Category: Retirement on a boat

Day two of our road trip in Turkey aboard our van Frieda: after a cosy sleep despite the chilly weather, we met Jan and Jack for breakfast at their incredibly cute lodgings in Selçuk, Turkey.

The breakfast was sumptuous – lots of different cheeses, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, local honey, jams, preserves and copious amounts of delicious breads, fluffy omelettes and endless cups of Turkish tea.

On the road in cold and misty weather, we headed for Pammukale – famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces.

The weather cleared up a little by early afternoon and before long we had arrived in the small and unassuming village of Pammukale where Jan and Jack checked into their hotel.

The beautiful natural rock pools in terraces created by hot springs has been drawing visitors since several centuries BCE. It was a place that I had wanted to visit for a long time.

What I hadn’t realised until we arrived was that the Ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on a hill directly above the wonderful travertine terraces.

As it was quite late in the afternoon, bitterly cold and the ruins extremely extensive, we decided to take advantage of the offer of a lift in a battery powered “cart”.

The young man who took us round told us that he had trained as a medical technician but had found it hard to find a job in his profession because in Turkey it was very important to have the right contacts (family or friends in “high places”) to make recommendations.

He was very knowledgeable about the well preserved Roman ruins and we enjoyed his commentary as he drove us round.

He told us that Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC and it became an important healing centre where patients suffering all sorts of ailments were treated in the hot mineral spring water.

We stopped at a massive necropolis containing more than 1,200 tombs and sarcophagi – evidently the hot springs didn’t cure everyone!

Our next stop was at a tiny pool covered with a stone lid where we were able to feel the soft, and deliciously warm spring water.

A little further on we alighted from our “wagon” again to walk the magnificent paved Main Street which ran close to a cliff that looked out on to the travertine terraces below.

At both ends of the main street there were monumental gates flanked by square towers built of massive blocks of stone. Nearby was the Domitian Gate – the grand entrance to the Roman city – which had circular towers with three arches. It was all very impressive.

The most spectacular sight for me however, was the fabulous amphitheatre – constructed under the reign of Hadrian after the earthquake of 60 AD.

The facade is a spectacular 300 feet (91 metres) long, the full extent of which still remains standing. In the auditorium there are row upon row of seats which could accommodate 15,000 people. What a magnificent sight!

There were other areas we were unable to see – The temple of Apollo appeared to be closed to visitors and the recently unearthed entrance to the shrine dedicated to Pluto, was still being excavated.

As closing time was nearly upon us we also missed seeing the tomb of St Philip the Apostle but before we left we managed a quick look at the “antique “ pool which was originally one of fifteen frequented by people seeking cures and general good health by bathing in and drinking the waters.

Wisps of steam were rising from the hot waters of the large atmospheric pool. Despite the freezing weather there was one man in the pool enjoying the warm and silky water.

As we walked round the perimeter of the pool we noticed pieces of columns and other bits of masonry on the bottom of the pool. Apparently these fragments were a result of an earthquake in the 7th century AD when a marble portico with Ionic arrangement fell into the spring.

From the antique pool we travelled the short way to the magnificent travertine terraces.

Since becoming a UNESCO world heritage site in 1988, access to the area has become very strict to protect the travertine terraces. Tourists are only allowed to cross them in bare feet on a designated path. Artificial pools have been constructed in the valley below for bathing.

It was too cold to peel off our socks and shoes and roll up our trouser legs to walk across the terraces but we were content to walk along a side path to view this amazing phenomenon.

The terraced formation is 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high and even though it was a cloudy day the terraces shimmered and sparkled like snow.

Jan had done some research and found a great wine bar in the town very close to the hotel.

We enjoyed some delicious local wine sitting as close to the large wood fired stove as we could get.

Mouth-watering piping hot Tarhana soup was served before the main meal which was very welcome in such an icy cold night. Tarhana is made by adding vegetables, herbs and spices to yogurt and then letting the mixture dry out and once ready, crushing it to a powder. The powder is mixed with broth or hot water and various seasonings -including fresh mint – are added. Absolutely delightful!

The following day we left for Konya, home of the mystical Sufi dancers. Our journey there took us through the Taurus mountains and we saw lots of snow on the ground although fortunately it didn’t actually snow while we were driving.

There wasn’t any sign of snow when we arrived in Konya – thank goodness. We soon found a nice hotel for Jan and Jack with a car park only a stone’s throw away where we could spend the night.

The last day of the year started ridiculously early with a drive to Izmir Airport to farewell our daughter and son-in-law who were returning to the Netherlands after a busy Christmas holiday with us in Turkey.

We arrived in plenty of time for their early morning flight and after sad “goodbyes” we left for the two hour trip back to Didim. As we drew away from the airport precincts Jonathan told me that the heater wasn’t working and that the turbo was only working intermittently. We decided to go straight to the main Ford dealer to try and find out what was wrong.

Fortunately we found the dealership easily and soon we were in the garage with not one but eight people looking under the bonnet trying to see what was wrong.

There was a loud discussion in Turkish which sounded as though blows were about to be struck but in reality I think they were just excited to see a French camper van in their garage!

We told them about the cat-astrophe that had happened recently when a street cat had gone to sleep in the engine bay and apparently had a close encounter with the fan belt. The result was that the hair the poor kitty had lost when the engine was started made the fan belt slip and then fall off! That had been fixed around ten days previously but it seemed that the puss cat had caused more damage than first thought – what a cat-astrophe!

The mechanics told us that a reservoir of water was completely empty and this was causing the heating and turbo problems. It seems that the cat had hauled itself into the engine bay by digging its claws into a hose which was probably warm and therefore a little soft. The little holes left by the cat had become bigger as the days wore on – eventually opening right up and causing the fluid to leak out which explained the empty reservoir. We were told if we had left it any longer it could have caused calamitous consequences – possibly the engine would have blown up!

The mechanics said that we shouldn’t drive the van in its current state and they wouldn’t be able to get the spare part until after the New Year’s holiday. We decided we would try and hire a car and the garage very kindly supplied a car and driver to take us to the airport where there were several car hire companies.

Unfortunately there were no companies that hired cars one-way so we decided to catch a bus back to Didim. First we had to get to the bus station via a shuttle minibus.

