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Hello from Roanoke, VA USA

September 30, 2014

Roanoke, VA USA

Hi y’all,

I was feeling rather bad that I’d not written for ages when my sister forwarded me an email from friends asking if I’d stopped writing or had their address been lost or what. It has been a while since my last email. Writer’s block isn’t the reason or disastrous happenings either in Turkey or here in Roanoke. Adjusting to life, on land, in the US is just taking a bit longer than usual. Randal and I are feeling culture lag or clash or whatever. We’re not used to living in the “first world” with its hustle and bustle and cars and media and choices. And staying put. Our river trip from England to Turkey was constant moving along. There was never the question of “what shall we do?” We had to get up each morning and move along to a new town or country, find food, see the sights…. No time to get bored or restless.

For the next 3 months in the US, it’s all up to us. Of course we want to spend time with family and friends. And there’s the round of annual doctor and dental appointments. Randal is working with engineers and architects to plan a road into our wooded land to then level a lot for our future home. But all of that takes time and paperwork being drawn up and then approved by the local government so there’s lots of waiting time. Because we’re only here for a short time volunteering isn’t an option and that’s what retired people do. Or take classes, but again we’re not here long enough. At least not this visit. When we move back permanently it will be different. I did sign up to help prepare for the County Library’s annual book sale. And at some point Randal wants to make a trip to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water in Pennsylvania. But he needs cataract surgery and we won’t know until October 6^th when it will be scheduled.

I also find myself resenting the need for a car. In London we walked or took the underground and that was great. In Marmaris we can walk everywhere we need to go. In some ways it’s a bit like waking up and the world has changed and you have to readjust to it. This past week I’ve been shaking myself awake.

DoraMac

Before we left Marmaris DoraMac went “on the hard” where work will be done to her hull and some interior work.

Living up in the clouds!

It really is safe though it seems odd. We climb down the swim platform ladder and step onto a huge chunk of a tree trunk and then onto a small piece of log. It’s really not so hard as it sounds and to me is much easier than a regular ladder.

Cash register on the small dolmuṣ that travel between Netsel Marina and Yat Marina as well as around Marmaris and to Iҫmeler one town over. Several of us went out to lunch at the newly developing small marina mid-way between the two big marinas. Gwen loves the place and will kill me for forgetting its name. We all went to celebrate Randal’s birthday a few days early.

It was a lovely setting and a lovely lunch!

Collin has established the morning coffee meet up. I’ve gone a few times though it’s usually a guy thing where the women tend to do the Wednesday morning art/knit thing. Buttons loves his caffeine which is why at 16 is still ready to go.

It seems we’d just arrived in Marmaris when it was time to leave for the US. We took the bus from Marmaris to Izmir (4 ½ hours) where we stayed overnight in the same wacky hotel we always stay at and we ate dinner in the same wonderful fish restaurant we always eat in when we’re in Izmir which is most of the time we fly back and forth to Turkey. They actually remember us at the restaurant and the hotel which is really quite nice. The hotel is clean and in a really good location for seeing the sights. The toilet seat is a bit wobbly as is the shower head. The top sheet is more narrow than the bed rather than hanging over the side. But when you email and say, “I’ve left my Turkish phone in the room”, they email back and say, “we have it for you on your return.” We’d been using the phone as an alarm to get us up at 4 am and it was left by the bed. I’d tried to get across the idea of ‘wake-up call’ to the man at the front desk but he kept saying they would have a taxi for us ….. They did actually call us at 4:20 and did have a taxi for us at 5 am. Not as wacky as the Grand Budapest Hotel which I watched on the plane from Munich to DC, but close.

Emniyet Et ve Balık Restaurant

1367 Sokak No. 14 Çanyaya/Izmir

My absolutely all-time fish favorite, grilled sardines. They are sweet and boneless and wonderful and this plate with the salad was less than $5!

The restaurant is open to the street and you just feel a part of the place. When we’d finished we walked the few blocks back to the hotel. Life is lived out on the street in many parts of the world. It’s really nice!

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Taking Mary and Rick to Bodrum and my first visit to the Art and Culture Center

September 12, 2014

Netsel Marina Dock A

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba,

It had to happen. As of this past Wednesday Randal and I are “empty boaters” again. Rick and Mary were eager to get back to their own boat Orca. They had left it at Yat Lift in Bodrum back in May and had immediately flown to England to join us for the passage through Europe. Orca needs some work and they need to do it as they’re thinking of joining a group to winter off Egypt or perhaps they’ll winter in South Cyprus. They’re not sure but need to prepare their boat and themselves. And it’s also for sale, so their plans are really open for whatever may come. Their wish is to sell Orca, buy a larger boat, and keep cruising.

So anyway, Tuesday night they packed up their stuff and Wednesday morning we loaded it into the car Randal had rented for the drive. I worried that everything would all fit but it did.

Since Wednesday Randal and I have been working on DoraMac. We’re going through everything we have and deciding if we need it on the boat for the winter, want to take it home in September, or give it to charity. Most of the charity choices are Randal’s “no longer needed or don’t fit” clothes. Mine went to the charity shops before we left Ipswich. Same with books we will not ship home. I’m washing and rearranging cabinets and closets.

