Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Exploring the south (Çıralı)

We love living in Istanbul, but still try to get away from the city as often as possible.  In late October we headed south to the Mediterranean shores.  We were looking for tranquility and ancient ruins. We found both.  We stayed in a little family-run pension by the beach in Çıralı, and we could easily have spent all four days just walking up and down the almost deserted and beautiful beach.  At one end of the beach we got to explore the ancient city of Olympos, at the other end we hiked up into the eternal flames of Çimera, and in the middle we swam, collected rocks, played games, and found refuge from the rain.
I took so many pictures that I have chosen to split this adventure into several posts, so I don't bore you to death with all my details.  For starters, I want to show you....

...THE BEACH




Lying on the stones felt like a good massage, walking on them in bare feet was torturous.




Tahtali Dag - 0ne of several mountains in the ancient Greek region claiming Mount Olympos.  This one is a sturdy 2365m (7760ft) with a stunning view.




BEYOND THE BEACH











WHERE TO GO WHEN IT IS RAINING
We made our way to restaurant row for a drink and food.  We played some cards and M entertained and earned his keep by tending the fire pit for extended periods.











AFTER THE RAIN
When the weather broke on a second day we were able to enjoy a tree shrouded dinner with a waterfall rushing beneath us.  Fresh fish and a beautiful setting!












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