of weeks so that sounds good.  Bob had a long chat with Burak and said he is a lovely guy. Before we knew it, the time was almost 2am, I am normally in bed at home by 10pm! I had drank far too many glasses of wine, but had such a nice evening. We wandered up through the streets, said night to Christina and back to our apartment we went.

Friday - A little fragile and somewhat tired, but Kas was our destination today.  Off we went, the sun was shining, and the drive to Kas was lovely.  It was market day, when we arrived, it was complete chaos.  Cars, bikes, vans, you name it they were driving around the town in a crazy frenzy.  We managed to park quite near the market and wow was it worth it.  We have been to lots of markets but this was certainly the best.  Mainly fruit and veg stalls, Bob was intent on buying some olive oil, but I wasn't so keen as all seems to be in unsealed empty bottles of water! I have since heard that it is amazing and there is no taste like it.We had lunch on the harbour and sat and watched a few little boats leaving, far different from the summer there, but somehow incredibly lovely.  We enquired about a trip to Meis, apparently towards the end of the month they start their moonlight cruise there, which sounds fabulous.  They are doing day trips at the moment 4 days a week, so we may go, but haven't decided yet. Time to head back, late afternoon, we had dinner to cook (or Bob did) we had invited our neighbours for supper.  Home, another cold shower, as still no water, and time to sort dinner.  Bob loves to cook, as I have probably said before, so he made the green bean and tomato dish that you get out here, some lovely lyonnaise potatoes, and the kilo of diced  chicken breasts cooked in the turkish spices that we had bought in the market.  Strawberries and the lovely yoghurt you can buy out here, and we were sorted.  Our friends arrived and there was enough food to feed more than the 4 of us, but somehow we demolished the lot, must be the sea air! We had a lovely evening, and before we knew it the time was 3.15am!!! OMG I couldn't believe it when they said.  We literally fell into bed, but a lovely day had by all.

Saturday - after a slow start, still awake at silly o'clock, but not much on the agenda today, other than to just chill.  We popped into town, Bob needed to sort out a Turkish mobile at long last! Went down to the beach, our favourite place as you know! Pitched our chairs, and there in front of us were 4 turtles, oh it was so lovely to see them again. We sat for an hour just watching them bob up and down, and pop their heads out of the water every so often. Getting hungry now, so back home it was, not before stopping off at the Bakery.  A lovely warm crusty loaf bought and 2 cheesy pastry puffs that were staring us in the face, they didn't make it home, we ate them in the car, and boy were they delicious. 

Now for the exciting part of our day, yes after one week, the water people arrived to fix our solar panel, the problem was the anti freeze fluid in the solar panel as well as the immersion heater element was broken, but all fixed and within an hour we had hot water! sheer joy.  The sun was very warm today, so we sat and took in the rays, Chris the Spark and Bernie popped by to say hello, and we were meeting up later for our first sample of Asian Gary.
Christina arrived around 7pm followed by Chris and Bernie.  We had a pre dinner drink and off we all went for our meal.
The food as always was amazing.  I had Chicken Shashlik, Bob Chicken Madras, onion bahjis, keema nan, special fried rice, popadoms and washed down with a cold glass of wine and beer for Bob.  It was delicious and we all had a really fun evening. It was midnight again, I don't know where the time goes, but we were all tired, so we all made our way home.

Sunday - Didn't wake until 9am! well thats a first for me, so feel so much refreshed today.  First thing, after a large coffee of course was to test out that shower again! even hotter water this morning, it was a lovely treat rather than boiling a kettle!

To be continued..... and apologies for the long delay in doing my second blog!

Happy Easter to you all, and hope that you have an enjoyable day.

S x