Mid-morning today we both took a break. Randal went off for coffee with the guys and I walked to the Culture and Art Center to see the new exhibit. They are oil paintings. I prefer watercolor, pen and ink, or sketches. But while in Ipswich at the John Russell Galley I learned to back away from big oil paintings so I could actually see them. I do like them better that way. The painting at the Culture Center were a little too pastel for me. But I looked at each one and took the time while lovely music played in the back ground. Then I had a quick cappuccino in the Center’s coffee shop while I read my English language version of the Daily News and Today’s Zaman. Both will come in handy when I defrost the refrigerator and freezer just before we leave for home.

This afternoon I washed a set of flannel sheets because when we return in December, we’ll need them. They’d been stored in the cedar storage area and needed a quick wash and airing. I also organized all of our dive gear into one place. And pots, pans and plastic storage containers are being weeded and rearranged too. The boat will certainly be shipshape!

DoraMac

DoraMac on A dock.

We are tied “stern-to” which makes neighbors close enough that when they sneeze, I can’t resist saying “bless you.” Living in a house on 100 acres of land will certainly be a change.

Ships stores for Orca; Bulgarian wine, beer and aquavit from Germany or maybe the Netherlands. All of that plus luggage fit into the car. Randal had bought a couple boxes of wine too but we’ll be home for 3 months and “not so expensive” boxed wine doesn’t age so well in a hot boat.

Half way to Bodrum we stopped for a coffee break at a road side restaurant.

Orca is “on the hard” so we handed stuff up to the bow and then Rick handed it down to Mary who was in the foc’sle stowing it away.

Down the hatch, literally!

Then we went to lunch at a small restaurant just near the boat yard. Afterwards Rick and Mary walked back to their boat and Randal and I drove back to Marmaris. They know they have an open invitation to come back any time. Satilik means for sale which their boat is.

A visit to the Culture and Art Center

Zὒlfikar AYTUḠ

Dὒnyam = My World

September 10^th to the 18^th

There was a wide variety of styles though I believe they’re all by the same person.

It is a lovely space for housing exhibits. No one was about so I just took photos. Sometimes it’s okay and sometimes not. But I did it quickly so the photos are not great.

I had a thing for Dervishes onec upon a time. Randal and I saw them whirl in Konya during our 10 day motorbike trip in July of 2011. That trip will be a highlight of time in Turkey and also of our time cruising.

My camera colors may not be exactly as they are in the painting…. Hard to capture it exactly

Upstairs in one of the classrooms are some future artists. I had wanted to take a class last year but my Turkish is far too limited and it met 3 times each week for 5 weeks which just wasn’t possible. Maybe I’ll find something this winter.

The coffee shop is just behind the stairway on the first floor.

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In Marmaris

September 8, 2014

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba

So we arrived in Marmaris abou10:30 am this morning. We are tied up on A dock just across from the cruise ships.

The nice thing about being in Marmaris is that we still know folks LIKE GWEN who keeps the place alive with activities and just her Gwen-ness. We also know the town and where to buy what and how to get there and back. Sort of like going into Cheers; everybody knows your name. The marina staff and the Migros grocery staff remembered us and that was quite nice with all of the people who come through. Must have been those pecan pies Randal made the marina office staff and our frequent visit to Migros which was just a few steps from the bow when we were moved to our “for the winter berth.”

Wednesday we’ll rent a car and drive Rick and Mary to Bodrum where there boat is waiting for them.

Until we leave for home, most of the time we’re here Randal and I will be busy with boat stuff and giving the boat a good cleaning.

In some ways it hardly feels as if we’ve been gone. The whole 15 months seem to have gone by in a flash. Hard to believe though we have the photos to prove it.

So ……

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Almost to Marmaris

September 7, 2014

Serҫe Limani between Bodrum and Marmaris Serҫe means sparrow and Liman is harbor so I’m guessing it’s something like Sparrow Harbor. Nice!

Turkey

Merhaba,

I obviously jumped the gun. Tomorrow Marmaris. Tonight we’re anchored out in lovely Serce Limani for the night. No jelly fish in sight and the water was warm so I was in for a swim.

Another odd swimming costume; the tank top half of a bathing suit and my cut-off jeans. I actually have no idea where my real bathing suit is.

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Babakale

September 6, 2014

Anchored off Bodrum

iyi akşamlar = good evening

Tomorrow we’ll be in Marmaris. Too many thoughts about that so I’ll just write about Babakale. We only spent one night but it will be a favorite for all the reasons in the tourist blurb below. I took too many photos but they will be some of the final ones of DoraMac’s passages. With us. Whoever her next owner will be, DoraMac have many more passages.

Babakale is the furthest western most point on Turkey’s Asian mainland. When you enter from the north you see Babakale’s long beach. The village is located on a high rocky terrain, covered with olive and plane trees. The freshly restored castle looks as if it is new and the narrow streets running past old village houses lead to the Bababurnu Lighthouse, a site known to all seafarers in the region. The olive and plane trees are peaceful. The castle was built in 1723 and was the last fortress erected by the Ottomans and characteristic of that period. Among the historic sites that survived to our day are the castle, the public fountain and the mosque. On the border between the Marmara and the Aegean regions of Turkey the sunset is of extreme beauty. This end point of the mainland that once was a base of the Ottoman navies and frequented by pirates, has a hill smothered in the scent of thyme. You can come across rabbits, boars, partridges and quails in all seasons. Those who reside in this quiet town are worried over the building of Çanakkale bridge, a proposed crossing between Asia and Europe over the Dardanelles. In clear weather it is possible to see Bozcaada and the even the houses on the island of Midilli nine miles away. Ak Port on the seaside is the best location for swimming. The beach is of fine sand and the sea is shallow for one hundred metres out.

