All posts by Ruth

Hiking the Datca Peninsula, Day 1

B Dock Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba,

Gwen tries to organize trips to meet a variety of interests. Some of us wanted a “trek” so that’s what we got. We were a small, but very companionable group. The weather cooperated; the hotel was comfortable; and the food really good.

The trek was led by John who has been the leader of several local hikes and who is very familiar with many of the forest trails in the area. We met Wednesday morning at 9 am and were at the start of our hike before mid-morning. Randal continued his work on DoraMac so Rhino Randal came along.

Ru

DoraMac

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In 2013 Rhino Randal came on a day trip to Datҫa, but this was his first hiking adventure.

Turkey’s nine environmental ‘hotspots’ (Datҫa was on the list)

Datҫa and Bozburun Peninsula

Located In the southwestern Muğla Province, this 80-kilometer-long peninsula separates the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. A tourist spot in the summer, it features sandy beaches, many natural beauties, and ancient cities, such as Knidos and Amos. The peninsula is also known from Can Yücel, one of Turkey’s most acclaimed “bad boy” poets, who famously declared in his poem “Testament,” “Bury me, my dear, in Datça, near that view by the sea.”

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-nine-environmental-hotspots.aspx?pageID=238&nID=69042&NewsCatID=340

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Michael, John and Debbie taking the photo of the trail map

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I also took a photo showing the loop trail.

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Views from our lunch spot overlooking the Mediterranean.

Back in Marmaris is was raining, but 40 minutes further along the peninsula towards Datҫa we had a mix of clouds and sun and cool breezes and t-shirt weather.

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Most of the trail was packed dirt road.

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Rhino Randal, me, John and Debbie

Michael used my camera to take the photo. Hard to know how to credit photos when they are taken by someone else with my camera.

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Debbie had requested we see some turtles/tortoises and one showed up each day.

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I think they must have opened the hotel just for us; we seemed to be the only guests this time of the year.

http://www.adaburnu.com/default-eng.htm hotel website

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View from my balcony

We arrived at our hotel around 2:30 and after checking in met up at the restaurant for something to drink. While we were there, a man joined us who claimed to be the hotel manager. He also had a farm nearby with goats and he demonstrated that they were goats by making ‘milking motions.’ Though his English was somewhat limited, Debbie understood him to say the hotel provided a beach area for nudists. After a bit, the restaurant manager brought him a glass of cherry juice mixed with vodka and we began to think it wasn’t his first of the day. John, refreshed from a short nap, came along and suggested a drive to Old Datҫa and off we went leaving our pal to his Vodka and cherry juice. But he wasn’t kidding about the nudist beach.

Turkey’s first hotel for nudists welcomes foreign guests to bare all

By Travelmail Reporter

Updated: 12:32 GMT, 29 April 2010

Nude sunbathers will, however, have to share their beach with the goats and chickens that belong to the hotel owners

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1268851/Turkeys-nudist-hotel-Adaburnu-Golmar-opens-May.html#ixzz3UwZJUTST

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1268851/Turkeys-nudist-hotel-Adaburnu-Golmar-opens-May.html#ixzz3UwYyHjvB

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1268851/Turkeys-nudist-hotel-Adaburnu-Golmar-opens-May.html

Websites about the Carian Trail which included our second hike.

http://www.cariantrail.com/index.php/sections/datca-peninsula http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-carian-trail-turkey-on-two-feet-9698085.html

Art

Dock B Netsel Marina

Marmaris Turkey

Merhaba,

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone.  We’re having a pot luck to celebrate.  Randal had intended to make some type of beef stew but as three other folks had announced that intention first, he reverted to the recipe he really wanted to try.  Much more Italian than Irish with its sundried tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella cheese, chicken, basil, half and half all served over pasta. 

   Tomorrow I’m off with a small group of folks for two days of trekking on the Datҫa Peninsular.  Randal isn’t going so Rhino Randal is getting to go on this outing.  Weather for Wednesday is iffy, though improving, but Thursday should be beautiful.  Hope to get lots of photos.  Randal and I were there in 2011 on our motorbike and it looked a lovely area for walking.

