After Trieste, we spent a splendid week traveling in Germany and Switzerland with our 9-year old French grandson Marcel. Once we dropped him safely home it was time to step out of the Schengen Zone for a while. We still had plans to visit Uzbekistan and Tajikistan so a few weeks in Turkey seemed a logical choice since we could fly directly from Istanbul to Central Asia.
This would be our fifth visit to Turkey so we looked for someplace new to explore. Just as we settled on the Bodrum peninsula, two large wildfires were reported in the area - one of them dangerously close to the outskirts of the city of Bodrum. We decided to widen our Airbnb search and see if we could find a place away from the fire zones. I’m glad we did because we found an Airbnb gem in a former fishing village called Gümüşlük (Goo moo-schlook).
You can take day trips to Greece on one of the Gulet boats on the right side of the photo.
When I write a blog I flip through our daily journal to remind myself of what happened when and where. On the page marked September 7th the entry started with “A no good very bad travel day!" This one included a canceled flight, a stressful security incident, a mad dash to the gate, and a long layover. But eventually, we made it to the Bodrum airport - just later than planned. Our host arranged for a driver familiar with the listing to meet us because apparently, her place can be hard to find in the dark. That would be an understatement.
About an hour later we passed a few shops and a post office that must have been the actual village of Gümüşlük because a few minutes later our driver pulled into a small gravel parking lot. No lights. No visible houses. And no idea where we were - with a driver that didn’t speak English. Not the best of circumstances in broad daylight, but we assumed we were close to our Airbnb. This is when we nomads need to be brave.
These are some photos from the Airbnb listing. You can see why we fell in love with this place.
We unloaded our bags and followed our driver down a dirt path using our iPhone flashlights. There were a few steps as well before we turned a corner and saw what every weary traveler longs to see - a welcoming porch light. In the pitch dark, it was hard to gauge exactly where we were. That would have to wait until morning. What we could see were twinkling lights on boats anchored in the bay below us and a sky full of stars overhead, so we knew we’d wake up to a beautiful setting.
When we arrived after dark we couldn’t see the Minaret next door! We came to love the mysterious call to prayer that is broadcast from its speakers five times a day. It helped us pause for a few moments and consider our own blessings.
Morning arrived with clear blue skies, a light breeze - and a 5:30 am Muslim call-to-prayer from the minaret next door! The Arabic words were both haunting and beautiful. And we’d hear them five times a day for the next three weeks. For the sunrise Ezan, as it’s called in Turkey, the local dog population all howl in unison for the entire four minutes. Whether or not they face Mecca I don’t know, but amazingly, after the first few days, we slept right through it.
Everything about Gümüşlük was charming - including the resident cats that stopped by for tuna.
Speaking of animals, a few curious cats came by to say hello, and once I shared a can of tuna fish they moved right in. In fact, there were cats everywhere in Gümüşlük, and they all looked sleek and well-fed. I am sure they enjoyed a steady diet of fish scraps from the restaurants and treats from pushovers like me.
Once we were fully awake, we walked outside and found ourselves in a beautiful garden overlooking a cove filled with boats of all kinds and a view of the Mediterranean in the distance.
Our mesmerizing view. Boats came and went all day The flag marks the top of the hill that we climbed The trail goes around the backside of the bluff for even more spectacular views.
The apartment itself was small but well equipped and comfortable. Without the patio, it would have been tight quarters, but with a big table, nice chairs, and an expansive view, we spent most of our time outdoors. The only challenge was the wind! Some days there was just a pleasant breeze, but on others, it was intense.
There was a pile of brightly painted rocks sitting on a ledge that we assumed were left by some children. We used them almost every afternoon when the wind came up to hold down papers and napkins and sometimes food. Watch out for flying crackers!
I named this big kitty Bosco, who became our favorite of the resident cats. He was very affectionate and helped look after our rocks.
We’d been traveling non-stop through the summer, and we were ready for this break. We also needed time to finalize our trip to Central Asia in October. The small village Gümüşlük was the perfect place to do both. It was only a 45-minute drive from the more glamorous city of Bodrum, but it seemed a world away. Its main attraction for tourists and Turks alike is all of the open-to-the-sea restaurants strung along the shore like colorful beads.
There were three places we’d visit almost daily. The bakery, the fruit and vegetable stand, and a small grocery store. To do that, we had to run the gauntlet of restaurant owners who tried to get us to “just take a look” at their fish so artfully displayed on a bed of crushed ice. Which looked a lot like the fish on ice in the next restaurant. And the next. They all had different names, but they were so close together that you could only tell one from another by the napkin colors on the tables.
After the first week of watching us stroll back and forth several times a day without pulling up a chair, they gave up. When we were no longer potential customers, we had fun bantering with the staff. And I got to use a little of the Turkish I’d learned on Duolingo. My favorite was “goola goola” which means bye-bye! The tongue twister was Tessekular pronounced Te-sheck-yu-lash. The word for thank you.
Gumusluk is famous for these gourd lights. They are every where and very intricate in their designs. An awkward souvenir to carry home but I’d sure try!
The bakery we became smitten with is owned by a lovely young woman named Tulay (Too-lay). She offered pastries that were "French-Turkish" so we enjoyed a steady supply of croissants, butter cookies, and a delicious pastry twist filled with marzipan and pecans.
