Wrapping Up the Family Visit

Saturday, 9 November
Alsancak, İzmİr — Turkey

My days with the family are quickly dwindling.  I have no idea where the time went.  It feels like Mui and I stepped off the plane just yesterday, but it’s actually been 5 weeks.

I squeezed quite a bit into yesterday and today, making the most of them.  Time to tell those stories.

Yesterday … started out sad as mom, Aylin, and I hopped on a bus and went to Bostanlı to pay a condolence call on my paternal uncle’s widow.

A happy photo — my cousin’s engagement party — serves to remember my uncle.  
Sadly, half the people in this photo are no longer with us.                            

Adnan Amca [amca = uncle], who’d been ill and bedridden for quite a while, passed away in January.  I had an opportunity to visit him in 2012.  While his body was failing him, his mind was still sharp as a tack.  I’m glad I had a chance to see him one last time last year.

After our visit, we took the ferry back to our side of the bay.  We got off at Pasaport, one of the two ferry terminals that services Alsancak.  On the way home, we stopped at Léone, where Murat joined us for afternoon tea.

The yellow building, which houses the Pasaport Ferry Terminal, dates back to
1884 when it served not only as a boat pier, but as a passport office as well.
[photo from my 2010 visit to Turkey]

I wrote in the previous post that our plan to go to the Human Body Exhibition was foiled by several busloads of school kids arriving at the same time we did.  The attendant at the ticket booth had suggested that late afternoon might be a better time for us.  So, we decided to try our luck before going home.

I’m not sure where or when this traveling exhibit first opened to the public.  I remember hearing about it when it came to New York City, but I was too squeamish to go.  Now I wish I had.  The first room had the skeletal remains and as you moved through the exhibit, the various systems of the body were added on — muscular, nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and so on.  Sort of like building a body from scratch.

The bodies on display are “real!”  Sure, they are processed using a technique called polymer preservation so that they won’t decay, but they are real nonetheless.  Which made it a little eerie at first, but soon I was so fascinated by what I was seeing and reading that I forgot about that aspect of the exhibit.  There’s much more about this exhibition in the link I provided above.  If you haven’t been, I highly recommend going should the opportunity present itself.

Photography wasn’t allowed, so I put together a collage of images from the web.

We wrapped up our day with dinner at Veli Usta Balık Pişicisi, one of our favorite seafood restaurants.  Forget about heavily sauced fish dishes.  Here you get grilled or steamed fish with nothing but olive oil and lemon to dress to taste.  And of course, there are a variety of mezes (Turkish tapas) to order … in other words, a feast of a meal.

  Sorry — no camera; no photos of my own.

Today …

If yesterday was busy, today was doubly so.  We covered quite a few places, starting in town and ending up in Alaçatı and Çeşme.  While the towns we visited were familiar, the places we went were mostly new to me.

My last day of sightseeing in İzmİr takes me from Alsancak to Çeşme with a few stops in between.

Our first stop was at Kadifekale [literal translation: Velvet Castle], the citadel that sits atop a mountain that was known as Pagos in ancient times.  According to historic records, İzmir — then Smyrna — was seized and rebuilt during Alexander the Great’s campaign against the Persians.  Atop Pagos at that time was the city’s acropolis.  The ramparts, built later during the Hellenistic Period, were repaired numerous times by the various empires that occupied the area during the ensuing years.  A castle town thrived within the walls for a while, but today nothing much remains of it, although excavations are ongoing.

Looking back towards the entrance through which we accessed the interior of the castle.

Although I saw the fortress sitting atop the hill daily as a child, I don’t recall ever going inside the walls.  Back then, the area wasn’t considered safe.  Things have changed since then.  The squatters have been relocated, the trash cleaned up (mostly), and excavation work is ongoing to unearth the ruins from ancient times.

the ramparts were last repaired by the Ottomans in the 15th century.

A restored tower and walls hint at what was once a strong citadel.

Built in the late Byzantine period by excavating the andesite bedrock, …

… the cistern was capable of storing enough water to meet the needs of 14,000-15,000 people.

No tourists today, so no one is working the hand loom.

Admittedly, there wasn’t much to see at the fortress.  But we were there for the views, so it didn’t matter.  On a clear day — like we had today — the citadel makes for a great place from which to enjoy the cityscape.

the road to the left leads to the airport … and to Ephesus and beyond.

Looking towards Alsancak and beyond.
The green space in the center is Kültürpark.

From this angle, I can see some of the places I’ve visited …

… such as the Salepçİoğlu Camİİ (left) and the ruins of the Agora, the ancient marketplace.
Thanks to my Canon SX50, I was able to zoom in for the inset close-ups.

