After hanging around the campsite (because it was so pleasant) – finishing my book, completing a daily draw - I get a message from Jane Summers (my old boss at Moorland Midwives and fellow retiree) that she and her husband Derek are moored on an island close to Fethiye. Plans are made for me to return to Fethiye to spend the evening with Jane, Derek and their fellow sailors, Ian and Mary. Rowenna and I can spend the night on board their charter yacht in the Marina. This means getting to Gill and Jeremy’s a day later, but they won’t mind seeing a little less of me I’m sure!
Gulden – one of the owners of Han camp site, invites me for coffee in the village before I leave. Her son is asleep, so she can have a break while her husband looks after him. She looks at my pictures and chooses the large one of the sky. Three camels bearing tourists turn up and plonk down, folding their legs up in a very odd way. I’ve never seen working camels in the close up before.
Gulden tells me some of the history of Kayaköy and gives me some directions so I can get the best views of the town on my way back to Fethiye. It’s quite late in the afternoon when she gets a text to let her know her son has woken up. Well time I got going too.
Kayaköy is very atmospheric and worth a visit. I ride past the hillside dotted with stone buildings that have been empty for less than a hundred years and it’s apparent that nature can take back a city in a short space of time. Just as I’m starting to climb the steep hill back to Fethiye, a builder’s lorry stops and offers me a lift. I gladly accept and Rowenna is tied securely into the back of the flat bed truck. Only takes us about half an hour to traverse the journey which would have taken me until darkness fell, I’m sure. The downhill would have been fun, though.
It’s a short and familiar ride back to the Marina, and I ride up a couple of pontoons looking for Jane and Derek’s boat called “Solaia”. I spot the boat just seconds before I spot Jane – and felt a huge soaring of emotion: It was amazing to meet up so far from home – and wonderful to see a good friend and familiar face. Big hugs all round.
I was introduced to Mary and Ian – Derek and Jane’s sailing buddies (from Kingskerswell) – and I know Ian’s daughter as she worked with our team when she was training to be a midwife.
After I’d had a shower in the very pleasant Marina bathroom conveniently next to the boat, we had ‘sundowner’ gin and tonics on board before venturing into town for a meal.
We found a place where there was live, loud music being played. Because I’m deaf, I asked that we sit away from the musician – not realising that the table I’d selected was right on top of the loudspeaker. Ha! Jane and Derek treated me to dinner (thanks, guys). Shame I was talking so much that everyone had finished their meals and I’d just started on mine. Either that or I’m as slow at eating these days as I am at cycling. Or I’m so starved of English company I can’t stop talking – profuse apologies if I bored you all and at least those people who are reading my blog don’t have to. J
It was grand to catch up – though I’m not completely out of the loop because of facebook – travelling isn’t like it used to be, ay? It was fascinating to get a little insight into what Jane and Derek have been doing with their boat, sailing in the Aegean Sea all these years. They sold their own boat last year – and this one is a charter yacht, registered in Germany. It’s sporting a German flag so they had to go out and get the Union Jack because everyone assumed they were German. Jane reported that had to sail through a rather interesting thunderstorm to get to Fethiye, a rainshower which I’d managed to miss completely. Ian likes to race yachts, apparently, and I think I must have misheard the 100mph?
I showed off shamelessly and gave away some more of my paintings. It was a lovely evening – we even got rocked slightly when something large went by. I got to sleep on board and Rowenna was tucked up on the deck. It’s starting to get noticeable chillier at night – and I’m needing to start dressing for bed.
Gulden – one of the owners of Han camp site, invites me for coffee in the village before I leave. Her son is asleep, so she can have a break while her husband looks after him. She looks at my pictures and chooses the large one of the sky. Three camels bearing tourists turn up and plonk down, folding their legs up in a very odd way. I’ve never seen working camels in the close up before.
Gulden tells me some of the history of Kayaköy and gives me some directions so I can get the best views of the town on my way back to Fethiye. It’s quite late in the afternoon when she gets a text to let her know her son has woken up. Well time I got going too.
Kayaköy is very atmospheric and worth a visit. I ride past the hillside dotted with stone buildings that have been empty for less than a hundred years and it’s apparent that nature can take back a city in a short space of time. Just as I’m starting to climb the steep hill back to Fethiye, a builder’s lorry stops and offers me a lift. I gladly accept and Rowenna is tied securely into the back of the flat bed truck. Only takes us about half an hour to traverse the journey which would have taken me until darkness fell, I’m sure. The downhill would have been fun, though.
It’s a short and familiar ride back to the Marina, and I ride up a couple of pontoons looking for Jane and Derek’s boat called “Solaia”. I spot the boat just seconds before I spot Jane – and felt a huge soaring of emotion: It was amazing to meet up so far from home – and wonderful to see a good friend and familiar face. Big hugs all round.
I was introduced to Mary and Ian – Derek and Jane’s sailing buddies (from Kingskerswell) – and I know Ian’s daughter as she worked with our team when she was training to be a midwife.
After I’d had a shower in the very pleasant Marina bathroom conveniently next to the boat, we had ‘sundowner’ gin and tonics on board before venturing into town for a meal.
We found a place where there was live, loud music being played. Because I’m deaf, I asked that we sit away from the musician – not realising that the table I’d selected was right on top of the loudspeaker. Ha! Jane and Derek treated me to dinner (thanks, guys). Shame I was talking so much that everyone had finished their meals and I’d just started on mine. Either that or I’m as slow at eating these days as I am at cycling. Or I’m so starved of English company I can’t stop talking – profuse apologies if I bored you all and at least those people who are reading my blog don’t have to. J
It was grand to catch up – though I’m not completely out of the loop because of facebook – travelling isn’t like it used to be, ay? It was fascinating to get a little insight into what Jane and Derek have been doing with their boat, sailing in the Aegean Sea all these years. They sold their own boat last year – and this one is a charter yacht, registered in Germany. It’s sporting a German flag so they had to go out and get the Union Jack because everyone assumed they were German. Jane reported that had to sail through a rather interesting thunderstorm to get to Fethiye, a rainshower which I’d managed to miss completely. Ian likes to race yachts, apparently, and I think I must have misheard the 100mph?
I showed off shamelessly and gave away some more of my paintings. It was a lovely evening – we even got rocked slightly when something large went by. I got to sleep on board and Rowenna was tucked up on the deck. It’s starting to get noticeable chillier at night – and I’m needing to start dressing for bed.
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