The village was known in the past to be a den of pirates. One day Sultan Ahmed III was sheltering there from a storm while on a boat voyage. The villagers surrounded him and made many complaints about the corsairs. The Sultan soon tired of the villagers’ complaints and ordered his vezir (Ottoman Prime Minister) İbrahim Pasha to deal with it. İbrahim Pasha in turn appointed his son in law, the Kaptan-ı Derya (Navy Commander) Mustafa Pasha, to deal with the matter. By issuing a ferman (Sultan’s decree) it was announced that prisoners from the four corners of the country would be freed if they agreed to work in Bababurnu. The prisoners, by working flat out, finished the castle. For the public fountain they had to carry water from five kilometres away by pipelines. When they started to build the port Mustafa Pasha was killed in the Patrona Halil uprising.

The construction resumed years later. The throwing of dry bread in the water when one leaves for a cruise or fishermen sail from the port is an old tradition. According to a story told by Piri Reis in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (a famed Ottoman captain and his book on the sea) when he died the non-hard bread eating seaman Latif Baba a was buried in the Babakale village and whenever the navy passed here they would throw a piece of dried bread into the waters in the direction of the grave to bring them luck. The famed Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi also mentioned praying for Latif Baba when passing here. Now this tradition is also picked up cruise passengers.

The village make a living based on olives, shoe and knife making. In recent years tourism has been added to its sources of income. Its knife making goes far back in history. There are families that have been making knives for six generations. The steel they take from cars is their material. The make handles from the loquat tree and the sheaths from the wood of poplar trees. The knives are functional and very sharp. But the numbers of those keeping up this traditional occupation are gradually decreasing.

As it is positioned at the crossing point between Marmara and the Aegean, according to the season you can get mackerel, bonito, bluefish and sea bream, as well as very nice calamary. You can sample fish in the village

Babakale is 100 kms away from Canakkale city center.

http://www.canakkale.com.tr/Highlights/Babakale

We were too big for the far side of the marina so were waved over to the fishing boat docks which were still fairly empty when we arrived just past 5 PM. We secured the boat and then went off to visit the fortress and find some dinner.

The fortress and town just steps away from Doramac taken after dinner when I walked to the lighthouse at the harbor entrance.

Below the fortress walls were head stones, one reading 1316 to 1970. I think the first date is based on the Islamic Calendar

Looking down from the fortress I spied this woman. She was dressed all in blue with lovely blue shoes to match. I’m sure someone’s grandma. Büyükanne = elder mother

We bought some vegetables here and some strawberry jam from some ladies near the fortress.

His grandfather made knives and his son is learning now.

Animal horns for the handles

After dinner of grilled fish for Randal and me, calamari for Mary and a meatball dish for Rick we watched the fleet of fishing boats come into the harbor and hoped we’d not taken someones spot.

Looking down at the restaurant terrace next to ours and watching the sun begin to set.

After dinner I walked along the breakwater to the light house.

The fishing boat that came into the harbor all fit in next to each other.

Walking towards the harbor entrance and light

More fishing boats coming into Babakale and they all managed to fit around us.

Some came to unload their catch, some to take on ice and provisions. Some took on fuel. We just weren’t sure exactly what they were all doing.

The sun was setting over the sea at the foot of the fortress walls

The moon was rising over the fishing fleet and DoraMac

Our bow was right up to the stern of the fishing boat in front of us.

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Passage to Marmaris 1

September 6, 2014

On our passage from Kuṣadasi towards an anchorage near Bodrum.

Merhaba,

We have 70 miles to go and it’s not going to be the smoothest ride, but so it goes. Nothing is rattling down below so that’s a good indicator. The waves aren’t high but they’re close together so it makes for a bumpy ride.

This email is part one of our passage to Marmaris from Istanbul. Lots of fishing boat photos, but then I did grow up in New Bedford.

Passage to Marmaris : Through the Bosporus to the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles to the Aegean

I’m listening to the waves just outside the marina in Kuṣadasi and I’m glad we’re inside. I’ve no idea their size but they sound big. When you travel by boat, you make some decisions and the weather makes some decisions; the determining decisions actually. It is Friday and we should be in Marmaris by Sunday or anchored very nearby. Since leaving the high rent district of Istanbul we have anchored out one night; spent nights in two fishing villages, as well as the larger city of Çanakkale home of the Trojan Horse created for the terrible Brad Pitt movie Troy. We are now in Kuṣadasi marina after an overnight passage and will spend the night before heading out tomorrow by 6 am.

The fishing villages I found charming though the karaoke in Silivri I definitely could have done without. The noise of the fishing boats’ maintenance work through the night was much more tolerable. Our one anchorage off of Marmara Adasi (Mamara Island) was totally quiet and peaceful. We even went swimming just to get off the boat for exercise. My favorite stop was Babakale, the second fishing village because the sunset was brilliant. Baba means father and kale is the word for fortress or castle. I’m glad to find that I’ve not forgotten every word of Turkish I’ve learned, but most of the grammar has gone kaput. But then grammar was never my strong suit.

Our night in Istanbul had us tied up across from the hardstand where boats were having repair work done. We were on the visitor dock I suppose which did provide power and water. We weren’t made to check in with the outrageously priced agent so that was kind of the marina. We did go to the mall for a Turkish sim card for internet access essential for checking weather so an acceptable reason to go ashore without officially checking in. We left in the morning.