Eventually we managed to book ourselves on a bus and when we went to climb aboard, were amazed at how luxurious it was! Such good value at 175 Turkish lira ($17.50 (Australian) or 11 Euros all up) for two bus fares and a huge chicken sandwich each to eat en route! We were even served snacks and a juice on the way.

That night was New Year’s Eve and a few of us gathered on Entre Nous, a 65 foot Lagoon motor yacht belonging to Australians Peter and Deb. Despite everyone saying they had no intention of seeing the New Year in, we found ourselves doing just that!

Without the van our wings were clipped, so we had a quiet few days pottering around for the first few days of the New Year.

At the end of the first week our friends and neighbours on Anthem, Jan and Jack, decided to hire a car for a few days and asked if we would like to go to the Turkish carpet shop in Didyma (on the outskirts of Didim) as they wanted to buy a couple of small rugs for their boat.

As many of you know, we always jump at the chance to visit this beautiful shop so of course we said “yes”.

As always, the owner Öztan was very welcoming and in addition to the usual apple tea, Turkish delight, and sweet biscuits, he served us luscious fresh fruit from his own orchards.

Jack and Jan chose a couple of really good looking small carpets and while they were making their choice we enjoyed looking at the amazing array of carpets in the store.

Afterwards we went round the magnificent Temple of Apollo which is just across the road from the carpet shop. I’m including some photos but as I’ve already written about this site in a previous blog I won’t go into details.

As we wandered round we were accompanied by a very happy and friendly dog who decided to be our guide!

We had discovered there was another ancient site close by to Didim (about 12 kilometres) called Miletus. Compared with nearby Ephesus, this site has very few visitors however, it was once considered to be among the greatest and wealthiest of Greek Cities. Miletus in its heyday challenged the power of Ephesus.

It was here that the Greek philosophical (and scientific) tradition originated. Scholars in Miletus were among the first to speculate about the constitution of the world and to propose naturalistic (as opposed to supernatural) explanations for various natural phenomena.

There was a small museum on site and while looking round it, we discovered that the city had once acted under the leadership and sanction of the Apollo oracle in Didyma.

There had been a sacred road from Miletus to the Temple of Apollo (where we had been earlier in the day) which was used for religious ceremonies.

Some sections of the “Holy Road” have been discovered and excavated but there are other parts that have not yet been uncovered although there are excavations currently underway.

Sculptures and statues were placed either side of the road and during the first excavation in 1857/58 a statue of a lion and ten other sculptures were discovered. Unfortunately they were taken to the British Museum in London but the museum at Miletus does have a few less impressive examples on display.

The Miletus site was quite spread out and we didn’t really have time to properly do it justice. However, we spent a good while exploring the incredible amphitheatre which was originally built in the 4th century BC, and then enlarged in the Hellenistic period. The Romans greatly extended the theatre so that it could sit as many as 15 thousand people.

Standing at the top of the structure, 30 metres high, it was easy to imagine how impressive it would have been with its wonderful panoramic views of the harbour (now completely silted up).

We wandered through an olive grove following the dull clang of the bell attached to the neck of one of the sheep feeding on the juicy grass.

In a clearing we came upon a tiny mosque which turned out be the İlyas Bey Mosque, built in 1404.

Inside the mosque was very simple but the windows were covered with pretty lattice work and the walls were of many different shades of marble.

While we were having a look round the mosque we heard the sheep bell clanging once again and noticed – trotting up the path – the guard dog who lives with the herd to protect the sheep. Then the whole herd followed him into the grounds of the mosque and started munching loudly!

Once in amongst the sheep these beautiful dogs are so well camouflaged that you really can’t tell them apart from their charges – a very useful element of surprise if a predator tries to attack the sheep!

Time was short as our daughter and son-in-law (Hannah and Pieter) were leaving Turkey on New Year’s Eve so we crammed in as much sightseeing and cultural experiences as possible in the short time we had left.

One day we went to Bodrum – a lovely harbour town a couple of hours drive south of Didim.

An impressive castle built by the Crusader Knights dominates the the town and with its fabulous museum of under water archeology, is one of the major attractions.

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to go round it on this occasion although Jonathan and I love the museum and would gladly revisit it again given the chance!

We had a great time wandering the lanes of the old town and had lunch in a quirky little restaurant that we found in the back lanes.

Later we walked along the seafront (known as “Bar Street” for obvious reasons) where we met an interesting character – a very old street dog who has a clever (new?) trick!

A restaurant owner told us that if we gave him a 50 lira note ($5 Australian) he would walk you to a particular store with the note in his mouth and buy his favourite dinner.

So we gave him a note and followed him along the seafront until we came to a grocery shop where he stopped and put the note down and waited patiently for the owner to bring him his favourite snack- a packet of salami.

We wondered if we should help him open it but within seconds he had not only opened it but gobbled up the meat and given the whole packet a big lick!

We met another beautiful dog in a bar/restaurant on the beach. The manager said the dog lived in a good home but every morning took himself off to the bar where he stayed until closing time.

He was absolutely enormous from all the leftover food (including a lot of chips we suspected) and we wondered how he managed to heave his bulk home every night!

We finished our visit with a drink in a small bar in the water’s edge with a magical view of the castle.

The following day we took Hannah and Pieter to another of our favourite places – the wonderful ancient city of Ephesus.

This was our third visit and we were still awestruck by its grandeur and found new things to be amazed by.

We hadn’t explored the Great Theatre on our previous visits. Building of this magnificent structure began in the reign of Claudius (41-54 AD) and was completed around 100 AD.

The entrance to the theatre sits at the head of a fine arcaded street that runs all the way to what was once the harbour.

This imposing avenue, built by the Emperor Arcadius around AD 400, was constructed to impress – and that it still does – most effectively!

As always one of the highlights was a walk round the beautiful terraced houses where the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Ephesus and their families once lived.

The once magnificent homes with their intricate mosaic floors and frescoed walls are sheltered by an amazing roof structure designed by Austrian engineers.

This mighty stainless steel structure supports a modular membrane roof which provides protection for the fragile historic fragments in a way that maximises the view of visitors and enables archeological work to continue.

Inside, a glass-floor walkway winds through the complex, so that you can look into the rooms from above.

Ephesus- another fabulous place to put on your bucket list if you haven’t already been there!

Our Christmas decorations aboard S/V Sunday were complete except for one nostalgic item – the sweet fragrance of a genuine Christmas tree.