  I visited the small art center and found this charming exhibit.  I’m not one for embroidery really, but I liked this work with the treads creating images of porches and doors and sailing boats.  The “scrap bits of paper” and repurposed pantyhose were all quite clever too.  There are some links below with more images, but the text is Turkish. 

Ru

DoraMac

Ps  I had a new hard drive installed as mine was about to crash.  I’m still working out lots of kinks with the email and photo program.  Hope this works

Art and Culture House Exhibit March 2015

http://hkb-hkb.blogspot.com.tr/2013/12/dugumlere-ruh-katan-kadn-canan-goren.html

Exhibited works were carried out from household waste

was opened to visit the exhibition consisting of works from his so-called artist Canan Quoted recycling of waste material.   http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=tr&u=http://www.haberler.com/canan-goren/&prev=search

Each one of the characters below is about as big as my hand..

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These are about the size of large and medium embroidery hoops abut are made from baskets with the image on the lid.

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Friends from North Cyprus

International Women’s Day

B Dock Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba,

    It feels almost like summer here in Marmaris.  Maybe Colin is right and March 15th is the day the weather changes from winter to summer, or at least spring.  Not that we have any right to complain about weather here where snow is something that doesn’t happen.  AT 3pm today Pineapple Restaurant is hosting a “strawberry, crème, and cake” event for International Women’s Day.  It is strawberry time here and you now see them in the Thursday market.  Men are invited and I’m sure they are all coming for the “speeches” rather than the strawberries and crème. 

   To celebrate Women’s Day, here’s an email that talks about two of my favorite ladies and the new addition to the family. 

Ru

DoraMac

Our DEKS Pals come to visit

I hesitate to use the term “old friends” because none of the folks in these photos are near the same age as Randal and I and we’re not old.  But we have known them since our time in North Cyprus back in 2011 so they are “old friends.”  Denise and her husband Erin own DEKS, the lovely restaurant down the road from Karpaz Gate Marina.  Going there was like going to Cheers; everyone knew your name and you quickly became part of the DEKS family.  Denise taught Turkish on Tuesday mornings and led hikes Thursday mornings.  Friday evening was real fish and chips night and Sunday was a big British style lunch.  If you couldn’t get yourself there, DEKS arranged transport.  I will always remember the folks who made me cry when saying good-bye and Denise was one of them. 

     Denise’s daughter, son-in-law, and brand new granddaughter live in Marmaris.  They were all in the UK for the birth of Deelara, and then Denise and Erin came along to Marmaris for a few weeks before returning to North Cyprus.  We all had a lovely visit one afternoon on DoraMac. 

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Denise, Deena, and brand new Deelara

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Denise’s husband Erin and proud papa T K

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She’ll be a singer like her mom!  Now it was just some lung strengthening exercises.

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Erin, Denise, Deelara, Deena and TK

To remind everyone just how important Denise was to us in North Cyprus here are a few of the stories from that time.   Erin was the “behind the scenes” guy but he made the best fried calamari and knew the best hiking trails.    And it was Deena and TK who came with us on our Turkish carpet adventure back in 2013.

North Cyprus Deks memories

http://www.mydoramac.com/deks-walk-1/

http://www.mydoramac.com/deks-walk-10/

http://www.mydoramac.com/deks-walks-and-charmaine-and-linda-arrive/   which tells about DEKS walks # 11 and 12

Our visit to the carpet village with Deena and TK

http://www.mydoramac.com/revisiting-the-carpet-village-of-karacahisar/  with Deena and TK

New Friends

Dock B Netsel Marina

Marmaris Turkey

Merhaba,

     In our process of selling DoraMac we have met such interesting people.  Charles and Doris are ready to begin their boating life.  They came from Switzerland to Marmaris to look at a boat in Yat Marin but also came to see DoraMac to learn about Diesel Ducks.  We had a lovely visit with them while they were here.  They would walk into town each day from their hotel and meet us for lunch and some exploring.  We took them to our new favorite lamb wrap place in Marmaris, Dὂgel Dὂrner .  Saturday Charles rented a car and we took a drive to Bozburun and Selimiye.   

Our first visit to Turkey in 2011, Randal and I took a motor bike trip around the Bozburun peninsular so “mostly remembered” the really scenic route which starts along the coast and then crosses over the mountain on a road just wide enough for a car. It was as lovely now as it was then and with just a few missed turns we managed to make our way.  The most direct route is so much less fun.  Both Doris and Charles were amazed at how much it reminded them of Switzerland.