Silivri is the birthplace of the physician Herodicus, the Father of Sports Medicine

“Herodicus (fifth century BC: ) is the first person in the history of medicine who actually combined sports with medicine. He used to be a sports teacher, who later studied medicine and managed to succeed Euryphon in the medical school of Cnidos, one of the most prominent in ancient Greece together with its neighbor medical school of Cos (Hippocrates’ home). In Cnidos Herodicus formed his own theoretical perspective of medicine. He considered, namely, bad health to be the result of imbalance between diet and physical activity and for this reason he recommended strict diet, constant physical activity and regular training. He believed that this combination was the ideal way to maintain good standards of health and he applied this type of treatment method to his patients. Unfortunately, Herodicus’ works are lost today. However, excerpts of his medical system, which can be traced in ancient texts, support the fact that Herodicus can be considered as the father of sports medicine.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16951976

“Silivri is a city and a district in Istanbul Province along the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, outside metropolitan Istanbul, containing many holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city. The largest city in the district is also named Silivri.

During the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Silivri, along with Epibatos, stood up against the Ottoman armies, and surrendered only after the city had fallen. Selymbria extended out of the walls only during the Ottoman era, because the non-Muslim residents like Greeks, Armenians and Jews lived within the city walls, and the Turks built their houses outside the walls at the coast. While the non-Muslims were engaged mostly in growing grapes, vinification and silk production, the Turks earned their life by fishing and making yogurt. The town remained a summer resort during the Ottoman time, as it was during the Byzantine era.

On the order of Suleiman the Magnificent, architect Mimar Sinan built 1562 a stone bridge with 33 arches just west of Silivri. The historical bridge, called "Uzunköprü" (The "Long Bridge"), is still in use today, however one arch is not visible due to sedimentation.

Prior to World War I, some Silivrian Jews immigrated to the town of Camagüey, Cuba [1]. Russians occupied Silivri on February 5, 1878 for 1 month until 3 March 1878. Bulgarians occupied it on November 16, 1912 for 9 months until May 30, 1913.

During the war, many more Sephardim in the city left as conditions worsened due to the war. Many of these Turkish Jews emigrated to the United States settling primarily in New York and Seattle. Others went to Palestine, France and South America.

According to the Treaty of Sèvres, Silivri became a part of Greece on July 20, 1920. However, Italians took it over from the withdrawing Greek troops on October 22, 1922, according to the Armistice of Mudanya. Finally, Turkish forces entered Silivri on November 1, 1922. It was part of Çatalca province between 1923–1926 and was bounded to Istanbul Province in 1926. It was enlarged with joining of Gümüşyaka (formerly Eski Ereğli) village from Çorlu district. “ Wikipedia

Silivri fishing fleet and cormorants fishing also with DoraMac plunk in the middle of the harbor. The fishing boats just maneuvered around us.

This fishing boat was just off our stern was my favorite subject as the men constantly pulled up and did something with the huge fishing nets until there was a huge pile.

It looked like a giant gauzy tent with tassels or and octopus tentacle

Working on the nets

See the huge pile of white balls that are the net’s edge

They noticed me taking photos and posed.

Looking back towards town at night. One night was Turkish music from the Victory Day celebrations. (The defeat of the Greeks at some point. But then lots of places we passed through celebrated the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in their history.)

Night time looking out towards sea was lovely too. Several of the boats set out at dark. Squid fishing is night time fishing. Huge lights are shone done on the water which attract the squid.

This statue was commemorating the city in 2012.

We weren’t anchored far off town so rather than mess with the dinghy motor, we rowed to shore. The second day one of the men from a boat tied to the fishermen’s dock told us to tie up to him and save ourselves the longer row to the public dinghy tie up down the way. We then walked through his boat and through the boat he was rafted up to and then climbed ashore. Here we’re returning to the dinghy through the two boats. We were a funny sight with four of us filling our good size dinghy. The oars are rather short and the waves were rather strong so we weren’t getting along so well. Rick, at the oars was making a mighty effort, but by our second visit to shore I guess it was decided we needed a break so help was offered.

Turkish lunch with complementary meze and bread while we waited for our order.

It was cool enough for long sleeves.

Symbols of Silivri; a fishermen mending nets and a cat. We have found where there are fishermen, there are cats and the cats seem to eat well. They sit patiently waiting and are almost always rewarded.

Mamara Adasi island of marble and quarries

A tanker shared our anchorage. There was also a beach with lots of families.

“Although quite small by world standards, this island is second largest island of island-poor Turkey. Its name comes from marmara in Greek (mermer in Turkish), which means “marble”, referring to the fact that island’s quarries have been used for marble extraction since ancient times. The island also gave its name to the Sea of Marmara by which it is surrounded. Island’s ancient name, on the other hand, was Prokonessos.

Marmara Island has peculiarities unique to it in the archipelago. Firstly, it is large enough to sustain more than a couple of villages (it has four villages and two towns, all situated on its oval-shaped shoreline). It is also mountainous, with highest point reaching 709 meters at Ilyas Tepe. This mountainous geography does not allow for long beaches along the coastline. Unlike other islands in the archipelago, its large portions are covered with forests.

Island’s capital town is also called Marmara (pop. 3-4,000), situated in SW coast of the island. Islanders make their living by fishing and agriculture, especially olive cultivation.” http://wikitravel.org/en/Marmara_(island)

This was the other side of the bay we were in. At night there was only quiet.

You should have seen me swimming. There were small jelly fish in the water which at first put me off. But my need for some exercise won out so I donned a light weight turtleneck fleece and some leggings and went swimming. Actually it kept me from getting cold so worked quite well though must have looked odd. The coast of Turkey is quite liberal so you don’t see any women in burkinis.

