In a world were we accept the drive in hamburger joint as a way of buying fast food it is fun to see how other cultures tackle the problem.
Here in the Gulf of Fethiye cruising aboard the motor yacht E&E we were approached by a small boat intent on selling us freshly made Börek a well-loved pancake style of snack in the Turkish cuisine that has over fifty different varieties. It is usually eaten hot during breakfast or as an afternoon tea time treat.
The lady in the bow had her rolling pin at the ready and was belaying instructions to the Captain at the helm. From they way she was shouting at him and waving the rolling pin, it was difficult to say which one was in command of the operation.
Banned in Italy, discouraged elsewhere and frequently impossible in many locations, Turkey is perhaps the only area in which yachts are able to moor close in shore. They do so by dropping their anchor and moving astern towards the shoreline where they send lines ashore.
The advantages are many as we found out while cruising aboard E&E. It allows more yachts to use a picturesque spot it avoids having to worry about swinging circles and in many cases removes the legal requirement to keep an anchor watch.
The social advantages are equally plentiful. Being so close to the shore in crystal clear water means guests are able to swim off the yacht towards the rocks.
It is however perhaps the only practical solution to anchoring given the steep sided shoreline and the result.
Safety dictates however that ropes running ashore need to be well marked in a fashion demonstrated by our Captain. There are stories of jets ski riders passing astern of yachts at speed and not noticing the ropes. Not a pretty thought.
Our Captain replaces these red markers with flashing strobe lights at night.
European holiday-goers have turned this once-quaint fishing town into a bustling, and somewhat over developed tourist destination of sprawling resorts and crowded beaches.
We chose not to stop on our trip aboard E&E but that does not mean that the more discerning traveler will not find the reasons why visitors came in the first place.
Not the least of these is, of course, the protected bay and its picturesque setting, surrounded by pine-covered hills and long, sandy beaches; a day or two spent swimming, scuba diving, water- skiing, jet-skiing, and kayaking from the yacht would not be amiss.
If you do arrive by superyacht go ashore in search of lively nightlife, bustling water- front restaurants, and beach boutique shopping, but head over to nearby Içmeler, on a more sheltered cove, if you’re looking for the area’s best (and less crowded) beach.
Indeed, explore the nearby inlets and you may find a quiet beach to call your own for the afternoon, scenic vistas along which to go hiking, and quiet towns that resemble Marmaris before the tourists arrived.
Back in Marmaris, be sure to pay a visit to the Castle Museum, behind the busy bazaar, where you’ll get some of the best views of the city and the bay.
Thanks to Edmiston for helpful notes on Marmaris
Overnight our beautiful yacht E&E moved smoothly and silently back into Turkish waters.
We woke to find our selves at anchor in an idyllic bay called Kumlubuku home to a yacht club of the same name. A jetty offers boats smaller than ours the opportunity to tie stern to.
Breakfast on the aft deck in the quite of the morning is one reason to cherish chartering a superyacht and this mornings did not disappoint.
Wonderful scenery attentive staff and wonderful freshly prepared food, what more could one ask for.
After breakfast we went ashore for a walk climbing high into the hills enjoying the wilderness. The countryside is a riot of early summer colour and the aromas of the wild herbs is as much a joy to the nose as the vista is to the eye.
Fresh sage wild oregano and pine are just a few examples.
Lunch was served on the terrace of Hollandali Ahmet a delightful restaurant on the waters edge. With a Chinese chef and fresh local fish be prepared to be pleasantly surprised at what the menu offers and the palette receives
"Quick, let's go to Greece while they still use the Euro." It was said as a joke, but it rekindled fond memories of a previous visit to the island of Simi so off we set.
One of the joys of chartering a SuperYacht is that on a whim you can dictate her itinerary. So the bow of E&E was pointed towards this mountainous island famous for the sponges gathered by divers.
The Coast Guard authorities were less than pleased that we had not chosen an official port of entry before hand. But such is the change in attitude between Greece and Turkey now that they welcome yachts into Europe from the neighbouring continent without too much fuss and we were allowed to stay for dinner.
One good thing about entering Europe is we could use our mobile phones with the cheaper EU tariff.
We ate at Manos a fish restaurant on the harbour front. Dinner was great sampling fried calamari, white bait, grilled octopus, BBQ sardines and stuffed squid.
After dinner Mano brought us shot glasses full of a local delicacy he called Mastik liqueur. Not quite to our taste and one of our group proclaimed it to be just like Italian Limoncello but without the lemons. Quite!
We left Bodrum sailing aboard E&E and sailed for the solitude of an uninhabited island. We chose Orak Adasi some 10 miles distant and a barren but rocky island offering an anchorage of great natural beauty. The water clarity here is amazing. We dropped our anchor in 18 metres of water and could still see it and the chain all the way to the bottom. Then we went astern and tied to the shore for a peaceful evening and our overnight stay.
From Orak Adasi we motored to Knidos on the tip of Cape Krio. The Harbour here has been in use since the 6th century before Christ and the ruins of the city show it was a great trading post that boasted two Harbours and two amphitheaters.
