Sail, Swim, Lounge...From Yalikavak to Marmaris July 13-26, 2015

Celador's voyage...Summer 2015.
The orange line starting at  Leros and ending in Marmaris shows our journey in this story.
You can enlarge any photo by clicking on it!

July 13-14    We sailed from Leros to Yalikavak...." Yakattack"...a fine a day of sailing with the wind on the beam. After weeks in the Greek Islands, I had become accustomed to seeing the Byzantine era "choras", the old towns, white-painted and tightly clustered upon a hilltop. As we approached the Turkish coast at Yalikavak, again we saw white-painted buildings covering the hillsides...but these were not ancient.

Not a chora...new condos and townhouses.

 Brand new residential development coverred acres of coastline. After hailing Palmarina on the VHF, we were escorted into the finest marina I've ever seen. This was a big surprise. With spaces for 450 yachts, super-yachts, mega-yachts, Palmarina is the "Largest Megayacht Marina In Turkey". 

Note the violet disco lounge ...

Three, four, and five spreader rigs....

All the boutiques and restaurants were filled with people. 

View from Gordon Ramsey's "Tango" restaurant.

 After tying up, we got cleaned up and I put on the nicest clothes I'd brought (the choices were limited)...and even mascara! The beautifully landscaped marina grounds made a lush setting for the exclusive boutiques, which increased in price and prestige as we moved farther in from the main gate. Clothing boutiques like Armani and Versace, and fashionable restaurants owned by Nobu and Cipriani. 

At the Louis Vuitton boutique.  Must haves for the summer season.

The "regulars" of the marina were every bit as chic and fashionable. And the yachts...super yachts , megayachts, professional crew in livery, glamorous women in bikinis. We decided to check out the town. The town appears to have been developed at the same time as the marina. There is definitely some heavy money in Turkey.  But not in our pockets: we were ready to move on.

Fine dining al fresco at Palmarina.

July 15-16 The wind ranged from 0 to 18 kts as we sailed for Knidos. Off the mountainous tip of Kos, katabatic winds hurtled down the mountains at up to 24 kts. The boat heeled and surged into an exhilarating reach. The wind moderated after we passed the island, and it gradually fell off as we approached Knidos. I had forgotten how pretty Knidos is; the dramatic ruins, the mountains, the clear water.

 We arrived early in the day and swam, lounged, enjoyed the beauty of it. While swimming, I swam over the top of a broken amphora with one handle, the shoulder and mouth intact. I was the first person to grasp that handle in over 2000 years!

Knidos, with amphitheater and agora ruins ...once a thriving city.

The Aphodite of Knidos, by Praxiteles in the  4th century B, was the first depiction
of a goddess in the nude, which made Knido a popular destination for worshipers!

The next day we decided to climb up the mountain on the seaward side of the bay. Up and up we scrambled, over scree mixed with endless ancient potsherds. Thorny bushes and thistles scratched at my legs. We followed goat trails for some of the way. Ron led the way to find the path while I came along more slowly, my arms waving like a windmill for balance. Though we had made an early start, it was very hot. I got a light-headed nearing the top; my saliva was thick as jam. I was dehydrated (like a fool!). We came to the top, where the Turkish flag was planted.

 What magnificent views! I looked down at my feet and saw the spout of a broken ancient clay oil lamp. Imaging breaking your lamp in that rugged high place when you needed it to climb down in the darkness! Back at the boat, diving into the sea felt great. We had homemade meatballs and pasta on the boat and watched the sun go down from the cockpit.

Sunset in the 'hood.

July 18-19 The wind had finally died as predicted and we motored to Symi. Arriving around noon, we took our usual mooring by Taverna Haris.

 It was now high summer and hot-hot-hot. The mercury hit 96 degrees F (36 C) . I worked on the computer at the shady Taverna; it was too hot to go roaming. I took showers just to keep cool. In the evening we wandered the streets, enjoying lovely Symi and browsing the colorful shops and merchandise.

Natural sponges and antique sponge diver rig.

Early in the morning we went for a hike, up the old stone steps westward and out of town. The stairs wound up through a small village to the high Kastro and the blue and white church overlooking the town.