The great British burkini boom … and thanks to Nigella, it’s not just Muslim women buying them

By Helen Nugent Published: 00:23 GMT, 10 February 2013 | Updated: 07:57 GMT, 11 February 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk Of course Nigella has had her problems of late so maybe not such a fashion icon any more. As Heidi Klum would say, “One day you’re in and the next, You’re out.”

The Trojan Horse in the plaza near the marina seen from DoraMac at night

We stopped in Çanakkale long enough to do the checking in formalities, find some dinner, not find a grocery store, fill the boat with water and rest up for our next day’s long passage to Babakale

The province of Canakkale lies on both sides of the Dardanelles which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. Its shores touch both Europe (with the Gelibolu Peninsula) and Asia (with the Biga Peninsula) and there are regular ferries between the two sides.

The Canakkale Marina, besides those of Karabiga, Gelibolu, Bozcaada and Kucukkuyu, hosts the colorful yachts which pass through the strait and make a stopover at Canakkale, to see this historical and mythological rich area, homeland of many widely known legends.

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/canakkale.htm

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Leaving Bulgaria and the Bosporous Strait

September 1, 2014

Marmara Adası at anchor

Turkey

Merhaba,

We arrived at this lovely island and it’s quiet! The blasting from the marble quarry stopped and it’s now very quiet and you can hear the night insects. Last night the fishing fleet was loudly getting engines and nets ready and when that was done the karaoke began.

In a prior email I said we’d circumnavigated the Mediterranean. Wrong. We circumnavigated Europe. Still a big deal. Tomorrow we’ll leave at daylight and finally get to Çanakkale where we will officially check into Turkey.

This email is our final stop in Bulgaria and our passage through the Bosporus to Istanbul.

“Known in Turkish as Bogazici (the Strait), it links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and, with the Dardanelles Strait (in Çanakkale), separates Europe from Asia. “

While in Constanta, the port police told us we could check-out from Bulgaria in Sozopol In Sozopol we were told, to paraphrase, Bogey “you were misinformed.” So we had to stop for a brief visit in Tsarevo for the exit formalities. It really was on our way, so not a real inconvenience. We left Sozopol 10 am and arrived in Tsarevo at 1 pm. Rick, Randal and I went off for a short walk to stretch our legs.

Tsarevo port facilities

“In the past the town was called Vasiliku (12th century). There are evidences that in 1351 it was called Vasilikos, and by 1934 it was known under the name of Vasiliko. Within the period 1950 – 1991 the town had the name of Michurin. Since 1991 the town had had its present name – Tsarevo.

The town had a developed port and great traditions in ship-building and fishing. The close proximity to Strandzha, where wooden material for ship-construction was taken, was one of the basic advantages of Tsarevo. Traditionally, smaller to medium sized ships were built in the ship building plant in Tsarevo, but their distinctive feature was their sharp ship bow. In Greek this part of the ship was called Karina. That is why the local residents were called kakarini.

After the Liberation of Bulgaria of Ottoman dominion (1878) the town remained within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. As late as after the Balkan War (1912 – 1913) the town was again included within Bulgarian borders.”

http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/176/Carevo tells a bit more

Looking back at DoraMac in the small harbor where everyone was very welcoming and sorry we weren’t staying longer. They must get this a lot; boats just stopping in to check out.

Buying a last postcard

Tsarevo had what looked like a multi-star hotel but had nothing that really could compete with Sozopol. There was a lovely beach area and a few cafes, but on first glance (our only glance) not much more.

Entering Turkey : Bosphorus Strait

One of the world’s most strategic waterways, Bosphorus is the strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara; it is an inundated valley that follows an irregular northeast-southwest course 32 km (20 miles) long, 730-3300 meters (800-3600 yards) wide, 30-120 meters (100-395 feet) deep.

Bosphorus comes from a Tracian word of unknown origin, interpreted in Greek as meaning "Ford of the Cow", from the legend of Io, one of the many lovers of Zeus, who swam across the sea here as a cow chased and continuously disturbed by flies sent by Hera.

Known in Turkish as Bogazici (the Strait), it links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and, with the Dardanelles Strait (in Çanakkale), separates Europe from Asia. It is a former river valley which was drowned by the sea at the end of the Tertiary period. This is a very busy strait with many commercial ships and oil tankers, as well as local fishing and passenger boats.

(Because it is so busy we specifically planned to get there at daylight. But like “the best laid plans of mice and men” the currents and winds were with us so we had to throttle back to slow ourselves down to arrive in the early light….which made for lovely views of the buildings lining the strait into Istanbul.)

The current flows from north to south; however, a strong subsurface countercurrent with numerous points and coves sets up swirls and eddies that make navigation dangerous to the inexperienced.

Bosphorus bridgeThere are two suspension toll bridges over the Bosphorus Strait and the third one is being built.

•The first bridge is streching between Beylerbeyi neighbourhood on the Asiþan side and Ortaköy neighbourhood on the European side. It was opened in 1973 and is called as Bogazici Bridge. It’s 1074 meters (1175 yards) long, has 6 lanes, and 165 meters (540 feet) high piers.

•The second bridge streches between Anadolu Hisari and Rumeli Hisari. It was opened in 1988 and is called as Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (abv. FSM). It’s 1090 meters (1192 yards) long, has 8 lanes, 65 meters high from the water.

