Not only do the Maltese siesta for most of the day, Malta completely shuts down on a Sunday so they can spend seventeen hours in church worshipping some bird in a blue dress. This was the perfect opportunity to drive into Valletta and wander the ancient streets, though it was made a little frustrating what with every tourist site being closed for the day!
Ancient Valletta & Sushi Read Post »
After my watch, which actually saw us into that nasty weather, I attempted sleep in my cabin. It was a bit like riding the wall of death, but eventually I caught some Zs. Ten minutes before my next watch. Still, I got to watch the sun rise on a calmer sea and the good news was we were making excellent progress.
Arrival And Discovery Read Post »
The tables turned a little, however, when the back-end of the front we were avoiding stirred up the waters and caused a little chop. Stanley’s classic ‘wow, big waves’ comment won’t be forgotten in a hurry. He was commenting on 1m swells, bless him. It was fun for a while.
Don’t Worry About Stowing Read Post »
We spent the first hour listening to the VHF, which was a real education. Having done most of my night-sailing around the UK and then across empty oceans, it was a new thing to learn about Philipino Monkeys. For those who don’t k now, all vessels should have their VHF radio on stand-by on the international channel 16. It’s used as a hailing channel and for emergencies but it can be open to abuse.
I’ve just completed my first watch. Me. I’ve just helmed a 50m motor yacht from Marmaris, Turkey, into international waters. I’m now officially one of the big boys. I wonder what nautical tattoo I’ve earned? Image of a gin and tonic on my forearm?
Having spent much of the winter aboard Rama producing The Porthole, and spending Christmas Day around the dinner table with 18 friends, it was only fitting that Liz and I were invited to help deliver Rama to Malta, along with Gordon, the chief engineer who we had befriended over the winter period. The deal was that we could come along for the ride providing we helped out with a bit of cooking and watching…
The next day was another early start and after a big Turkish breakfast served in the garden under fruit trees we set off for Didyma. We found our way there quite quickly and once again arrived before the official opening time and before anyone else. What can I say about Didyma? The site dates back to 8th century BC, but the ruined temple seen now is of 4th century BC origin.
The stadium, which seats 30,000 people, left us both speechless. The two agoras, temples, palaces, colonnaded palaestra, odeum, bath houses and other structures kept us absorbed, but again, it was the theatre that charmed us. It has been built in one of the two bronze age mounds found on the site and is in great condition, with carved names on some of the seats and an impressive throne-style chair in the middle of the front row.
All Alone In Aphrodisias Read Post »
It is difficult to choose a “best bit” because the city as a whole works so well, but the theatre takes some beating. Situated near the top of the ridge, with views looking steeply down across the valley for miles and miles it seats 12,000 people.
The Cotton Castle of Pamukkale Read Post »
To help put this little trip into context we’ve included a road map (in the bottom right hand corner you can place western Anatolia within Turkey). The Greek island of Kos is on the bottom left and just off the map under Marmaris is the Greek island of Rhodes. Starting at Marmaris we headed north east through Tavas towards Denizli….
A Turkish Road Trip Around Anatolia & South Aegean Read Post »
Introduction to our Turkish Road Trip Welcome to the land of tractors and silver-domed mosques. The south Aegean and western Anatolia region is a beautifully rustic area in south west Turkey that hosts some of the most magnificent Roman sights
A Turkish Road Trip! Read Post »
Gwen is a first generation Swedish American, though she does now claim to be Canadian: “Since Bush came to power I refuse to be acknowledged as an American. I worked in the foreign service on hardship programmes and trained in Washington before being posted to West Africa. A great experience marred only by the eleven obligatory injections. Despite majoring in a variety of subjects for 16 years I never actually got a degree so officially I wasn’t allowed to become an officer in the foreign service, but I’d built up so much experience they made me an officer anyway”.
When one meets a self-confessed moody old crook who was infamously known as ‘The Bitch of Smithfield’, who hung out with rogues like Drinking John down the meat market, was courting a bank robber and has set light to more cottages and cornfields than I care to count, one imagines getting the imposing Gina to drop her guard to be a bit of a challenge.
Over the Spring of 2008 I decided to take some portraits of the people associated with sailing here in Marmaris, Turkey. Of the 100 or so original portraits a few stood out as being quite striking, so I produced this little montage.
Portrait of a Sailor Read Post »
“I was a nun for many years and Pedro was a priest”, explains Isabel with that angelic smile. “We were
both on a trip to Rome to see the Pope, which is how we met. When we returned to Spain we cast off our robes and decided to go sailing instead”. Just like that? “Yes. We shocked both the church and our families by getting married. Within a month we bought ‘Issotta’, a Dufor 40, and invited our parents to see our future home. Fortunately they loved it and with their blessing we set sail the next day”.
This scoop was just too good to be true: I thought the singing nun was a sixties pop legend, not a bright young sailor from Spain.
Isabel and Pedro of ‘Issotta’ Read Post »
