To think
that a whole summer has passed since I last wrote. We spent the summer months just longing for
September and our longest stay ever in Kalkan, 18 days.
We were
very fortunate in letting the apartment really well during our first year, and
had some wonderful comments, which we will post so that you can read them. Nearly everyone says
they want to come again and for most it was their first time in Kalkan, so it
was lovely hearing afterwards about what they particularly enjoyed. One couple, friends of our son, had actually
proposed to his girlfriend in the Hotel Mahal just beneath us, but now married
and with a baby boy couldn’t actually afford that luxury again, so rented our
apartment and had the same views, but at a lesser price, and still swam in the
same sea, and lunched in the Mahal’s beach club.
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| Lunch at Mahal Beach club (with wine) |
Our 18 days
were wonderful. We had three lots of
friends staying, two were going on a cruise in a gulet after leaving us. We hired a car, and were able to show them
the unspoilt parts up in the hills. On
one occasion George and I stopped near about 200 bee hives, with an amazing
view of Kalkan Bay, the sun was setting, the noise of the bees was amazing, and
the sky was alight with azure blue birds darting after the bees. They were so fast it was difficult to have a
really good look at them. They were
either bulbuls or bee eaters, but I’m not really sure. A local man stopped and we asked him, and he
said bulbuls (I think) and indicated that they were good to eat. Surely not!
However, we saw several people with shotguns in the area, and certainly
heard them. We went again twice with our
friends, but on the second occasion only saw a few of these vividly coloured
birds, and the last time, a week later, same time, none at all.
Beehives in the mountains behind Kalkan
We have nearly
tried all the beach clubs now. Each is
very different, but we love them all.
Although our pool is wonderful, so clean and sparkling, there is really
no substitute for swimming in the sea, and we have to have our daily fix. They have wonderful large umbrellas, and
comfortable sunbeds, and it so easy to doze off after a glass or two of wine at
lunch.
We always
take things out for the apartment, and food we can’t get there (actually it
gets better and better, but good muesli for instance is difficult to find) and
always clothes I never wear. I can never
quite believe I’m not going to be wearing killer heels in the evenings, but the
streets are cobbled and you could topple over so each year, two pairs at least
sit in the wardrobe. I’m an avid reader,
and packing five or six books is another cause of friction with George, my case
is always bordering on the maximum weight allowance, so this year top of my wish list is some sort of
e-reader. I have a love affair with
books, and don’t know how I’m going to feel about not having the book actually
in my hand, but even if it’s just for holidays it will be very welcome.
There is
now a shuttle bus running past the top of our road regularly to Kalkan, and on
to the other side, and back again up until 9.30 at night, and this is wonderful
for all those who don’t hire a car.
However also next year I think the new footpath will be open all the
way, without having to walk to the top and down. I like to do this however, it gets some
calories burned off after all the eating and drinking we tend to do. This summer once or twice when I was walking
the bus slowed down to ask if I wanted to hop on. I resisted, and carried on walking. There can’t be many walks into town with such
a wonderful view.
Kalkan
people are wonderfully friendly and very generous. The number of times we’ve been allowed to
take off the price of small change we didn’t actually have. There are always free canapés on the table,
and complimentary drinks afterwards. We
were really shown kindness this year when we had to find accommodation for son
and girlfriend for two nights after they arrived, and before we and our friends
left the apartment. We were offered a
brand newly built apartment near ours, complete with infinity pool absolutely
free. We will I hope be able to repay
that kindness in other ways, but it is typical of Kalkan people.
Debbie enjoying infinity pool
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