•The third bridge is under construction and is planned to be completed by the end of 2015. It’s located at the entrance from the Black Sea, streching between Garipçe village on the European side and Poyrazköy village on the Asian side. Its dimensions will be 1408 meters (1540 yards) long between two pillars, 59 meters (65 yards) wide with 8 lanes + 2 rail lines, and 320 meters (1050 feet) high pillars, one of the biggest suspension bridges in the world. It will be named as Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge.

There is also a tunnel under the Bosphorus, called Marmaray, which was opened in October 2013. This tunnel is for the subway system. Another tunnel is being constructed and planned to be completed by 2015. The second tunnel will be for the cars.

With the shores rising to heights up to 200 meters (650 feet), lined with palaces, ruins, villages, and gardens, this is one of the most beautiful stretches of scenery in Turkey. The best way of seeing the Bosphorus in all its beauty is to take a trip on one of the coastal boats, in this way you can also admire many of the old Ottoman wooden houses (called as Yali in Turkish). You can also stay in some of the best hotels or eat in some of the best restaurants along its shores during your stay in this magnificent city.

Some of the interesting palaces, buildings or neighborhoods along the Bosphorus are: Galata tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Yildiz Palace, Besiktas, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Bebek, Rumeli Fortress, Tarabya, Yeniköy, Istinye, Sariyer, Uskudar, Kanlica, Beykoz, Anatolian Fortress, Beylerbeyi Palace and Kuleli Military High school. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/bosfor.htm

The Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge under construction

http://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul/Sultanahmet-Old_City one of our favorite cities!

http://www.hagiasophia.com/

http://www.bluemosque.co/

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Sozopol 2

August 31, 2014

Silivri, Turkey

Merhaba,

Another day, another day in Silivri. More loud concerts last night but far less charming than the night before. Sounded more like bad karaoke. That’s the curse of cruising life. Sea-sides often have bars and restaurants and bars and restaurants often have loud music. The water seems to amplify the effect too. Thankfully most stop by 2 am… So far the weather forecast says we’ll be able to shove off tomorrow for our next anchorage between here and Çanakkale. Not that Silivri isn’t a lovely town, but I’m ready to be done and twirling around on anchor gets old fast. Thank goodness for my Kindle which I can’t believe I’m saying, but it’s true. I’m now a convert for travel. When we’re home it will be back to those lovely books from the library.

We have actually booked our tickets home for September 20^th. We have lots to do at home. Randal wants to get our land cleared to begin thinking about the shape of our future house and he also needs cataract surgery in one eye for sure. I have cataracts but they’re stable so can wait. We’ll have the compliment of doctor and dentist appts. as always. Hope to see many of you as we’ll be home until December 16^th. Then it will be back to Marmaris for the winter.

I’m really getting caught up with the email! This is the second and final one about Sozopol. I do recommend eastern Europe for travel if you’ve not been there and want something a bit different but not really too different. From Sozopol we stopped in Tsarevo to check out of Bulgaria. It was just a few hours stop where we stretched our legs and did the check-out formalities before heading off overnight to Istanbul. When we arrive in Marmaris we will have circumnavigated the Mediterranean which isn’t the world circumnavigation Randal had hoped to do, but it’s certainly an accomplishment.

Sozopol 2

When I found the information about the Sozopol Fiction Seminar, the name Elizabeth Kostokova didn’t ring any bells. So I looked her up. I love her books! She wrote The Historian and The Swan Thieves. The seminars are for both Bulgarians and English speakers and as I know several folks who write, I thought I’d post this for something they should keep in mind.

Sozopol Fiction Seminars (29 May–2 June 2014) (but it seems to be annual so look for 2015)

The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation offers its seventh annual summer fiction writing seminar in the ancient town of Sozopol, Bulgaria. The seminar program consists of intensive daily fiction workshops, roundtable discussions, guest lectures and literary readings by faculty and participants. Fiction writers from Bulgaria and fiction writers from English-speaking countries, including but not limited to the U.K. and the U.S., are invited to apply. A total number of ten applicants will be selected for participation and funding.

Follow-up events as a part of CapitaLiterature, an annual literary program hosted by the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation in Sofia, Bulgaria, will take place on 3 June 2014 in the Bulgarian capital city.

The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation was established in 2007 by the American writer Elizabeth Kostova in order to promote the teaching and professionalization of creative writing in Bulgaria; to encourage, challenge, and publish highly talented literary writers in Bulgaria; to create connections among Bulgarian, American, and British writers; to assist in the training of translators for contemporary Bulgarian literature; to facilitate the publication of Bulgarian writers in English; to nurture readership of Bulgarian writers in Bulgaria and abroad

http://www.contemporarybulgarianwriters.com/

St Kirik Peninsula across from Sozopol.

DoraMac was at the very end of the dock at the very back of the marina. But the marina was very close to town so the walk not so far as in Constant or Varna.

View from our dock on a Kodak color morning.

The Art Museum was at the northern tip of Sozopol (which isn’t so far at all) had only been opened a week we were told and didn’t look quite ready for visitors. I just peeked in for a minute but saw folks hard at work cleaning so left.

These two sculptures were in the lobby. I especially like the hands.

Coffee time. The coffee was quite strong but adding hot water made it just fine.

The shelves near the register held some interesting stuff so I took a photo. This caught our waitress’ attention. She pulled a huge crab claw from the display and told us it was the largest taken from the Black Sea. A future furniture designer with dreams of apprenticing or studying in Italy, her English was excellent as she’d spent summers in the US in coastal towns. This was her first summer in Bulgaria because now finished with university she no longer had a student visa to visit the US. Travel should be encouraged! It makes such a difference in how you see the world.