On our travels around the Didim area we had seen plenty of the hardy little pines so beloved of Europeans at Christmas and decided to try and find somewhere to stop and find a suitable tree from which we could “trim” a couple of small boughs.

Eventually we found a place where we could stop with suitable “victims”. Using our very superior Dille and Kamille bread knife from our camper van Jonathan managed to lop off two branches from a healthy looking pine (the tree needed pruning anyway he said afterwards.)

So finally, on Christmas Eve, our decorating was complete and S/V Sunday smelled like Christmas!

Christmas Day dawned magnificently – despite the forecast of rain, dawn was a shimmering rosy pink, full of promise for a glorious day.

We had a lovely breakfast with Hannah and Pieter who were staying at the Yacht Club Hotel – taking advantage of a fantastic offer which included a three night stay with breakfasts, Christmas lunch and party, a Boxing Day brunch and a massage each in the hotel spa.

Then it was back to S/V Sunday to open our stockings before returning to the restaurant at the Yacht Club Hotel to meet up with our fellow yachties for a fabulous Christmas lunch.

After a very protracted and delicious lunch we partied the night away to the sounds of a really good band.

As well as all the traditional fare (Turkey, ham, beef and all the trimmings) there were countless delicious desserts. In the interests of research, Pieter tried so many that he lost count!

On Boxing Day we had a lovely day aboard S/V Sunday with our friends Jack and Jan from Anthem. We played our traditional Christmas present game in which a dice is thrown and depending on the number, you either open a present, pass your “winnings” to the left or right, or “steal” a gift from someone else. As always, it was great fun.

After the obligatory Boxing Day walk on the beach and more food we rolled into bed ready for more adventures the following day.

We were keen to show Pieter and Hannah some of our favourite places in the Didim area while they were with us, so the day after Boxing Day we drove the van to the lovely village of Kıyıkışlacık.

Once again the weather was fantastic and we were able to enjoy a wonderful meal on the quayside in this sweet little fishing village before going to explore the ancient remains of Iasos.

Jonathan and I have paid several visits to this atmospheric site and every time we go we learn more about its history and the lives of its inhabitants since it’s inception.

The visible ruins date from around 400 BC but archeologists have found evidence that the site was first occupied in Minoan times – around 2,000 BC.

When we’d finished having a look round we walked along the water’s edge to look at the fortifications in the water that date to mid-Byzantine times. Pieter and Hannah started to walk over the remains of the wall that poke up from the water like stepping stones but they turned out to be very slippery!

It was early evening when we departed for home and on the drive back along the narrow road that runs from Kıyıkışlacık to the main road, we saw a sarnıç – a water storage cistern dating from Byzantine times.

There are 250 of these curious domed water storage structures just in the province of Muğla.

We stopped to show Hannah and Pieter what it looked like inside one. Hannah discovered that it had great acoustics and broke into song.

Before long, the lady we had noticed working in farmland on the other side of the road came over and started to video her.

Later the lady proudly showed us footage of a famous Turkish clarinetist playing for a television programme in the same cistern.

As luck would have it, the sun was just about to set and the place where we’d stopped was the perfect location to watch it dip into the sea below. A wonderful end to a very special Christmas!

Although we had vowed to have joint birthdays from now on, our yachtie friends at Didim Marina had other ideas!

On Jonathan‘s special day we started the celebrations with a sumptuous breakfast at the Yacht Club restaurant with our sailing buddies and next door neighbours, Sue and John.

Jonathan opened some of his presents and then it was back to our camper van to open his gift from me. He had no idea what was in store!

With the help of Sue and John I had purchased the gift in Didim and had managed to hide it without Jonathan cottoning on.

His face was a picture when he discovered he was now the proud owner of an electric scooter – something he had wanted for a long time!

I have to admit I was a little bit shocked when I saw on the packaging that the scooter was only recommended for use by people between 17 and 50 years old. Whoops, this was his 50+20th birthday.

It also said on the package “do not ride near water” but of course the first thing he did was ride it along the dock we are moored on!

Later that day we met up with our Didim Marina friends for drinks followed by dinner and a birthday cake. It was a great evening!

The celebrations continued the following night when a group of us went for a meal in a new-to-us Didim restaurant.

There was a good two-man (plus backing track) band playing. We all had a dance which was excellent fun (yes I know, ewww – old people dancing!)

A couple of days later our daughter Hannah and son-in-law Pieter arrived by air from the Netherlands and landed in Izmir.

After being told by the airline that they would arrive in the Domestic terminal they actually had to exit via the International terminal as that is where their luggage had ended up.

We waited patiently for them outside the appointed meeting place and when it was apparent they weren’t coming out, Jonathan left me there and drove round to the International terminal. He returned saying there was no sign of life there, let alone any sign of Hannah and Pieter. Eventually, we spotted them as they arrived by foot from the International terminal having already walked miles to find their luggage!

Considering that the Netherlands was enduring yet another lockdown and we were half expecting them to have to cancel their flight, the slight delay in picking them up felt like a small price to pay for their safe arrival!

The first day of their stay dawned sunny and bright so we decided to go for a drive to the nearby beach suburb of Altinkum.

As Jonathan started up the van, Pieter noticed a cat shoot away from underneath the front of it. We didn’t think anything more of it, mainly because we were all distracted by the discovery that the power steering appeared to have stopped working!

Jonathan decided to keep going – thinking we could drop into a garage to see what was up. We hadn’t got far down the road when horrible shrieking noises came from under the bonnet!

No, the screeching wasn’t another cat – it was the fan belt emitting the dreadful noise!

It was decided that Jonathan would cycle back to the marina (fortunately we had the bikes on the back of the van) and call for a mechanic to come. In the meantime, the rest of us would walk into Altinkum.

Jonathan joined us later as we sat in the sun enjoying our delicious coffees/fresh orange juice.

He told us that a mechanic had come to the van and in order to replace the fan belt had to get underneath the engine.

Apparently he could hear the guy chortling away to himself as he repaired the fan belt and between titters was calling out “kitty kitty kitty”.

Turns out, there was cat hair all over the fan belt and this had made it first slip, then come off completely! The cat that Pieter had seen shoot out from under the van earlier must have actually been asleep inside the lovely warm engine compartment. When the engine started, the poor animal must have had such a fright – and literally a close shave!

