Ohhhh and serendipity strikes again.
We decided to go exploring a little off the beaten path here in this little Aegean town (Urla/Izmir/Turkey).
I found this gem of a website (Sorry – it’s Turkish – but the maps are Googlish 😉 ) that outlines different ways to go to different places via different vehicles, including my favorite – feet!
We thought we would just take a little stroll along the coast and hope for a sweet little spot by lunchtime where we could have our home-made snacks.
Little did we know that the day would unfold like a magic red carpet ahead of us, guiding us one magical step at a time.
Sigacik Kalesi / Sigacik Castle
The old city surrounded by walls = Sigacik Castle.
Delightful, sunny labyrinth of streets full of stalls.
Have you heard of the Citta Slow movement?
This city is a part of that global movement – living slow, savoring each bite, not losing local identity and local tastes to global yuckies like McDonalds.
Read here if it interests you.
Prices vary and you can definitely find something to match your budget.
Love original art and this place is full of little handmade gems.
For all my lovely Swedish Converse-loving friends. How perfect are these??
Old fashioned knitting. Gorgeous colors.
Turkish version of trance-dance:
A Spinning Dervis 😀
Hmmmm…
Okay, so this place is known for offering lots of home-made food and I did try some bits from different vendors and I must say I am yet to find something that really tastes good. Maybe having to make food en-mass takes away from the taste??
I was telling Trip Advisor about it too! Read it here.
This is pisi (prounced ‘pishi’) and is one of my favorite foods (when Sibel’s mom makes it).
Lovely gifts – home made, natural soap with a lovely print of a harem painting.
Lucky they didn’t have Facebook back then, huh?
Come to think of it, lucky they didn’t have Facebook in the 80’s or 90’s either! I think a lot of my friends will agree.
So much foolishness safely buried away in hilarious snapshots in the intangible, unprintable, unsharable folds of your brain. Thank you God!
And we begin our explorations by leaving the castle behind us and the sea to our left.
This is the final point where you can’t walk no further. It’s next to some unused huge containers that would make all serial killers’ mouths water.
Looks like I’m about to fly off, no?
I didn’t…
We decide to try to walk over the hills instead aaaaand…
YIPPPPEEEEEEE!!!
We come across another trail from the website that I was talking about, what good luck!
Off we go following it with no idea where it will lead us.
If you want to follow this track into the woods, look for the big blue water tanky looking things you see in the background there as landmarks.
(Here’s a link to the full trail which I found later, with the Googlish map and all.)
That’s me gracefully pole-dancing.
Following the trails markers.
Is that what they’re called?
Sometimes the trail gets a little bushy.
Push through kiddies!
Tip: Do not go in shorts or skirts darlings.
These little soon-to-be butterflies left me alone but were all over my partner in crime.
Mind you, he *does* look like Thor so I can’t blame those ladies (butterflies are always female in my mind, cats are girls and dogs are all boys…).
WATERRRR!! Wheeeeeeee!!!
Took us about an hour.
Very easy trail.
See, I was really not a jumpy-photo fan.
I am today.
Catching up 😉
To the left you will find another lovely cliff (as well as yours truly shamelessly posing).
My dad loved to travel.
I inherited the travel bug from him, had no mercy on my brother and sister it seems, and kept it all to myself.
He used to always bring us things from all over the world.
Now I bring him rocks, usually heart-shaped ones, from wherever I am.
RIP habibi.
What I inherited from you was priceless: a happy childhood, happy memories and a wonderful concept of what a human being should be like.
What I didn’t inherit from you was also priceless: no anger, pain, trauma… except for this missing-you-every-single-day thing… 🙂
Until we meet again my superman <3
Tip: Do watch your step. Lots of gorgeous bushes which look great in photos but don’t feel great when they poke through your feet. They have blown to the sandy shores and are giggling, waiting to ambush you.
If you have OCD: Bring a pair of tweezers.
We were there the whole day.
We had the place to ourselves the whole day.
Blisssssss <3
We are now heading out.
We notice a small cave – you can see it to the right of the photo.
Pick one:
(If you are factual):
There’s a small cave on the rocks.
(If you are cheesy):
There’s a small cave on the rocks.
When the tide is high
and the sea covers the shore
and there are people around no more,
is where the mermaids come
for a good night’s sleep.
This bed will forever,
their secrets keep.
The view heading back.
A bit like Angelina Jolie, this place is pretty from every angle.
My camera has this button that takes multiple photos with multiple settings with a single press of the button.
My camera is also psychic it seems – it has perfectly captured my mood here.