From the fortress, we drove the 50 miles (80 km) to the resort town of Alaçatı.  Regular readers know that this is a town that I visit at least once on each trip to Turkey, so I won’t go into the details that I’ve written about in past posts.  After shopping at the Saturday market, we had brunch in the garden of Sailors, a boutique hotel housed in a 150-year old building.  I know I took photos, but I have no idea what happened to them, so I snagged a picture of the garden from the hotel’s website.

No pictures of the flavorful food from our brunch, but at least you get to see the setting.

Next we continued on to Çeşme, another coastal town that I’ve been to countless times.  This time, though, we went up to the Çaka Bey Monument overlook, which affords an expansive view of the area.  Located nearby was the cemetery where my cousin — the bride-to-be in the photo at the top of the post — is buried, so we also stopped there to pay our respects.

View of Çeşme and environs from the overlook.

Çaka Bey, an 11th century Turcoman commander.
Studying the naval strategies of the Byzantines during the time
he was their prisoner, he eventually beat them at their own game.

Our last stop before heading back home was the marina in Çeşme.  Although the breeze was cool, it was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies, and people of all ages had spilled out on to the streets to make the most of Mother Nature's gift.  After strolling for a while, we found a table at Mado, a waterfront café.  Their claim to fame is “real ice cream,” so that’s what mom and I split!

A sweet end to my last day of sightseeing in İzmİr on this trip.

And so ends this year’s family visit to Turkey.  Tomorrow is packing day — ugh.  A necessary evil for anyone who travels.  I will get the job done … but I don’t have to like it.

Ildır & Çeşme … Coastal Towns

Sunday, 7 October

Another beautiful fall day … plenty of sunshine and blue skies … which we took advantage of by going on a day trip.  After breakfast on mom’s terrace — she made dollar pancakes — we headed west.  First stop was Ildır … to wander around and pick up a loaf or two of farm-style bread; and then to Çeşme … to wander around and have afternoon tea.

A 120-mile (193 km) round trip drive takes us to coastal towns on the Aegean.

Can’t resist checking out a roadside stand for fresh produce … and melons.

Of the two towns we visited, Ildır (aka Ildırı) was a first for me — at least as an adult; if I went there as a child, I don’t remember it.  Overlooking a bay by the same name, it’s a small town that is relatively unspoiled by tourism.  After parking the car, we wandered along the main drag, checking out the stalls set up by the locals; stopping frequently to smell the colorful flowers, we strolled some of the narrow, meandering roads leading to the waterfront; and we briefly explored a nearby city of antiquity.

The only flower I remember the name of is the bougainvillea (left).

Murat catches the photographer eyeing some ...

... marigolds in tin cans, ready to be taken home and planted in a garden.

Locals have set up sidewalk stalls where they sell olive oil, homemade jams, crafts, etc.
[you can see a detail shot of one of the popular crafts in my viewfinder blog]

"Arkadaṣ" (friend) is in need of some tender loving care.

“Erythrai” is one of several ancient Ionian cities in the area.
The theater was built in the first half of the 3rd Century BC.
Excavation work resumed in 2006; there’s a lot of work to be done.

From Ildır, we followed the coastal road to a small hilltop café to check out the scenery and have some refreshments.

Murat and his swim teammates practice their strokes in these waters.

While we all split a "gözleme" ( a traditional Turkish savoury), Murat’s beverage
of choice is a cup of strong Turkish coffee.

Turkish coffee lends itself well to the art of “kahve falı,” a form of fortune telling
using the coffee grounds left in the bottom of the cup.  The coin placed on the
Upended cup is said to help cool the grounds faster and also dispel any bad omens.

En route to Çeşme, we drove along the public beach in Ilıca.  Having spent many of my summer weekends as a child here, I couldn’t pass up a few photo ops.

Palm trees, blue skies, turquoise waters, and white sand = a beautiful beach.

Doesn’t look like a fall day at all!

The sailboats are preparing for a regatta.

those umbrellas sure would provide welcome shade on a hot summer day.

Finally, we arrived in the town of Çeşme.  Instead of doing what we usually do — wander in town and visit the fortress (last year’s post covers just that), we drove to an estate across the bay that has become quite the tourist attraction.

A saltwater aquarium “wall” attracts visitors from all over;
unfortunately there is too much glare to get a good picture.

The aquarium is filled with local fish, as well as a couple of eels and octopi.

Left: Sure am glad that’s only my reflection the octopus is clinging to!
Right: some of the landscaping around the estate.

