Merhaba,

Our pals Mary and Rick sailed off Friday morning and since then my walks have been quite lonely.  Their friendship meant a lot and was one reason we really enjoyed being here at the marina.  We could always count on them to go off for an adventure or for help on the boat when Randal needed some of Rick’s expertise or just his smaller body to get into tight places Randal couldn’t.  I only had to sound worried and Rick would come check on the boat while Randal was away.  Mary was always there for company.  Good friends.

Safe sailing you guys.  You know there’s room for you any time you want to come visit!

Ru

Rick and Mary on ORCA

Merhaba,

We’re back in Marmaris again for this email.  Another visit to the Art and Culture Center which I’m so glad they opened while we were here as it’s a fun place to take visitors as well as to check out the new exhibits, have some tea or coffee and use the WC.

Ru

Pam and Dave Zack came for a too short visit.  They are touring Turkey using the really great bus system and so were able to come here and spend two nights on their way to Fethiye for a gullet cruise.  I mention the bus system or you might think they were cycling their way through the country.   Pam and Dave met Randal when they were all participants on Odyssey 2000, the “around the world bicycle ride.”   I’d never met them before but about mid-afternoon Tuesday looked out of the boat and saw two people who looked a bit bewildered.  I asked, “Are you lost.”  Pam said yes and Dave said they were looking for Doramac!   We spent the afternoon telling (and hearing) Odyssey stories and then we all went off to Happy Hour and dinner at Pineapple.

Wednesday we explored around Marmaris.

Coincidentally Pam and Dave arrived on the day before the President’s Bicycle Ride stage ended in Marmaris.  Funny enough our first day ever in Marmaris was the stage of the same race.  Our bus was stopped at an intersection on the way from Izmir to Marmaris so the race could cross an intersection.  I believe a Russian won this stage: Pam and I went back later in the afternoon to see the finish but it was over when we arrived. So we went off to visit the yarn shops instead.

Randal was off attending an excellent all-day weather class given by a cruiser at Yacht Marine so I played tour guide with the help of our pals Mary and Rick.  We walked along the waterfront to the Arts and Culture Center to see the new exhibit.

A banner painted by some of the art students to celebrate Tourism Week, the 15th-22nd of April.

Paintings and wood sculpture are the current exhibits.

The artist who was exhibiting her work.

This was my favorite..

Or maybe this one: I liked her use of bright colors!

I liked the bold rooftop perspective on this painting of a mosque.

Wood sculptures were fun. This wood sculpture inspired us to try one ourselves…….

Tables were set up so you could make your own sculpture.

My sculpture. I just sort of picked up the pieces and set them down but looking at it now I see big animals sheltering smaller animals.

Pam’s sculpture looked like a walled city to me.

Mary’s looked like a mosque.

Dave wasn’t sure where his was going……. A mountain range?

We walked back through town to check out floral shops so Randal and I could get some the next day for Joan’s birthday. Teens are teens and McDonald’s is McDonalds except in India where there is no beef.

I love what I call “Cape Cod blue” because the color reminds me of what I remember from my growing up years in Massachusetts.  Here it’s Mediterranean Blue.

Pam and Dave had never eaten Simit so we bought some and everyone came back to DoraMac for toasted simit with cheeses, Sunday Man black berry jam, pine honey which was a gift from Pam and Dave and some cucumber and tomato.  I love simit but have weaned myself from eating two a day so these were my first in several months.  Luckily it’s salad season here with the best greens and tomatoes and cucumber.  And the fresh basil; amazing!