A trip to Antalya.

 Day 6 of our Turkish Holiday

It was a trip day to Antalya, it is about a 75km from Gündogdu, so as we like to do things a bit unorganised, we asked at the hotel reception what busses etc. we needed to get there. The ever helpful chap at the reception (they are all without exception very helpful), said no problem, he then wrote where we wanted to go out on a piece of paper in Turkish, not a lot of use for me, though Linda being the linguist and a Turkey on your own bat, gets by admirably. He said show that to the Dolmus and bus drivers and it will get you there. So I say folks forget your “Lonely Planets” and ask at the reception.

So it was a Dolmus to the main highway, the driver pointed us in the direction of the main bus stop on the New Highway (D400) that runs right along the Turkish Riviera. Along came a bus, stopped we showed the attendant (yes they still have them on board) the piece of paper, he informed us that this was the correct bus and away we jolly well went, it was a very pleasant journey, the attendant dishing out small (0.25) sealed water containers to the passengers.

We travelled through the changing countryside, changing from olive, pomegranate and orange groves, the tomato, peppers and cucumber fields and the modern industries, steel, building, joiners, motor, by driving along this road you can see the new merging with the old, or is it the new pushing out the old?

The mountain chain rising on the right hand side is the mighty Taurus Mountains,that start at Egridir  lake and strech along the coast before turning inland and ending at upper reaches of the Euphrates river.

We eventually arrived in Antalya, you knew that as for about 5km before reaching Antalya proper the scenery changes and you come into the built up areas, the high rise, the normal city sprawl, we rounded a very large round-about, with a very impressive statue of a man on a rearing horse, this could only be Mustafa Kemel Atatürk,

the bus attendant then informed us that the next stop was ours and that we should cross the road to get a dolmus into town. We alighted and walked to the next corner, there happened to be a travel agents, outside was a man with a moustache (just said this as no self-respecting older Turk would be without a one), we asked the way to the centre, he said cross the road and either take a dolmus from a stop or go a little further up the road and take the tram, we decided to walk! It may have been wise or it may have been not, it was a long walk, but on the way we passed through the non-tourist shops, the real butchers and bakers with smell of fresh baked bread.

The electrical and wholesale shops, the haberdashers and chandlers and funny we did not get accosted once to buy their wares. We walked a good 4 km asking along the way and everyone was ever so helpful, and pointed us in the right direction, very nice people.

We eventually reached the pedestrian precinct that eventually led to the harbour, here the sales pitch changed (and the prices), here it was the more demanding come inside,  looky-looky, feely-feely touristy hard sell. But not with a hard-necked Geordie lad and a brazen Belfast Lass!

We wound our way down to the clock tower, one of the helpful people underway had told us that was the best place to head for, there is also a fine figure of a man (not I) AttolosII who was the founder of a new naval port to protect the coast and gave it, its name Attaleia, modern day Antalya.

We walked to the old harbour walls before turning left.

 

We then walked through the old part of the city, passing ruined and renovated buildings, the government is slowly but surely renovating the old part of the city as the buildings fall to ruin they are renovated, in not an unpleasant way, in the old style.

We again reached the old harbour walls and looked out across the bay, while looking for a good vantage point, we aspyed a pleasant looking restaurant, built into what would have been a buttress tower, we walked through the curtain walls and into a pleasant court yard raised above the roof tops with a very fine view of the bay.

 

We decided to have a drink and our lunch here. While waiting for lunch I was able to take a look from the top of the walls by climbing through the curtain walls with its archery slits, at the to I found a solitary gardian of the battlements.

 

 

 

I think, no I know that the lunch no way matched the spectacular view, in fact I had a large beer, Linda a glass of nice white wine and the fish soup! Well least said the better, it was absolutely tasteless a supposedly fish soup, that was insipid broth (not fish) with a few boiled to death prawns floating amongst a few strands of vegetables. The best part of the soup was the bread and thank goodness that a salt and pepper cellar was at hand to add a bit of taste. The price was also somewhat extravagant, we paid €50,- for the meal, for what it was, it was not at all cheap.

 

 Waiting for the soup

It really wasn't worth waiting for!

We left the restaurant and wandered through the old part of town passing the tourist traps (carpet handlers, glassware, bangles baubles and beads, post cards, and, and, and.

We made our way down to the lower harbour, passing a restaurant with a vitrine with some very nice looking fresh fish, we really should have waited!

Walking along the mole, there was a multitude of anglers trying their luck and under the shady trees a small fountain with a couple of rock doves having a drink.

The restaurant with a spectacular view and not so spectacular fish soup, from the harbour mole.

We then walked around the marina and up to the North side of the harbour, passing the oldest remaining parts of the city the ruins of the Islam teaching school,

and the  oldest mosque in the area the Yivili Minare mosque and of course the minaret. In the back ground a new large mosque.

 We next went to the newer part of the harbour passing another very large statue of Atatürk.

We found a small post office (a kiosk) and bought our stamps from a very pleasant post official, who sold us the stamps and stamped them with a smashing sense of humour. We then made our way back to the centre and to a place that had been pointed out to catch the tram back to our starting point. The trams are super modern, sleek and speedy (TAM) they run at frequent intervals and took us back to our starting point in a matter of minutes, again the passengers all very helpful making sure we got off at the correct stop, then it was into the bus for the leisurely journey to get us back to our hotel in time for dinner, with a view of the setting sun illuminated Taurus mountains.

Isn't life nice! (at times)