For all of our pals somewhere on the east side of the US, we hope the weather ever gets better again.  And trying to explain to folks here why a groundhog has any say in predicting our weather which I only now know because I read http://www.groundhog.org/about/history/  didn’t go well but I could now.  We also had to agree on what a ground hog actually was. 

Ru

DoraMac

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Looking down on a rainbow! 

We took a drive over the mountains and through the woods.  The weather kept changing from sun to some rain but it made for lovely photos.  And it only rained hard while we were in drinking coffee in Osmaniye and later when we stopped in Selimiye for lunch.

Ṣahin Café and Restaurant where we stopped on our motorbike in June of 2011.  It was so fun to find the same place and stop again.  Last time it was for lunch.  This time it was for coffee.  The owner brought out bread, two kinds of marmalade, gourd and watermelon, and some lovely herbed goat cheese.  Randal and I went home with some of the gourd marmalade and some goat cheese.

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Rolling the flat bread that is a slightly chewy buttery tasting bread just a bit doughier than an English muffin, but almost as light.  She was rolling out several loaves that were placed set under the towels until it was their turn into the oven.

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Yum!!!!!

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The big plastic bottles were filled with the goat cheese which is also great on salad.

We arrived in Bozburun but so did the rain.  As not much looked opened and no one was quite ready for lunch, we decided to head back towards Marmaris and stop in Selimiye for lunch hoping it would clear up again.  Charles wanted some photos of the boats being built so we stopped at one of the many yards in the area. 

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The skeleton of a wood gullet

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Doris and Charles. a retired Swiss news cameraman who probably got way better pictures than I did.

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One of the workers was happy to answer questions.

From Bozburun we headed to Selimiye looking for lunch.  I think we found the only restaurant that was open but it was just what we wanted.  Warm and charming with good food.  A fire was burning but electric heaters were turned on and soon we were warmed from the chilly day. 

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Charles and Doris

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A lovely setting on the bay

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A map showing Turkish vineyards. 

http://www.mydoramac.com/motorbike-adventure/ our first attempt to motorbike to Bozburun in June of 2011.

http://www.mydoramac.com/biking-to-bozburun/ our actual motorbike trip to Bozburun 2011

Chinese New Year

B Dock  Netsel Marina

Marmaris Turkey

Iyi Akşamlar,

    Any remote reason for a potluck and we go for it.  Last week we celebrated Chinese New Year.  Thanks to some really good cooks, we had the best Chinese food in Marmaris.  The fact that it might be the only Chinese food doesn’t take away from how good it all tasted.  In March it will be St. Patrick’s Day.  In between there have been birthday dinners celebrated over at Bono’s  where we fill the place and make the owners and staff very happy.  And every event is just a short walk from our boat.  B dock is great!

Ru

DoraMac

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Chinese New Year of the Sheep celebrated at Netsel Marina in Marmaris, Turkey.

The lanterns, reflected in the window, were made by Jill and Coni and Gamze.

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Jill created the wall hanging and she and Roberto dressed for the occasion!

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That must have been some story Roberto was telling as Gwen, Fusun, Arif, and Gamze seemed intent on hearing every word.

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I’ve named the Sailor’s Point cat Kara which means dark in Turkish.  She comes to most events but won’t enter into the room unless absolutely invited.  She does know there will be great pot luck leftovers and she’ll get her share.  Otherwise she gets cat kibble that Coni brings for her during the week when folks meet for yoga, movie night, and crafts. 

  After our amazing meal of wonderful Chinese food (even my garlic broccoli got eaten)we played Bingo.

Each card was 1 Turkish lira.  The money was divided among the winners. 

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Gamze and Coni were the bingo callers.    Kan was the first to fill up one row and then he filled the second row winning some lira for each win.

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But Deborah was the big winner as she was the first to fill the entire card. 

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Coni checking the winning numbers.

I cannot remember the last time I played bingo, but it fun! 

Hat making part 3

B dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Ru

DoraMac

Hat making continues

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Jane setting up her machine.  Jane is amazing and can sew up just about anything her boat needs.  She loaded up her machine and brought it to Sailors’ Point for our Wednesday session.