From the market stall, we gathered peaches, peaches, and more peaches. They were amazing. Probably because they’d been on a tree that same morning. I decided to make a Peach Galette and it turned out very nicely. Since I couldn't get enough of those golden balls of goodness, I made another one for our Airbnb neighbors staying above us, and then one for Lylo. That was fun because no one ever bakes for the baker!
Tulay and her friend Ramo tucking into my warm Peach Galette.
Speaking of neighbors, our “home” was part of an old stone house converted into three apartments. Ours was in the middle at the garden level. One unit was right above us and the other one slightly behind us. Guests were coming and going during our stay and we enjoyed meeting them all - especially the family upstairs.
There were two adult daughters and their parents on a three-week holiday. Onar was the oldest, and she was working remotely during their stay. Her English was very good and, she was helpful the first couple of days since they’d already been there for two weeks. One night we could smell something delicious on their grill and a few minutes later, Onar brought us a huge plate of grilled chicken and sausages with stewed okra and salad! So I baked them a pie. Then they grilled us a fish. And so it went.
Turkish hospitality is legendary, and I learned a little secret from another of our transient neighbors. The wife was Turkish and she helped Michael with some logistical issues around our upcoming trip to Istanbul. I'd made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and delivered a plateful to them in appreciation. Later in the day, she returned our plate filled with beautifully cut fruit. She told me it is a Turkish tradition to never return a dish empty. Isn’t that a wonderful gesture?
We settled into a routine that included a three-mile hike every other day to the top of a nearby hill. The views out to sea were incentive enough, but if we were going to continue eating croissants and peach pie every day - this became a “must do” activity.
Michael at the top of the hill next to the flagpole you can see in the picture of the sunset.
We like Turkish cuisine and a three-week stay with a decent kitchen pushed me to try all sorts of new dishes. Especially with an abundance of garden-fresh ingredients from the weekly farmers market in “Upper” Gümüşlük - which is a 20-minute walk from “Lower” Gümüşlük, where we stayed.
We had a full Turkish breakfast in Gumusluk’s most famous restaurant, Limon. We sat in the garden under an orange tree and spent the morning sipping strong Turkish tea and enjoying all the fresh flavors.
Turkish cooks use copious amounts of mint, dill, and parsley. They are the stars in a dish, not the understudies. They add a bright vibrancy to a green salad along with tender Persian cucumbers and sweet cherry tomatoes. Pomegranates play a large part in local cuisine as well. And I will tell you right now, Pomegranate molasses will change your life. It is “Fruit Umami”. Replace balsamic in your salad dressings, drizzle it on grilled chicken, or use it to glaze salmon. I actually added a dollop to the peaches in my pie and it was the perfectly tart counter-balance to the sweetness of the fruit.
Sorry Fish Guys. I cook my own fish…this beautiful Sea Bream was deeelicious.
To us, the cost of food in Turkey is so low that it doesn’t seem plausible. Some examples: A kilo (two pounds and a bit) of delicious strawberries for under five dollars, six ears of some of the best corn we’ve ever had for one dollar, a lunch bag full of perfectly roasted hazelnuts for three dollars, and don’t forget those peaches, four perfectly ripe beauties for under two dollars. But inflation is wild in Turkey so prices that seemed cheap to us are becoming outrageous to the locals.
This is Beyza, our favorite vendor at the weekly market. She offered every seasonal fruit and vegetable you could ask for straight from her family’s farm. And always had a beautiful smile for her customers.
We loved our leisurely sun-filled days in our seaside village but did venture out a few times. I saw an ad for a concert at the amphitheater in Bodrum that looked interesting. So, off we went. It was extraordinary to sit in this structure built for entertainment over 1,600 years ago and enjoy a concert today.
And we spent a day in Bodrum. It’s a sprawling city but the intimate old town with its 700-year-old fort and a marina packed stem to stern with luxury yachts, boats for hire, pleasure craft, and fishing boats was very pleasant.
Most of the streets are filled with shops and restaurants so we window shopped for a while. Michael loves watches so stepped into a beautiful jewelry store with Patek Philippe and Rolex watches on in the window. Of course, he is happy with his $17 Casio … but it is always fun to look. What we found was a store full of remarkable fakes! We are not sure why stores in Bodrum can sell genuine-certified-fake designer bags, clothes, and watches, but they don’t shy away from telling you “this is the finest fake Rolex you’ll find anywhere in the world.”
In the Northern Hemisphere, I think September is the best traveling month of the year. By week three most of the tourists had left and the boats had pulled up anchor. Often we had the beach to ourselves.
Michael worked hard to put the finishing touches on our trip to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but things began to unravel. He’d found a great person “on the ground” in Tashkent who was helping with details and an itinerary, but the visa process got complicated, he couldn’t purchase a key flight online using a credit card, and the Covid situation wasn't clear. Sadly, we decided to put that trip off for a year. Our goal is to visit these two countries plus Turkmenistan which is currently closed. We have visited 12 of the 15 former Soviet Republics. We hope can hit the Trifecta in 2022 and visit these last three.
From Gümüşlük we traveled to Istanbul to spend an enjoyable week seeing old friends and more cats - and getting scrubbed within an inch of our lives in a 300-year-old Hammam. More on that next time.
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
NOTE: This blog is searchable by place or topic. From Covid to Copenhagen…I’ve probably had something to say about it. I respond to all comments, so please feel free to leave your thoughts. Debbie