Later that day we visited the remains of the wonderful Temple of Apollo in Didyma, on the outskirts of Didim.

Now in ruins due to a series of earthquakes, the Temple of Apollo was once the fourth largest temple in the Ancient Greek world.

In its heyday the temple had an oracle – second in importance to the one in Delphi. Many rulers including Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar visited or sent emissaries to the oracle to seek guidance and favour from Apollo.

The last iteration of the temple (construction began around 300 BC and was still ongoing in the 4th Century AD,) was enormous – well over twice the size of the Parthenon in Athens.

A total of 122 massive columns, each 2.5 meters in diameter, rested on a podium of more than 5,500 square metres. Some of the columns are still in evidence today.

The walls of the temple rose to a towering height of nearly 28 metres above the ground!

We couldn’t visit Didyma without calling in to our favourite store in Didim – the local carpet shop!

The proprietor Öztan Çalli, delights in showing you almost every carpet in the shop. He is very charming, is a superb salesman and a has excellent English.

His father who ran the business before him, stands by proudly, adding little nuggets of information about the history and meaning of different designs and colours.

We had a lovely time looking at carpets, eating Turkish Delight, biscuits, drinking apple tea and then later, a plate of fresh fruit from Öztan’s farm.

We had encountered plenty of snow on our drive through Europe from the Netherlands to Turkey but once we crossed the border it was rain and more rain that we had to endure.

It poured all night and after a broken sleep due to the incessant drumming on our roof, we left our slippery and muddy parking spot just over the Turkish border in Edirne and found that we had spent the night very close to a historic Ottoman bridge that spans the River Tunca. The bridge has six arches, and was constructed between 1484-88.

We also drove past another Ottoman classic – the 16th-century Selimiye Mosque, which has a massive dome and four minarets and is very close to the nearby 15th-century Üç Şerefeli Mosque. The many minarets belonging to the two mosques dramatically filled the skyline as they came into view.

When we left Turkey just a month earlier everything was brown and shrivelled – there had been absolutely no rain for months! Literally a few weeks later and the land was transformed. The copious rain had turned everything to a vibrant shade of green!

At Gelibolu (also known as Gallipoli we found out later!) we boarded a small car ferry to cross the Dardanelles (Çanakkale Strait) that connect the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

This important narrow body of water forms part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey.

Things at the quayside were extremely chaotic. First we were waved onto a ferry that was about to leave and had scarcely any room left on it. We could see there we were definitely too long for the tiny space but obediently drove aboard.

Once on, we discovered that our assessment wasn’t wrong and had to reverse back off the boat and park off to the side of the traffic queue waiting for the next ferry! Fortunately, we were first on the next vessel which was loaded very soon after the previous ferry left.

As always, we thoroughly enjoyed being aboard a boat, even though the weather was pretty foul and the trip was really short!

Back on dry land again, we decided to make a small diversion to the ancient site of Troy – the setting for the Greek myths about the Trojan Wars and the powerful kingdom of the Heroic Age.

The approach to Troy is along a winding country lane and a few minutes before we arrived we came across a herd of sheep walking along the road in front of us. I love these typical country scenes in Turkey and never tire of watching the shepherds hurrying their charges along to make way for the traffic.

In the car park in Troy we saw a group of street dogs – ubiquitous everywhere in Turkey – helping themselves to food remnants in the nearby rubbish bin. These dogs are often part (or even full) Anatolian sheep dogs, a beautiful natured animal, protective to sheep and gentle to humans. The Turkish look after these dogs (and multitudes of cats too) by putting out food and water for them, come rain or shine. Of course, they love to forage too!

Fortunately there was a really nice camper stop just a few minutes down the road which we heard about when the owner came into the museum car park to tell us all about it.

It was another rainy day when we woke up the following day so we decided to visit the ultra modern museum and save the site for another time.

We walked down a ramp to enter the museum and at each side there were niches on the walls containing gravestones, large statues, scenes and mural-sized photographs from the various levels of the excavation in Troy.

In the interior of the museum a wide range of wonderful historical artefacts from Troy and some other nearby ancient sites were displayed.

There were so many fabulous objects to admire including gorgeous glassware, pottery and gold jewellery – we could have spent all day there but we had to keep heading for Didim Marina to prepare our catamaran for Christmas and the arrival of our daughter Hannah and son-in-law Pieter.

The weather didn’t lighten up at all and by mid-afternoon we were driving through massive puddles under stormy skies.

Driving along the seafront at one point we dodged both plumes of water from vehicles going the opposite way to us and waves breaking over the sea wall.

We spent the night outside a beachside camper park that said it was open when we looked on-line but which definitely wasn’t when we arrived!

The car park was very muddy and we had visions of getting bogged so we left early the next morning – thankfully with no problems.

As we made our way through the narrow streets of Bademli we came across pools of water stretching right across the width of the road. There were very few pedestrians braving the horrible weather but those that did were wading through the water in their gum boots.

The run off caused by all the rain could be seen from the waters edge way out to sea – an unpleasant brown stain tainting the normally bright blue water.

It was such a relief to be back in Didim Marina on our catamaran Sunday.

Our friends and near neighbours Jack and Jan had watched over her while we away and we came back to find everything absolutely fine – much to our relief (thanks guys!).

Christmas was approaching fast so after unpacking and settling in our first task was to put up our Christmas decorations – all ready for the festive celebrations!

We had diverted to Hainburg an der Donau in Austria on our road trip between Turkey and the Netherlands in order to fill up with water. Finally successful, we had a good night’s sleep outside the local sports centre.

We woke to freezing temperatures – the pond which we had camped next to was completely frozen and there was a layer of ice on the bonnet of the van! It had been very cosy and warm inside the van despite the plummeting temperatures.

Since the beginning of our trip we had driven through four countries – the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia and now Austria.

Four countries in a couple of days seemed pretty good going but that morning we managed to visit three countries in just the first quarter hour of driving – Austria, the Czech Republic (Czechia) and Slovakia!

An hour and a half after that we were in Hungary which was very bleak – deep snow everywhere and leaden skies. Within another three hours we were Serbia!

We found a very pretty place to stop the night by the beautiful, calm but chilly Lake Palić. We went for a lovely walk as the sun was setting but we were very glad to get inside the van out of the bitter cold.

