The Fish Evening

Tuesday

Breakfast is always a good starting point for the day (that is after waking up), here in the hotel, it is all there except pork, this means no bacon, or pork sausages, but with such a splendid array or egg dishes, scrambled, boiled, fried or omelettes, plain, filled or Spanish, French toast, Turkish sausages spicy, local cheeses, goats, sheep and cow. Cereals for every taste, salads, smoked salmon and trout, you name it they have it, well almost! No poached eggs!!! Ah well, I can wait.

The array of breads has to be seen to be believed, warm filled rolls and twists, the pile of fresh breads absolutely fantastic and not a Mothers Pride wrapper in site. All the bread is freshly baked each day.

After breakfast I went for a walk around the hotel and took this shot of an early morning dipper coming out of the pool.





The blighter was in the all together and that in Turkey!!

I had decided before I came on holiday that I would be getting new specs here, about 50% cheaper than in Germany, I spoke to the optician and told him that I thought that my focal distances had changed and that while driving I had difficulty focus on distant objects (signs and the like). I have an appointment to go to the ophthalmic surgeon in January, I wanted a one before I left for holidays but alas none to be had.
He booked me an appointment with a local ophthalmist , I was driven there to find a wonderful young lady, a queue of 12 and more coming by the minute. I was as usual given a glass of tea (it happens everywhere). They wait was worth it she was thoroughly professional with all of the most modern equipment. She worked at the speed of light, I reckoned that she was earning €200,- an hour and working 6 days a week and 8 hours per day that meant she was coining in a cool € 9600,- a week. (Though I am sure she pays taxes). I was later to find out she doesn’t need to work, her husband owns 2 hotels and her father 3. She only doe’s tourists and cash in the hand. I did get a receipt!
But eye tests done back to the opticians, picked my frames (German light weights), specs will be ready on Thursday.

I then went back to the hotel and had a bowl of soup for lunch, there is a fantastic buffet at the pool restaurant and a grill and döner down at the beach bar. I must try that this week.
 We arranged to have a walk later that afternoon (Linda was having Massages and I was in the sport centre on the power cycle). We met up and walked along the beach and then onto a new promenade

through Pomegranate and olive glades.

Overhead the micro-light making its last flight of the evening and as we later found out of the season, I had aimed to do a photographic flight the next day!

 

Passing new hotels, some still in a state of construction, some being demolished to make way for the newest venture, this once agricultural peasant land being turned into a concrete tourist landscape, progress? Turkey beware! Do not do the same mistakes as Spain, Portugal and Greece.

 

The evening anglers

Fishing in the sunset

We watched some Polish lads fishing in the setting sun and found a Moray eel washed up in the surf, which had got itself entangled in a fishing line, nothing to be done, it was dead.



We passed a fisherman putting out his nets into the sea, for a nights fishing, just as the sun was setting. The sun sets at 17:00 prompt and within a couple of minutes the ball of fire had sunk beneath the horizon.



Reaching the bridge that crossed the small river that enters the sea at this point in the bay, it is also a starting point for some of the Manavgat river trips.



On the bridge was a digital clock and thermometer, November temperature in the evening.




We got the taxi back to our hotel and got ready for our evening meal, tonight was the a la carte fish night, in the restaurant that Linda had book for us.

We studied the menu (well Linda did)



We started with a very nice smoked fish soup; this had just the right amount of smokiness and was well flavoured.





She does eat ever so dainty!

Next came the sea food cocktail, this was very pretty, well decorated and tasty to boot, it contained prawns, shrimps, smoked salmon, stuffed cucumber, Russian salad. It was a very well composed plate of food both in looks and taste.



The very pretty starter



About to destroy a thing of beauty

During the whole meal the young waiter was most attentive, explained the menu, our glasses never empty, he was speedy and very professional.

The following course was a whole calamari tube, cut in a fan shape and coated in a very fine tempura batter, the calamari soft and tasty and the batter crisp and light, it sat on a small salad of radish, rocket and red peppers and a nice herb yoghurt sauce. Well done that cook!




The main was Bass, Lampuki or grilled prawns

I plugged for the Bass and Linda the Lampuki, I have caught and eaten Lampuki many times in Malta and Italy, it is wonderful meaty fish, but this time I fancied the Bass.

The main courses served, mine a wonderful portion sized Bass, perfectly seasoned and wonderful and juicy inside. It was accompanied by a very nice mixed salad, all made with local produce.

Linda thought her Lampuki exquisite, a nice flavoured, well-cooked piece of fish, it came mounted on top of a pile of shredded carrots, red and green peppers. The dressing was a very nice mustard sauce which was served in a separate shot glass.

Both of our fish cooked perfectly moist, well-seasoned again top marks to the chef.

We passed on the Desserts, Linda is only taking desserts every 4th day and the only dessert I eat on a regular basis is Christmas pudding.

During the meal a very crisp dry Turkish Sauvignon blanc was served, very pleasant to the palate and the ever observant young waiter made sure your glass wasn’t for more than 2 seconds, a very fine, well trained lad.



We then went and found our friends and sat in one of the many bars and chatted for a while, our friends went up to their room and I went into the 24 hour patisserie and watched the football with like-minded footy freaks.

The Patisserie is a meeting point; you can play rummy, have a game of chess or backgammon, read a book, drink mocha or an apple tea or just simply write up your blog. The ever attentive waiters and waitresses flitting between the tables and couches making sure you want for nothing. I drank my beer (s) and watched the football.   

A pleasant end to a very pleasant day