I was attracted by the little people and didn’t really notice the claw behind them.

She had a dream, but not a plan which is better than no dream and no plan. At least with a dream you have a reason for a plan.

This shop had the most beautiful felted clothing. The colors were gorgeous and vibrant. In places it had been made to look almost shear and delicate. The clothing was made by the owner’s wife. Sadly he had no card so I’ve printed the shop sign big below if anyone happens to go to Sozopol which I highly recommend.

Horse and carriage tours were available. Makes you wonder what the horses are thinking?

How’s your retirement fund doing?

What was our owner thinking? You don’t catch him wearing one of these pink poofs.

Our carriage is a Mercedes.

I must say I think those poofy things do keep the flies off even if the big pink ones do look a bit goofy.

We saw the Mercedes carriage on the street leading into the new town area.

The main street in the new town overlooked the Central Beach of Sozopol on the east side of the old town peninsular.

Just silly

In the morning we’d all walked into town for a few groceries at the small grocery store nearest the marina in the new town. In the afternoon Mary and I made one more pass through the old town for any last “must haves” and for a seaside lunch.

A beautiful view and the best fish soup of the journey.

I wanted fish soup but the menu didn’t list it so we asked.

He : No we don’t have fish soup.

She: Yes we do have fish soup.

It’s 10 Lev. It’s 12 Lev.

Between the two waitstaff I did manage to get my fish soup and it was wonderful even for 12 Lev which is about $8. My small bottle of Schweps soda water was about $1.50. Plus tip for Frick and Frack.

The fish broth was buttery and flavorful and there was enough fish to make a meal. A half dozen mussels just added to it all. What fish soup is supposed to be along the seaside! You can see from the rim around the bowl that I’d started eating before I remembered to take a photo.

Also our lunch view….

The woman by the water was a great subject and I have several photos

Every place is better with a book!

She was reluctant but as I’d bought two of her doilies, she agreed. It least I know what I bought was made in Sozopol, Bulgaria.

This enterprising young girl was collecting mussels from the concrete dock at the marina.

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Sozopol

August 30, 2014 1 Comment

Silivri, Turkey

Merhaba,

We took the dingy to town today for some lunch and a visit to the grocery store. That’s about all we should really do and be acceptable as we’ve not officially checked into Turkey yet. There are no checking in facilities here in Silivri. We have two more day passages and then we’ll be in Çanakkale where we will officially check into Turkey. The weather will keep us here until Monday and then we’ll set off.

It is Victory Day in Turkey (defeat of the Greeks) so we’ve been treated to official speeches and dramatic music during the day and Turkish party music long into the night. All along the way, the Ottoman Empire has been “the enemy.” Silivri is a fishing village so I’ve taken lots of photos of the men hard at work arranging and rearranging nets.

Turkish hospitality is still Turkish hospitality. We ate lunch in a small doner shop. While we waited for our food, a spicy eggplant caviar and a chopped tomato/cucumber salad were brought to the table as well as a basket with flat and yeast bread….no charge for that or the tea afterwards.

This email is about Sozopol, Bulgaria; our real last stop of the passage to Turkey. We stayed for two nights in the lovely seaside tourist town. It is so small that in no time you feel at home and eager to wander. I took lots of photos so this email is just the first of probably 3.

Sozopol

“Old town Sozopol’s romantic atmosphere with its narrow cobbled streets, houses with high fences on stone foundations with sun-dried brick walls and external wooden boarding, typical for the Black Sea school of architecture, make it a most enchanting and captivating place.

Time in Sozopol has different dimensions – fishermen are still seen catching what the Sea has to offer on wooden boats; older women sit in front of the picturesque houses, chatting, knitting, selling freshly picked figs, homemade jams and jellies, while almost everyone who decides to dig in the ground or to build something stumbles upon remnants from the past – clay vessels, ancient coins, wooden objects, little statues and much, much more

It was severely devastated in the middle of the 14th century during an attack of the Genoa fleet. Later it was conquered and sold to the Romans by the knights of Amadeus of Savoy. After a long siege the town fell under Turkish rule in 1453 – Sozopol residents voluntarily surrendered to the Ottoman army which enabled them to preserve their lives houses, and monasteries. The Sultan turned the town in its own property in order to be able to collect taxes from the thriving port, which he could not do with Muslims. The move, however, saved Sozopol from the raids of Cossack pirates. In 1623 they robbed the St. John the Baptist monastery, bringing an end to its existence. The legend tells that the pirates were hiding their booty and treasures in underwater caves off the rocky shores, particularly the one of the St. Toma Island, called by locals The Snake Island. Sozopol was assigned to the newly independent Bulgaria in the 19th century. Almost all of its Greek population was exchanged with Bulgarians from Eastern Thrace in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars.”

See more at: http://www.novinite.com

By Decree No 320 of the Council of Ministers of September 7, 1974, Old Town Sozopol was declared an architectural and archaeological sanctuary under the name "Antique Sozopol". It includes over 180 Sozopol houses from the Bulgarian Revival, built between the middle of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, some of which were declared monuments of culture. Most popular among them are The Marieta Stefanova House, The Kurdilis House, The Kreanoolu House, The Todor Zagorov House, The Kurtidi House, and The Dimitri Laskaridis House, among others. – See more at: http://www.novinite.com/

Just near the marina was a small local market area where shops sold fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and household supplies. Just before leaving Sozopol we bought fruit and toilet paper; the essentials.