Left: I’m charmed by the old wagon wheels embedded in the retaining wall.
Right: Nice view of the town from the grounds of the estate.

A closer look at the view reveals the new cruise ship pier and marina,
and the walls of the old fortress beyond.

We wrapped up our day by having tea at a small seaside café in town … and then it was back to İzmir for a quiet evening at home.

Teaser: Ilıca Beach

Sunday, 7 October

I spent many childhood summers swimming at this beach.

A summer like October day … Ilica, Çeşme — İzmİr.

One Last Outing: Çeşme

Friday, November 4

Another beautiful-weather morning found us on our way to Çeşme, a coastal town about 50 miles (80 km) west of İzmir. Çeşme literally translates as “faucet or fountain.” I hear there are numerous fountains sprinkled around town. Perhaps on a different occasion I'll go hunting for them, but that wasn't on the agenda today.

I spent many a summer in one of the nearby towns with my family, and remember frequent forays into the town-proper for a meal, shopping, or just for a stroll. In some ways, today’s Çeşme is quite different from the one I remember; in others, it’s the same. I enjoyed a bit of both today.

there’s a highway connecting İzmir to Çeşme now; it makes for a faster, easier drive.

We started our day with breakfast at Murat’s mother’s beach house. Normally they’d be back in the city by now, but they’re renovating their apartment in İzmir, so they’ll be staying in Çeşme until that work is completed. Their house is up a steep hill, next door to the fortress, and has a view of the recently constructed marina.

Nice view, don’t you agree?

I thought I had taken a photo of the breakfast feast, but I can’t find it. You’ll just have to take my word that it was worthy of royalty.

After breakfast, Aylin and Murat took me to the marina for a stroll. It was quiet, and most of the eateries and shops were closed, but I imagine that on the weekends the place is hopping. Having opened to service in 2010, the marina is a new addition to the town; and one they hope will bring in lots of revenue from boat owners. It sure didn’t look like it was lacking for small-boat clientele.

Narrow, flagstone-paved streets are lined with eateries and shops.

Sunny, but chilly … not that we were put off from sightseeing.

Everywhere you look there are bushes of Bougainvillea blooming.

who says there aren’t unicorns?

Looking towards town from the far side of the marina; hidden behind all those
masts is the fortress that we’ll be visiting next.

One of Çeşme’s landmarks is the kale (fortress) by the same name. Though proof is hard to come by, it’s believed that the fortress was built by the Genoese in the 14th Century. Restored in the 16th Century during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezit II, it played an important role in the Naval Battle of Çeşme (1770). The Russian fleet was victorious, but not before losing their flagship to the Ottoman fleet.

Sultan Bayezİt II restored the fortress in 1508.

In 1965, the fortress was converted to a museum. (Admission fee 3TL [approx. $1.75]; free with Müzekart). Visitors are allowed to wander around at will and check out the exhibits housed in several of the towers. Theoretically, one can walk the narrow, stone walkway that rims the ramparts all the way around. There was renovation work being done along one side, however, so I was unable to make the full circuit. Steep, perhaps, but worth it for the views.

The picture on the left is exactly what you think it is — an alaturka (Turkish style) toilet.
It was located at the head of the walkway (right) leading to the interior courtyard.
Note the rifle/arrow slit in the wall — I guess the guard was expected to be alert
and ready to defend the fortress at all times :-)

Over 700 Ottoman period headstones that have been collected from around the
area are lined up against the walls of the fortress.

the inner courtyard — or at least a part of it.
I sure could have used a super wide angle lens here.

Archaeological finds displayed in the corner tower seen in the previous image.

Heading up along the side wall yields views of the marina.

Glimpse of the moat surrounding the fortress.

Where there's now a marina ...

... once there was just a body of water.
[historic photo from a billboard]

Glimpse of the town from high atop the ramparts.

A little weathered, but ready to defend the fortress.

From the exhibit in the Çeşme Ottoman-Russian Naval Battle Hall.
Top Left: 1791 English cartoon satirizing Catherine the great’s imperial ambitions and
sexual appetite as she steps over the heads of European monarchs.
Center: it was during the reign of Sultan Mustafa III that the naval battle was fought.
top right: Portrait of Catherine the great.
bottom left & right: Paintings depicting the naval battle.

Exhibit of amphorae dating from the 1st Century BC to the 18th Century AD.

And on that note, we called our sightseeing quits. After collecting mom from where we’d left her to visit with Murat’s mom and sister, we made a quick stop to pick up some cheese from Murat’s favorite dairy and headed back home.

Tomorrow is packing day … so, no post.