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Deborah had sewn decorations on her hat and now was having the hat sewn together by Jane

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Beginning to shape the hat

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Fitting the hat

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Enough decorations?  Gamze was helping Deborah place the one final star

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Coni had hers fitted and now was ready to sew on her stars and moons.

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Meanwhile Coni and Jill had been crafting red lanterns for our upcoming Chinese New Year pot luck dinner. 


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Hat making part 2

B Dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Iyi Akşamlar,

   If I say it has been cold and blustery here in Marmaris most of you would roll your eyes thinking I have no earthly clue what cold and blustery really feels like.  But this morning at “hat making” Deborah said she was freezing and her real home is Alaska!  She wore her new fleece hat home!  I grew up in MA so I know there’s no comparison and I hope some of that global warming hits New England and starts melting some of that snow but not in a way to cause lots of flooding.   

   Today was actually our 3rd hat making session and I still have nothing to show for it. Deborah just about finished hers and it looked really cute!   Hopefully next week mine will be finished.  I’m doing a double layer fleece to make it really warm for next season or next week depending on what our weather does.    This email was from a week ago.  I’ve been reluctant to send emails because something isn’t working so well and the pictures have become problematic.  Next week I’ll take the computer to Platin and if there’s any hope for my old computer, Fatma will work some miracle and fix it all up.  She’s a wiz!

Ru

Doramac

Hat Making continues… part 2

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We’d bought the material and now it was time to cut out the hats; Deborah was the first to start and then Jill fitted it to her head.

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Jill Margaret Deborah Lisa and Gamze in red.

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Remember Coni’s old pjs?  They became decorations for the hats.

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Jill showing everyone how to do the blanket stitch to sew the decorative bits to the hat.

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Gamze was working on her needlepoint and Jill on her sock even as she directed the hat making.

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Margaret, a friend from the marina in North Cyprus and also now in Marmaris, is being taught the “European” way to hold knitting needles by Jill.

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I was working on this painting of a whirling dervish.  It came out terrible because I left too little room for his feet and when I tried to fix it…..dum de dum dum.  Next week I’ll work on a hat!

Papier Mache wildlife

B Dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Günaydın,

It is a good morning here. It’s supposed to rain later but just now the sun is trying to be there. I wish I could switch our weather with New England for a while. A very short while; Marmaris would come to a complete stand still, but they would get a well-deserved break.

The hat making group is progressing quite nicely. Wednesday Jane will bring her sewing machine to Sailor’s Point and stitch them together. It will be quite a fashion show when they’re done.

The papier mache exhibit at the Art and Culture Center was one of my favorite because it was so fun.

Ru

DoraMac

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My favorites

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Wouldn’t think a girl from Cape Cod would like the shark best.

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Artist Orhan Kubilay Doḡuṣ

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The man smiling is the artist’s dad.

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Jane Deborah Jill Coni

Hat Making Part 1

B Dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba,

While back in Roanoke, my friend Becky and I went down to the city market to have lunch and walk through the small shops. One of those shops, “La De Da” http://ladeda.net/ had a quirky little hat that just seemed to have my name on it. I walked out without buying it but then walked back in to get it. Not buying it would have been a “regret.” Becky was cheering me on so that helped. It’s not really my usual style, so having Becky’s opinion was quite nice. I wore it to our first Wednesday craft meeting and it was a big hit. So the clever needlewomen among us suggested that we each make one for ourselves. Jane has a sewing machine so offered to do the major sewing. Jill said that she could make a pattern. Here’s part 1 of the hat story.

Ru

DoraMac

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Amazingly I haven’t lost it yet! Having a spare will be a good thing. Selfie with hat!

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Coni donated these fleece pjs for the project.

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Jane with the scissors and Jill work up the beginnings of a pattern while Fusan looks on.

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Fitting the pattern to Coni’s head.

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Coni was a very patient model

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Brain surgery?

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This will be a very fun project!

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Fusan was finishing up a sweater for Valentine’s Day! Lots of project happen Wednesday mornings. Like our paste paper and small books.