The following day we motored through some stunning snow scenes – the sky was blue and everything was sparking white. The fir trees were weighed down by snow and I was reminded of those fir tree decorations on the Christmas cakes of my childhood.

By early evening we were in Bulgaria and negotiating a very narrow, slippery and treacherous road.

Fortunately, it became a little wider and not quite so slippery and within an hour we were in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. We found a small camper stop just off the main road. Thankfully a couple of workmen were doing some building work there (despite the frigid weather) so the gate was unlocked.

Other vans at the stop were being wintered over there – we were the only crazy ones to spend the night in our van!

Despite everything being completely covered in snow we were very grateful to have a safe place to spend the night – what a lucky find!

Before we left in the morning we wanted to fill up with water again but the hose belonging to the site was completely frozen! No amount of hot water would unfreeze it!

Eventually Jonathan managed to get our own hose attached to the tap in the bathroom inside and we were able to fill it up that way. Meanwhile, we discovered another water issue of a different kind! While washing up I found that the kitchen tap had broken. First of all it just caused a small amount of water to leak onto the floor but the crisis escalated quickly and the tap wouldn’t switch off at all! Arghh!

We needed to get it mended as quickly as possible. I thought I’d seen a camper van store on the way into Sofia and a quick look on line showed that there was indeed one quite nearby. We couldn’t find it at the location marked on the map but we continued retracing our steps of the day before and at last found it. What a stroke of luck (our second lucky find!) to find assistance there, particularly as we discovered that it was a brand new business and hadn’t actually officially opened!

The proprietors of Campershop, Katerina and Luben were absolutely delightful and extremely helpful. Keen camper van travellers themselves, their new business officially opened on 3 February 2022. It includes camper van sales and rentals, repairs and an excellent store to supply every need for campervan enthusiasts. They told us of future plans to make a camper stop there as well.

While the technician repaired our tap (he did an excellent job!) we browsed round the show room and bought a really well designed collapsible strainer and matching fruit bowl.

By the time we set off again it was well after midday and fortunately the roads were in a much better state.

Although the roads were clear there were plenty of snow scenes at the side of the road which were really beautiful.

That evening we finally made it to the Turkish border! It took about three quarters of an hour to get through the immigration process. We were expecting to be asked about our vaccination status and to produce negative test results but Covid wasn’t even mentioned. The main thing the officials were concerned about was getting proof that the van was truly ours.

Just over the border we stopped at a shop to buy phone credit for Turkey and obtain a vignette for the toll roads.

We were successful in getting our phones topped up but the toll payments had to be made at a post office. We didn’t have to rush to do this as there was a grace period during which we could access the toll roads and pay later.

While we were in the store a man had washed our filthy van from top to bottom! It was positively gleaming.

We asked the shop keeper how much we should pay him. He told us 20 Turkish Lira (two dollars)! Of course, we paid him more but it was still an absolute bargain!

It had been a long day so we headed straight for a side road near the Tunca River where according to Internet advice, overnight street parking was allowed. Apart from the road being one big mud slide and we couldn’t even see the river, the location seemed OK. However, as our heads hit the pillow we discovered that it was extremely noisy!

We heard trains trundling by, screeching to a halt and shunting; trucks going up and down the road at speed and people calling out to each other on top of their voices! We seemed to have landed in an alternate universe where people stayed up at night and slept by day!

Despite all the noise, no one asked us to move or disturbed us in any way and eventually we managed to sleep, ready for the last push to get to our destination – Didim Marina where we have our catamaran S/V Sunday moored.

This is a hard blog to write because it’s about me having a significant birthday – something I’d rather not talk about too much! However, I had such a wonderful shared celebration with Jonathan (who is three weeks younger than me) that really I cannot pretend it didn’t happen – so here goes!

We were staying with our daughter Hannah and son-in-law Pieter in their home in Pijnacker in the Netherlands and we came downstairs on the morning of my birthday to find the living room beautifully decorated with bunting, balloons, candles and fresh flowers.

A pile of presents and cards sat invitingly on the table and after a delicious breakfast we set about opening them.

We had some fabulous, thoughtful gifts and some really special surprises.

Jonathan really excelled himself by commissioning a beautiful pair of gold earrings made by the jeweller who designed Hannah’s engagement ring.

Later in the day the biggest bunch of flowers I have ever received arrived from our son and daughter-in-law in Australia. We haven’t been able to see them for almost two and a half years so their thoughtful gift and then the arrival of the flowers meant so much.

Hannah and Pieter’s gift came in the form of a mysterious rhyme (see below). How exciting!

We set off in their car in the late morning. All the way “there” we were trying to guess where we were staying. “Is it a windmill?”, “No”; “a castle?”, “No”; A lighthouse, a canal boat, a sailing barge, a shepherd’s cottage, “No, No, No, No!”

Just as we arrived at our final destination (Arnhem) I looked up and saw a Church, and not even serious, I blurted out “is it a Church?”

One look at Hannah’s face and I realised I’d hit the nail on the head! Minutes later we arrived at our destination – The Sint-Walburgisbasiliek, dating back to 14th Century and the oldest Church building in Arnhem.

It was rebuilt after it was extensively damaged in World War ll when a German Messerschmitt crashed into one of the towers and started a huge fire.

Now deconsecrated, the Church itself is being turned into a museum about the Battle of Arnhem (17 to 26 September 1944 – remember the movie A Bridge Too Far?)

Meanwhile the two towers have been transformed into six gorgeous luxury apartments, each one decorated to depict a local tourist attraction.

Ours had a zoo theme (The famous 110 acre Burgers’ Zoo lies within easy reach of the apartments) and everything from the decor to the plates reflected this theme.

We entered the building through the ancient Church door and just inside the entrance sat the original baptismal font. A few steps in and we were in an ultra modern four person lift which took us to our lodgings.

For our front door we turned right but to the left was an extraordinary piece of engineering- a stainless steel and timber bridge that stretched across from one belfry to the other.

Perched high up above where the congregation would have once sat, Hannah couldn’t resist trying out the acoustics and to her surprise received a round of applause from the people working down in the museum site.

Once in our front door, we had a staircase to climb that took us into a cosy and warm living room with a fully equipped kitchen in one corner and a floor to ceiling window.

Up another set of stairs we came to a mezzanine floor that looked out onto the living area below with loads of plants hanging from the gallery – referencing the Burger’s Zoo tropical rainforest exhibit.