The ramparts of the Kastro

 We walked the perimeter of the Kastro walls and sat in the shade of a cool grotto overlooking the parched hills and ancient terraces, a timeless view.

Time stood still.

Descending, we stopped at a bakery cafe run by British ladies for coffee and healthy carrot cake with seeds and nuts. Back at the boat, Ron was engrossed in his Daily Mail. I went for another walk; back up the steps through the neighborhoods to the tree line, stopping at an old stone house under reconstruction. I was able to go inside and see the traditional layout. I fantasized about buying and finishing it, terracing and planting the hills above and below, rebuilding the dry stone walls, etc

Like "Under the Tuscan Sun"......NOT!

In the evening we dined at a restaurant overlooking the other side of the bay.

We do eat a lot.

After, we stopped by an outdoor concert of Greek music, bouzoukis, guitar, a female singer, and percussion. The musicians somehow resembled their instruments: the bouzouki guys were both rail-thin; the female vocalist was as strong and, rounded as her beautiful voice, the guitarist was dark and quiet playing the background rhythms, and the percussionist played castinets and bongos with the vigor of a young Hemingway.  Their vocal harmonies were great.

Apologies for the "atmospheric" photo quality!

They sipped tiny glasses of ouzo and took a languid puff after each song, but played a two and a half hour gig without a break. Fantastic music. I stayed until it ended after midnight.

The next day, Costas the Port Agent returned the ship documents and our passports and we were officially cleared out of Greece for the season. Boohooo!!

July 20-21 Departing Symi with no wind, we motored for three hours, arriving in Bozburun around noon. Ron got a haircut, I go for a swim, we read and lounge. I scouted the jewelry stores for a Turkoman necklace of red coral, turquoise, and silver.

Back in Bozburun, Turkey

The next day Celador and her crew were cleared into Turkey once again. We strolled the town, lounged, and read. In the blazing afternoon I walked along the seaside and found a shady table by the sea, sipping icy raki to stay cool.

 In the evening we had swordfish kebab and mezes for dinner on the rooftop terrace at Akvarum.

Mehmet, our friend at Osman's

Smiling faces at Akvaryum.

 We made for Buzukkale, a small bay with only one building; Ali Baba's  place, with the old stone oven. We tied up, swam and lounged for two lazy days. In the evening we sat with a gregarious group; on one side ,a Dutch family (the Dad had just come back from Grand Rapids, MI), and Sinan, a pilot with Turkish Airlines, and his sailor pal.

On the other side, a large international group of young charterers having a blast with "The Yacht Week". Very lively and interesting people.

Departing Buzukkale, we made for another favorite spot; Ciftlik. There are so many favorite spots now. We took a mooring at Mehmet Place as usual. The bay is surrounded by towering cliffs, and guarded by a pine-covered island shaped like a wizard's hat. Another crystalline bay perfect for swimming.

Dawn over the bow...the island at Ciftlik

We were moored next to the most cluttered boat ever. Peter the German, a nice enough fellow, has lived aboard it for 35 years.  It is festooned with things like this: four boathooks and six life rings, all located in places where they cannot be reached; camel, goat and elephant bells, with a rubber mallet for ringing them, hung off the bow pulpit; a two-sided Smiley Face cushion, hung next to the dining table and wearing a Hamburg Yacht Club hat like Wilson the volleyball; a director's chair with "Fuehrer" handwritten on the back of it; a placard of boat rules in German, likewise signed by " Fuehrer Adolf"; and thousands of other "treasures of the bilge".

Early the next morning we hiked up the steep hill, almost to the base of the cliff, enjoying spectacular vistas, and this time no dehydration.

The limestone rock had been honed by rain into very sharp spikes.

 We descended slowly, finding our best footing amid the scree, stone, and picker bushes. After a break and a chat with Mehmet, we walked along the beach to the end of the bay. We were surprised to find a spring with icy water, seeping out of a cliff right next to the seaside.

July 25. We motored back to Marmaris, taking the scenic route past the beaches and hotels of Icemeler and Marmaris and back to Yacht Marina. Here we will do few boat projects, eat, swim, lounge, and prepare to head home, Ron to Scotland and I to the States. We may do a little side trip before we head home...

It's been a lovely cruise.