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A group of us went off to buy some fleece to make the hat liners. As the piece of material was being cut for us, I yelled, “Stop!” surprising everyone until they saw me get by camera from my pack. I plan to document the entire process so needed to show us buying the material.

Jane and Connie’s Marmaris Tour

B Dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Günaydın,

   I was about to complain about yet another day of rain, but compared what the folks back home up north have to deal with, no comparison.  And I did even manage to get in a 40 minute walk between showers this morning.  One stop along my way was the woman at the boat paint shop who feeds lots of the stray dogs and cats.  I periodically stop by and chip in some TL for her to buy more food or take an animal to the vet.  Then I walked up the hill to the road out of town just to use some of my “uphill’ muscles which I noticed were very rusty on our hike last Friday.  Actually it was my lungs rather than my legs that need the work so maybe this hill thing should become a daily occurrence, at least when the rain’s not raining. 

   Yesterday Jane, Connie, Jill and I did the ‘shoppers tour of Marmaris.”   Jill is newish to Marmaris.  Jane and Connie have been here for “donkey’s ears/years*,”  so they offered to show her their favorite shops.  I went along for the company and to document the day.   (We have enough stuff to lug home to Roanoke as it is and that’s with leaving most of the furnishing on the boat for the new owners, whomever they may be.)  It was all great fun and good exercise too.

Ru

DoraMac

1st  stop  :  Le Shop  Turkish Arts and Crafts

Ali Atabey owner  (Ata means father and Bey means man making for an interesting last name. Like Ataturk, is Father of Turkey.)

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Jane, Connie and Jill

Hard to see them, but the puppet looking things in the window are made from camel leather.  I might have to have one before we leave.  

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They are a bit translucent so we were surprised that they were made from camel leather.

At Sunday night’s potluck Jane brought some hors-d’oeuvres made from camel sausage which was quite good actually.  If I could eat yak in Tibet, no reason not to eat camel in Turkey.

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Camel bone boxes which are decorated inside as well.  In New England whale bone was used once upon a time.

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Ali wasn’t there; his father happily let us browse and me take photos.

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Like being in Aladdin’s cave.

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The hand-embroidered pillow covers are very tempting too.

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Less fun, but necessary; kitchen wares.  Neither Jane nor Jill found what they needed so we went off to another shop further down Ataturk Boulevard.

We’d met up at 11 am, visited Ali’s and the 2  household supply shops.   I was getting hungry so we stopped off for a snack.  Unfortunately they weren’t making the gὂzleme (stuffed pancakes) so we had slices of pizza instead with our Turkish tea and Nescafe.

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Yakal Pet Shop came next. 

Connie has a cat and Jane has Buttons the dog.  This is their pet shop of choice in Marmaris.

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Connie wanted a picture of the birds.  There was definitely some strange chirping after the flash went off.  (Probably bird for ‘What the hell was that?’

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Neither rain, nor rain, nor more rain…..

But there was no wind so we stayed mostly dry even with the on and off rain showers.  I think Jane might have the best legs in Marmaris!

Next was the Import Shop.  Randal and I came here our first days in Marmaris while waiting for DoraMac to be delivered back in April 2011.  We stayed at the Dost Otel across the street.  The owners of the hotel and the shop are brothers.  Both very kind and helpful men.  What’s imported here is just about the opposite of what’s imported at home.  Funny how that happens.  He also sells pork products which aren’t available at many grocery shops though the Migros near the marina now sells bacon. 

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Randal and I come here for Cheddar cheese and Randal’s bran flakes cereal.

Marmaris’ version of Hallmark with cards in English.  This shop was new to me as I’d passed by but never gone in.

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The front window is home to this cat with its own cat door to get in and out!

The House of Art and Culture came next where we stopped to look at the exhibit.  Some we liked and some, not so much

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Like, Le Shop, this ceramics shop is where everyone goes. Elhamra Çini ceramic shop. Like being in a museum.

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We were offered tea, so typical of Turkish hospitality.   Near the tea is a bowl with small plastic chips in it.  When the tea is delivered, chips are placed in the bowl.  5 glasses of tea  = 5 circular chips.  After a while the shop owner takes the chips to the tea shop and settles up.  Isn’t that cool!

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Jane,  Ibrahim, Jill and Connie

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Just for us!

*http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/donkeys-years.html