On this level was a funky bedroom with a “jungle” ceiling and floral cushions. A very swish bathroom that had a stone basin and copper fittings was also on this level.

Up another set of stairs a and we arrived at a second tower-shaped bedroom with a fabulous four-poster bed and in one corner a ladder.

Of course we wanted to see what was on the next level! At the top of the ladder there was an easy to open trapdoor.

Lifting it up we entered a magical sitting area and to our surprise – right next to it – were two gigantic bells! We were in the belfry!

What a unique and spectacular place to celebrate our birthdays!

That evening it was cold and rainy but fortunately the fabulous restaurant that Hannah and Pieter were taking us to was very close by.

Recommended in the Michelin Guide, this intimate restaurant has a delectable French-Asian fusion menu and all the fruit and vegetables are grown on the restaurant’s own farm. All the meat and fish were raised organically. Every course was paired with a local wine. What a treat!

Then it was back to our quirky apartment for birthday cake and champagne.

After a great sleep in our very cosy bed we woke up to another amazing surprise- it was snowing! Proper big flakes that settled and made the world a shimmering masterpiece! How lucky were we?!

Breakfast was a collection of delicious treats- croissants, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, lovely coffee and of course, left over birthday cake.

We were very keen for a walk to enjoy the snow so we packed up ready to leave for the nearby Hoge Veluwe National Park. As we were about to leave we met up with the charming lady who looks after the property and she very kindly let us look round a couple of the other apartments.

Each apartment had its own theme – the first one we looked at was based on the wonderful Kröller Müller Museum which is full of wonderful Van Gogh paintings and drawings. Furniture and walls were decorated in Van Gogh style.

The other apartment had the Church’s war museum as its theme so there were khaki director’s chairs, an aerial battle mural and 1940’s style furniture.

What a fantastic place! Our stay will always remain a really special memory for all of us.

After loading up the car we drove to the National Park and had a beautiful walk.

Everything looked magical with the frosting of snow glittering and the last of the autumn leaves clinging to the trees.

What a fantastic way to finish our fabulous birthday weekend!

Back at Didim Marina after the most fantastic trip of South-East Turkey with a group of fellow yachties, we were happy to find all was well aboard S/V Sunday.

There was no time to get back into the daily rhythm of life aboard however, as we were booked to fly to the Netherlands in just a few days to visit our daughter and son-in-law and to pick up our camper van for some more land adventures.

Other marina residents were also departing that week to visit family and friends – some to Portugal, others to Australia and Thailand. With so many people leaving it was decided to have a Friday night farewell barbecue.

It was a great evening!

The following day we flew off to the Netherlands and had a very smooth trip with none of the possible hiccups that we have have come to expect in these Covid times.

It was wonderful to see how lush and green the Netherlands was. It had only rained once or twice since the beginning of March in Turkey and on the drive to the airport everywhere looked so parched. There was not a scrap of green grass to be seen – everything was brown and lifeless.

We had brought with us a lovely carpet we had bought earlier in the year in a small carpet shop in Uçağız, a small fishing village in the heart of the landlocked bay of Kekova Roads.

We didn’t have room for it aboard Sunday but we were very happy to find it was the perfect fit for Hannah and Pieter’s hallway!

We had a quiet time the first week or ten days of our stay as we took the Dutch Government’s advice and quarantined at home. However, we went for lovely walks every day and had the occasional lunch at a cafe (outside!) with Hannah and Pieter.

We so enjoyed seeing the last of the late autumn leaves in the gardens and woods nearby to their home.

The second weekend after our arrival we had an extra special visit from my sister Sarah and her husband Martin. Due to all the Covid restrictions, the last time we had seen them was just before Christmas 2020 and then it was only for a brief lunch in their garden (fortunately it was a relatively mild day!)

It was so exciting to welcome them as they came off the Eurostar train from London to Amsterdam.

On the Saturday we all went for a tramp and ended up at the windmill cafe in nearby Nootdorp.

Very fortunately for us the windmill was not only working but also open for tours. We were able to go up into the miller’s loft (two at a time) and be shown round the various working parts and have a demonstration on exactly how the sails worked – listening all the whike to the delightful clack of them going round and round.

We also paid a visit to the local farm shop and purchased some lovely fresh produce for dinner that night.

The following day we all went to the local garden centre which according to Sarah and Martin was bigger than any they had visited in England!

It has become an annual ritual to go and see the Centre’s wonderful Christmas displays and decorations and stake out which Christmas tree looks the best, and buy Christmas plants, fairy lights and other festive goodies.

The other part of the ritual is to have afternoon tea in the garden centre cafe where they serve (among many other lovely things) Dutch apple pie with lashings of slagroom (whipped cream)!

We also took the bus into beautiful Delft – the canal-ringed Medieval town just 15 minutes cycle ride from Hannah and Pieter’s place.

It is always lovely to walk around this gorgeous place with its massive market square, the graceful Renaissance- style 17th Century City Hall , the Oude Kerk (old Church) and the Nieuwe Kerk (new Church) which was actually completed in 1496!)

Best of all, it’s just wonderful to wander alongside the canals, crossing them when the fancy takes you and discovering new alleys and path ways along the way.

All too soon it was time to farewell Sarah and Martin as they joined the Eurostar to head back to London. It had been a lovely weekend but like all good things, it went far too quickly!

Our tour of south East Turkey was drawing to a close but there were still some fabulous things to see and do.

We left the incredible and innovative Museum Hotel in Antakya and drove for around 50 minutes to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ (the medieval port of Saint Symeon).

It was wonderful to see the sparking blue waters of the Med as we walked up the hill to visit the next amazing historical landmark – the Vespasianus Titus Tunnel.

The tunnel is part of a water diversion system built during the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD to divert floodwaters that ran down the mountain carrying sand and gravel and threatening to silt up the harbour.

This ingenious piece of Roman engineering transferred flood waters to the sea through an artificial canal and tunnel.

According to the archaeological records and the various epitaphs on the tunnel, around one thousand people – mostly slaves – constructed this technological marvel.

The tunnel has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the Roman Empire’s most incredible engineering feats.

We were able to walk along most of the tunnel’s 1,380 metres (4,527 feet) and imagine what a ghastly time the slaves (many of them from the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66-79 AD) would have had during its construction.