Cat on a ceramic tile roof… looks like she’s about to have kittens

The green mark outlined in black middle of the left part of the map is DoraMac on the newer docks where we were tied.

Old Town was to the north and new town, the south. Both were very walkable from the boat. Coney Island meets Provincetown? Actually Sozopol is more Europe than US, but you get the idea. The only seaside image missing was the saltwater taffy shops, but then the Black Sea is fresh water so there you go.

Of course with all its history there are ruins to be excavated and lots of churches.

Lots of shops to cater to tourists too; this one selling a sling bag with an American flag motif.

We resisted

Narrow cobbled streets and wood houses were enchanting

“Houses in the Old Town are built of stone and wood and conform to the so-called Black Sea school of architecture. The best known are The Marieta Stefanova House, The Kreanoolu House, The Todor Zagorov House, The Kurtidi House, and The Dimitri Laskaridis House, among others.”

http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/259/sozopol

The Laskaridi House built at the end of the 18^th early 19^th is now an art gallery

I fell in love with Anna Batinyoti’s house and wish we could have explored the inside. It too was built at the end of the 18^th early 19^th centuries.

Newer homes kept the same shapes but with modern materials.

Small chapels popped up around the streets of Old Town.

Second half of the 6^th century

Small chapel overlooking the Sozopol Bay

I would think heading out to sea would make one want to pray to something. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of mariners.

Lots of small cafes lined the hillside overlooking the waterfront.

Our last official stop before moving on to Turkey sent me looking for a few last “souvenirs” actually made in Bulgaria. This neighborhood shop was filled with lovely gifts and the artistry extended to the way the owner decorated the plain brown bag with a white doily folded over the top. Next she punched holes through the doily and bag and tied it with twine.

Along the rocky shore of the Sozopol peninsular

Kids!

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Varna 2

August 29, 2014

Silivri, Turkey

Merhaba,

I’m a bit fuzzy. Wednesday was a long day. We left Sozopol (with no port police to check us out from Bulgaria) at 10 am, tied up in tiny Tzarevo (with port police to check us out from Bulgaria) at 1 pm. We walked around a bit before officially checking out from Bulgaria and heading on to Turkey. We arrived in Istanbul only to be dismayed that we couldn’t check in at our planned marina but had to re-cross the busy harbor to stay overnight at the ridiculously priced marina with the outrageously priced check-in agent fee. The marina “kindly” let us pay the 140 Euros for the night without making us check in to Turkey first. This morning, Friday we left Istanbul and are now anchored 30 miles away in Silibri where we also can’t check in so can’t leave the boat. The winds are twirling us around worrying Randal and making me spacy. As this isn’t a port of entry, we can’t check in here either but if the winds calm down we might take a dinghy to shore tomorrow for some fresh fruit and veggies. We have several days of canned food for sure. Until the winds outside the harbor calm down we’ll be here which may mean several days. Thankfully we have wifi so I can download more Kindle books if I run out. The joys of cruising. But the sun is shining so that’s good.

This email concludes the Varna visit. We arrived in Varna after an overnight passage so were too tired for the evening walking tour after spending most of the day in town trying to chase down boat paint that didn’t work out. We went early into town the second day on the off chance I’d misunderstood the tourist official and there really was a 10 am walking tour. Unfortunately I’d not misunderstood. Though the website and printed info listed an August 22 morning tour, the volunteer was unavailable to lead it so it was canceled. So we walked around the then had lunch and then some more walking around and then were too tired for the 6 pm walking tour. Varna was interesting and deserved better than we gave it. Just so you know.

Varna 2

Coca Cola on one side and Tuborg on the other.

“The cathedral in Varna is one of the symbols of the city. It is situated on “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” square in the center of Varna.” http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/103/Katedrala_Uspenie_Bogorodichno_Varna

The evening walking tours met at the Cathedral; we just never made it back at night after being out and about all day.

A very tiny map, one eye that needs cataract surgery, and Cyrillic added up to the long, long way. Finally, a woman past up once because we thought her a bit too old and doddery actually gave us the correct directions. By the time she saw us the second time she sort of initiated the discussion. Just goes to show ya.

Everywhere though the doner shops are beginning to give them competition around the world. But I don’t think of doner wraps as fast food so I eat them.

This was clever enough that he earned some money from Rick and me.

The top half of that woman really is there somewhere.

He was a rather lack luster fellow for such a fanciful profession.

We walked past this place to the end of the plaza but finally decided nothing looked really “local” which means “good and cheap.” This place was really good and really reasonable.

Goat cheese ratatouille tart with green salad= B+ especially compared to some of the other food we’ve eaten along the way. This tasted good and looked lovely.

Rick had breaded lamb sweat meats, Randal pizza and Mary chicken over pasta with a salad. While we were waiting a plate was brought out, the waiter said salad and placed it in front of me. I told him I had the ratatouille but he just walked away. So everyone was like, “don’t complain; just eat it.” It was a wonderful tomato and cheese salad and I tried to share. In truth it was Mary’s salad but I can’t feel too bad because I spoke up right away. I did give half of a cheese tart to Rick whose dish was more an appetizer and he ate some of Randal’s pizza so it all comes out in the wash.

First opened in 1936 we were told that the Nazis ate there and the Communists ate there, now we’ve ate there proving the old adage, “she who eats last, eats best.”

Filip Spasov has been the owner for the past 16 years. Many of the desserts served are made by his mom. Our experience there was good so I wrote a tripadvisor review after reading one that was truly terrible.