TRAVEL THE WORLD - ALANYA, TURKEY

One of our favorite activities while in Turkey is to go out for a day's swimming off a gulet, one of the boats that are to be seen everywhere along the Mediterranean coast. The entertainment provided by the crew is one of the day's major pleasures. Photographed in 2001 in the last picture at Alanya are Hassan on the left with his crew. The third photo shows a very amusing dance performed by a crew member. Hassan was a very nice man. He asked me many questions about Canada, explaining that he wanted to emigrate. I remember thinking, "How very sad. Lacking the skills that Canada would recognize, he most likely would be unable to achieve his goal, and, even if he did succeed, he would find the differences in culture very difficult to adjust to, and would probably be terribly homesick for his life in Turkey." He was unhappy because he was unemployed all winter - he did not own the gulet - and had a seven-year-old son whose future he worried about.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ALANYA, TURKEY

This photo captures perfectly the atmosphere we experienced on our visit to the south coast of Turkey in 2006. Instead of the brilliant summer sun you expect in the Mediterranean, dark clouds and heavy, heavy rain seemed an almost daily occurrence. My very favourite place to swim is at Cleopatra Beach in Alanya. There was only one opportunity to swim in our three days there, and even then, we had to run to escape a cloud burst. We had a drink in the outdoor bar of our hotel and hoped the rain would stop, but it didn't. It wasn't all bad, though. To be in the Mediterranean in stormy weather was new and different. The threatening clouds and violent rain created a feeling of adventure, particularly when having to go somewhere by boat.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FETHIYE, TURKEY

In 2001 we spent a month on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. We were in Istanbul on 9/11, and decided not to spend the planned two weeks in Syria because we were unsure about the intentions of the US government with respect to that country and would not have felt safe going there. Instead, we had a wonderful time in Turkey where the people were very kind to us, many of them no doubt believing we were Americans. Here you can see a typical boat called a gulet that you will find everywhere on the Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean. We often took a day trip on one of these boats for swimming as in the second photo where people are using a rope to assist them to get on board. We would swim all day at several scenic locations, and enjoy a barbecued chicken lunch accompanied by humourous entertainment put on by the crew.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, KYRENIA, NORTH CYPRUS

I like this 2006 photo taken at the harbour in Kyrenia, North Cyprus because of the colour of the rocks and the sea, and because when I took it I wondered what the fisherman was thinking and how he was feeling. I imagined him enjoying himself doing what he was doing in his beautiful surroundings even if he didn't catch any fish, and I envied him for it.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KYRENIA, NORTH CYPRUS

These two photos from 2006 illustrate the charm of Kyrenia, a lovely port town in the Republic of North Cyprus.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CRETE, GREECE

This photo, taken in 2004 from the roadside on Crete, shows a typical Mediterranean landscape with lots of olive trees - very dry but beautiful.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - FETHIYE, TURKEY

Here we are near Fethiye, Turkey in 2001 following a wonderful swim. Nothing on vacation can top this! The salt water is warm and buoyant, the sea is a deep blue, the swim is refreshing, the other tourists are friendly. What more could you ask?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - TAORMINA, SICILY

Taormina is one of our very favourite resorts. We spent three or four days in the town in 2000. Each day in the late afternoon when we had finished with sightseeing, we went to this beach for fine swimming and sunbathing.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KAS, TURKEY

We visited Turkey in 2006 and had unusually bad weather. On other vacations we had been able to depend on calm sunny days perfect for swimming in the sea. From Kas, a quaint seaside town with no beaches, surrounded by mountains, and not much changed since 1988, we took a boat to a beach not very far away. It was too cold and windy to swim, however, and by the time we returned the seas had become very choppy. On the boat trip back, although we were not in any danger, the rough seas you can see in the photo made for a very uncomfortable ride.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KYRENIA, NORTH CYPRUS

The Deniz Kizi Hotel at Kyrenia in North Cyprus, which we visited in 2006, had a lovely beach as you can see in the photo. We had three days here and wished we could have extended the time. Kyrenia itself is a charming Mediterranean port town with lots of interesting things to see. It is also near Belapais Abbey and Saint Hilarion, both very much worth seeing.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, DATCA, TURKEY

In 2001 when we travelled to Datca on a peninsula in southwest Turkey, we spent a day with Sugre on his boat. It was a gulet, a Turkish two-masted wooden sailboat. These boats, powered by engines, are plentiful everywhere along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. On our four trips to Turkey, we often went with other tourists for a day on a gulet - trips that involved touring in spectacular coastal scenery, swimming off the boat, a delicious barbecued lunch, and if all of this was not enough, enjoyable - often very funny - entertainment provided by the crew. Sugre was an especially nice man. We had the boat all to ourselves with Sugre and his daughter with whom he had a sweet, loving relationship.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KAS, TURKEY

Kas is one of our favourite places in Turkey. It is a small resort town on the south coast surrounded by mountains. Because of its location on fairly treacherous roads and its lack of beaches - you swim off the rocks - it doesn't attract a lot of tourists and so ugly new development has not detracted from its charm. Evy's Restaurant which we discovered in 2001 was a delight. You eat from a French menu in a beautiful garden. Evy was present and we had a long chat with her. She told us that when she first arrived in Kas to establish a restaurant some years earlier, the people were hostile, disapproving of a woman having her own business. Many unpleasant things were done in the hope that she could be persuaded to leave. No doubt they didn't like the competition either. She persevered, however, and told us that she is now accepted as a local, loves Kas, and has many Turkish friends.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CHANIA, CRETE, GREECE

In 2004, we spent two weeks on Crete and loved it. These are photos of the harbour at Chania which is quite typical of the sea fronts in old Mediterranean towns and cities. You can see why walking beside the sea is so picturesque and interesting. And always there is the brilliant blue of the water and the intense blue of the sky! This can especially be seen if you right click on the image and open it in a new window so you can see the enlargement.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SANTORINI, GREECE

Santorini, which we visited in the fall of 1998, is one of our favourite Greek islands. Every afternoon, after a day of sightseeing, we went to this beach for fine swimming and sunbathing. But before we swam, we eagerly checked the newspapers to see the latest financial news, particularly concerning Russia and Asia. Our anxiety was caused by fairly steep declines in North American stock markets. Fortunately, predictions of Armageddon did not materialize.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KAS, TURKEY

Our greatest pleasure while visiting the Mediterranean coast of Turkey has been to take a day trip on a gulet, a boat that is common in that part of the world, and to swim in the sea as we did in this photo taken near Kas in 2001. All of the resort towns have several of these boats moored in the harbour. In the evening, you can walk along the port, speak to the captains of the boats, select the one you like most, and pay a modest amount to reserve yourself a spot. Early the next morning the boat will leave with anywhere from about 15 to 40 passengers depending on its size. The captain will describe the sights as you pass by and prepare a lunch usually of salad, grilled chicken and beer or Pepsi. Two or three times during the day you will stop for a wonderfully refreshing swim in the warm, intense blue waters of the sea. Often, the crew will provide entertainment on the return to port in the late afternoon. I guarantee that when you arrive you will feel as comfortably warm and relaxed as you have ever felt in your life.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KYRENIA, NORTH CYPRUS

Kyrenia is one of our very favourite places in the Mediterranean. You can see its attractive harbour in this photo taken in 2006. Near the harbour is a very interesting shipwreck museum in an old castle. It has the remains of an ancient ship (300 BC) discovered nearby. Swimming at Kyrenia is very nice, especially at our moderately priced but lovely hotel, the Denizkizi. Kyrenia also has a couple of excellent restaurants near the shipwreck museum.