The tunnel is seven metres high and six metres wide and was built with no heavy machinery and no explosives. Just those poor slaves chipping away with hammers and chisels, day after day – for years on end.

We walked back down the hill to our mini bus, taking a closer look at other Roman remains including some tombs in a cave and a pretty bridge.

By this time we were feeling peckish and our guide Baran, knowing how much we all loved being by the ocean and near to boats, took us to a small fishing harbour for a late lunch.

The wharf was a hive of activity with fishing boats being made ready for sea and lots of comings and goings.

After watching one of the larger craft leaving to fish in the open sea, we went to sit down at a “pop up” restaurant where we ate absolutely divine “Balik Ekmek” (a grilled fish fillet inserted in a half-loaf of bread along with a scoop of “salata” (lettuce, tomatoes and onions,) made all the more delicious by being washed down by a bottle of beer obtained from another restaurant nearby.

The following morning was taken up with the drive to Adana from where we would all fly back to our respective boats. Before going to the airport there was still some brilliant surprises! First of all, Baran – our guide – took us to the second largest mosque – and one of the most marvellous – in Turkey, called the Sabancı Merkez Mosque.

The mosque was largely paid for by the Sabanci Foundation (run by a mega wealthy famous Turkish family) – hence its name.

Located on the banks of the Seyhan River, Sabancı Central Mosque is a majestic structure with six minarets. Eight massive pillars carry the main dome that has a diameter of 32 metres (105 feet).

The interior of the mosque was breathtaking – everything about it was designed to inspire and impress. The sheer scale of the auditorium (built to contain 28,500 people) the massive tiled panels, the wide expanse of luxurious wool carpet, the immense lighting structures – everything was designed to be awe inspiring.

Next was a very pleasant lunch on the terrace of a restaurant/patisserie overlooking the Golden Lake where there were some very tempting and delicious looking cakes on offer.

We were then whisked off for a quick look at some of Adana’s main sites, including the 32 foot Great Clock Tower, (Büyük Saat), the bazaar and the Oil Mosque, (so named due to an Oil reservoir in its precincts) which was once a crusader Church and converted into a mosque in 1501.

Parts of the madrasa (Islamic school) in the courtyard were used as craft workshops and we were able to see some of their marbling and felting work during our rather brief visit.

By this time the sun was becoming low in the sky and Baran hurried as back onto the bus as he wanted us to experience the sunset in a very special spot.

Our driver Cezar, dropped us off on the banks of the Seyhan River near the majestic Taşköprü (stone bridge) – a historic Roman Bridge known as the Ponte Sarus when it was built in the second century AD.

Since 2007 it has only carried foot traffic but up until then it was one of the oldest bridges in the world open to motorized vehicles. The bridge has 21 arches but some of them are now not visible due to stabilisation work on the river banks.

Walking onto the bridge we were surprised to find a festive atmosphere with lots of people milling around, vendors selling snacks and drinks and a group of people launching Chinese paper “sky”lanterns.

The views from the bridge were stunning – especially those of the Sabancı Merkez Mosque that we had visited earlier in the day.

The river was completely calm and serene with not even a ripple of wind to disturb the perfect reflection of the twinkling lights of the mosque as the sun set.

It was almost time to head for the airport but there was one last stop to accomplish something very important – something that everyone one who visits Adana is urged to do – eat an Adana kebab!!

Baran took us to the famous Cik Cik Ali restaurant where we feasted on the delicious kebabs cooked on hot coals and served on a wide metal skewer.

Made from lamb mince meat, mixed with red bell peppers, the Adana kebabs are served with charred peppers and tomatoes, an onion-sumac-parsley salad, and lavaş (thin flat bread).

These delicious kebabs are hand minced with two rather curious implements more reminiscent of scimitars than kitchen utensils!

Ali, the owner was delighted to demonstrate his prowess with his “swords”, twirling them in the air above his head like an oriental warrior.

Too soon it was time to drive to the airport to fly off to our various yachts. All that was left to do was say a goodbye to our new friends and to say a huge “çok teşekkürler” (thank you very much) to our amazing guide Baran and our ever patient driver Cezar for giving us a trip of a lifetime round South East Turkey.

It was a lovely drive from Gaziantep to Hatay, Turkey’s southernmost province – bordered by Syria to the south and the east.

Out of the minibus windows along our way we gazed at vast fertile plains that extended as far as the eye could see – with mountains looming in the far distance.

Antakya, the capital of Hatay, had a quite different vibe to some of the other places we had visited on our marvellous tour of SE Turkey. This was hardly surprising as the city is very cosmopolitan and home to Sunni and Alawi Muslims, Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Protestants, Maronites, Greek-Orthodox Arabs and Armenian communities.

Sovereignty over the province still remains in dispute with Syria and a substantial proportion of the population are of Arab origin.

The busy town which in Biblical times was known as Antioch, has been described as “the cradle of Christianity” and fact is was here that the term Christianity was first coined.

Because of its diverse population Antakya is full of exciting sights and sounds and there is a plethora of delicious foods and drinks to try.

Our fantastic guide Baran took us to some amazing eateries. First we visited Pöç Kasabı ve Kebap – a busy three-floor restaurant where all the food is cooked in a roaring wood-fired oven in a tiny kitchen at the entrance to the shop.

Our tasty Tepsi (tray) kebab (the region’s most famous meat dish) made with spicy minced meat disappeared very quickly – it was delicious!

We went for a delightful walk through the bustling bazaar and were fascinated by the stalls making something that looked like a cross between shredded wheat and fine noodles that was being spun like candy floss. This turned out to be one of the main ingredients of künefe – an Antakya specialty.

Baran took us to a a tiny cafe under a centuries-old plane tree near an equally old mosque in the Long Bazaar where we tasted this wondrous confection.

The strange thin strands of pastry that we had seen being made were steeped in a sweet sugar-based syrup and then baked around a core of mozzarella-like cheese and finished off with a sprinkling of finely chopped pistachio nuts. Even though I’m not normally a lover of desserts, I have to admit it tasted divine!

We also stopped at Çayırcı Bakla Humus Salonu – a hole-in-the-wall cafe which has two items on the menu, bakla (a mashed fava bean spread) and humus.

We were able to watch as both these delicious dishes were made by hand. No whisks or mixers were used – just old fashioned mortars and pestles and elbow grease!

Both dishes were served with beautiful garnishes of various pickled vegetables, rosy tomatoes and chopped herbs as well as fresh flatbread known as tırnaklı ekmek. The food looked and tasted superb – I don’t think I have ever tasted such creamy hummus!

While wandering through the bazaar we came across a drink seller with a colourful sash around his waist and a silver ledge over it on which plastic cups were placed.

He had a massive silver jug with a long spout and a bunch of flowers attached at the top from which he flamboyantly poured a rather ghastly viscous-looking brown liquid into the plastic cups – rather like a fez-wearing cocktail waiter.

It turned out that this was a cold (non alcoholic) liquorice-based drink. It didn’t look very appetising so I didn’t try it and judging by the faces of those who did, I made the right decision!

As well as being a foodie heaven, the town has some intriguing sights. On a walk round some of the streets in the old quarter of Antakya we had the good luck to find the Italian-born priest “at home” in the tiny Catholic Church, set in a beautiful courtyard garden.

The padre welcomed us cordially and told us some history of the building and of the Catholic Community in Antakya. He said that the location of the Church was important as it was located where several of apostles, had lived.

From a flat roof of a church building we were able to see the Church, a nearby mosque and a Jewish Synagogue all within a stone’s throw of each other. The priest explained that their proximity to each other typifies the friendship, respect, tolerance and peace between the different communities in Antakya.

One of the fascinating places we visited was the cave Church of St Peter, one of the oldest Churches of the Christian faith.

The original simple grotto dug out of the soft volcanic rock is said to have been by carved out by St Peter himself. The oldest surviving parts of the church building date from at least the 4th or 5th century and include some pieces of floor mosaics and traces of frescoes.

There is still a tunnel inside the Church which opens elsewhere on the mountainside and is thought to have served as an escape route in case of attack on the early Christians.

The Church facade was constructed by the Crusaders in 1100, and rebuilt in the 19th century.

From the Church of St Peter we headed to the splendid Hatay archeological museum where we saw many fabulous treasures including the impressive two-tonne, 3,000 year-old statue of the Neo-Hittite King Suppiluliuma, found in 2012 at the ancient site of Tayinat, 35 kilometres from Antakya.

Inscriptions on the back of the statue provide a whole catalogue of information about his victories and border expansions.

There were many fascinating exhibits including some amazing mosaics. One of my favourites depicted a skeleton enjoying a drink which was unearthed in 2013 and dates from the third century AD.

It apparently warns people “Enjoy life as much as you can because tomorrow is uncertain.”

Another stand-out exhibit of the museum’s huge collection was the Antakya Sarcophagus (Antakya Lahdı), a spectacularly carved marble tomb from the 3rd century with a reclining figure on the lid that has remained unfinished.

Moving on from the archeological museum we went to what turned out to be the absolute highlight of our visit to Antakya – the Museum Hotel.

This is a unique archeological site where ancient remains lie exposed under an ultra modern hotel.

The extensive archeological findings were discovered when the foundations of the hotel were being dug. Work halted immediately and the hotel owners told that the site would have to be excavated before any more work was carried out.

Because of the importance of the findings which included the largest intact mosaic ever found, the original plans for the hotel were scrapped and an innovative and impressive design to incorporate the archeological site into the hotel structure was created.

The result was a combination of engineering marvel and architectural beauty.

The hotel is an astonishing combination of contemporary steel columns with stacked rooms that “float” above the archeological remains. These are linked by walkways and bridges.

The mosaic under the hotel is a 1,050m² work of art which was started around 300 BC and, it is believed, was a work in progress for more than 15 centuries.

Walking on the labyrinth of raised glass ramps and bridges we were in close proximity to the remains. We were able to gaze down not only on the mosaic but also a Roman streetscape complete with a bath house, forum and other buildings.

Antakya was absolutely full of treasures and surprises and we felt incredibly privileged to have been able to see just some of the highlights of this fascinating part of the world.

Our visit to the mysterious tumulus and the ancient heads on top of Mt Nemrut left us feeling intrigued and slightly overwhelmed – quite sure that we had seen the very best that South East Turkey had to offer.

However, the following days were equally fascinating and just as enjoyable.

The next adventure began with a bus ride from our hostel on Mt Nemrut to Halfeti where we went on a boat ride – a great choice for a group of cruising yachties who hadn’t been on the water for a few days!

We picked up the timber boat on the banks of the Euphrates River at Halfeti – a town that had partly been submerged under water when the Birecik Dam was commissioned in 2000/2001.

Shortly after our boat took off we stopped at a waterside restaurant to pick up lunch supplies – delicious Turkish gözleme (savoury stuffed turnovers) and (after everyone’s hands shot up to the question “who would like a beer?”), bottles of Turkey’s local brew – Efes.

Chugging along happily over the clear waters we admired the beautiful scenery- particularly the soaring cliffs that rose high above the flooded area.

At one point we saw the remains of a once magnificent Roman Fort that was another “victim” of the dam project. It is now only accessible by boat.

The construction of the dam meant 6,000 people lost their homes and had to be resettled.

Seeing the remains of a village partially “drowned” was very poignant. We could not help thinking about all those displaced people and how hard it must have been to leave their homes that had possibly been in their families for many generations.

In addition, many important antiquities had to be rescued as below the area to be flooded by the dam were the ruins of the ancient city of Zeugma which had only been excavated sporadically and not at all thoroughly.

With only a fraction of the site excavated, archeologists feared that many mosaics and other treasures would be permanently lost. Thankfully, only few months before the flooding was to start the American philanthropist David W. Packard donated US$5 million to fund an emergency excavation allowing archeologists to preserve the mosaics that would otherwise be inundated by the dam.

Just before we boarded our minibus after leaving the boat, we witnessed the most extraordinary sight, one I had never seen or heard of before – a dog suckling a rather large kitten! We were told that she lost her puppies at the same time as a litter of kittens had lost their mother and the dog adopted the kittens!

Our next stop was our digs in Gaziantep – a glorious caravanserai that had been converted to a thoroughly modern hotel with an old world vibe.

The bazaar at Gaziantep must be one of my top favourites in Turkey. The atmospheric narrow lanes were packed with gorgeous wares – everything from colourful spices and dried fruits to balls of string and rope; sparkling copper and stainless steel wares to lovely handmade leather shoes – I bought two pairs! You could even buy a brass topper for your minaret!