It is famous for its statue of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love created by Praxiteles one of the great sculptors of the 4th century BC. It was the first time a statue of a naked women had been seen and was because of its sexy nature responsible for an increase in the number of tourists the city saw. Rumour has it that there was a door Behind the statue that could be opened from which visitors could obtain a good view of her shapely posterior.
The famous scientist Eudoxos lived here around the same time. As a mathematician and astronomer, he built an observatory here and spent much time mapping the stars.
Sostratus was an architect and also came from these parts. His claim to fame was that he designed the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria one of the seven wonders of the world.
Known amongst Europeans as one of the Mediterranean’s party capitals, the Bodrum peninsula is definitely a place to see and be seen, but it also offers a little something for anyone who loves beaches, history, and the gorgeous Turkish countryside.
Staying at the Kempinski Hotel in Barbaros Bay outside Bodrum offers up market tranquility far from the bustle of Bodrum a busy port and holiday resort. To miss out on seeing the town would be a mistake and it is worth a trip from the hotel to suck in the local atmosphere.
The town of Bodrum itself—once the ancient city of Halicarnassus, home of Herodotus—lies at the nexus of two harbours on the southern coast of the peninsula, in the midst of the best beaches around, including Bardakci, Içmeler, and trendy Gümbet.
Stay at the elegant Marmara Bodrum—home to the ruins of a fourth-century BC watchtower and some of the best possible views over the twin harbours and the town’s whitewashed roofs—and dine at popular restaurants like Limon Café, or the more low-key Denizhan. Join the party crowds in Gümbet and along the waterfront and you’ll see how easy it is to get lulled into the Bodrum lifestyle.
It’d be a shame to come here and miss the history and the town itself, though. Venture out in the morning and you’ll find Bodrum as sleepy and low-key as it ever was, with a colourful market (rarely seen by visitors) and cobbled streets. Jutting out to divide the two harbours is the impressive Bodrum Castle, built in the 15th century by the Knights of St. John and now home to the acclaimed Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Pay a visit, also, to the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Thanks to Edmiston for Bodrum information
If you are going to have one make sure you get the best. I am talking about a Turkish bath in Turkey.
Having tried several, I can now state that quite the best experience was found at the Six Senses Spa at the Kempinski Hotel at Barbaros Bay just outside Bodrum in Turkey. There I was wonderfully looked after by Mustafa Sagun who is a true master of this traditional art form
A Turkish bath or hamam is the Turkish variant of a steam bath or sauna, distinguished by a focus on soap and water, as distinct from ambient steam.
The Turkish bath as a method of cleansing and relaxation became popular during the Victorian era. The process involved is similar to that of a sauna, but is more closely related to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices.
A person taking a Turkish bath first relaxes in a warm room heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air allowing the bather to perspire freely then he moves to another room were he is scrubbed and soaped up in a technique that is half massage half deep cleansing.
The end result is yo leave squeaky clean and your skin feels wonderful.
Our destination on the maiden voyage aboard Moni is The Kempinski Hotel in Barbaros Bay just outside Bodrum a hotel with which Vicem have a very close relationship
The Hotel was selected as one of the "World's 25 Best Hotels and "Condé Nast Traveller Reader's Spa Awards 2010" and it is easy to see why.
From a superyacht point of view it is an important destination given its wide and substantial docks and deep water.
Superyachts are given a warm welcome as was shown by the fact that during our stay the following yachts were in the bay:
The coincidence of Jasmin and E&E in harbour together will not be lost on superyacht aficionados!
We ate in three of the four splendid restaurants and sampled the extensive spa, said with good reason to be the best in Europe.
The Hotel graciously allowed us to stay and having done so we would place it very on our would like to return to list. One of the most noticeable factors of service being the interaction of staff not only with the guest but with their fellows which clearly demonstrates who important team work is. Evey staff member was genuinly interested in us our impressions and conscious of our desires. Everyone was a very proud member of the Kempinski team.
Impressive in the extreme.
It is a very barren looking coast when seen from the sea. The land is rocky and steep, scattered with trees and and sparse green vegetation. It gives the impression of having been bleached by the hot Mediterranean sun.
Small sailing boats and gullets hug the coast as if afraid of leaving their mother's side while plentiful supply of fishing boats cluster further off shore closely intent on commerce and seemingly less frightened of leaving the land. Their close proximity to each other however belays their seeming bravery.
At sea away from the signs of civilisation, apart of course for our high tech craft, it is easy to imagine another age even as far back as the the time of Odysseus. Then surely as now the sea here would have been full of vessels sailing between what is now the Greek island of Simi and the nearby mainland of turkey. Strange to think that until relatively recently traveling between the two countries was if not forbidden made very difficult.
Close to Simi there is a big difference from scenery on the Turkish mainland. Here there are small houses built up the hillside in clusters rather than only habitation close to the water. In case that should imply dense habitation let me hasten to add most of the island is bare of humanity and as sparely vegetated as must have been true in the bronze age.
Sailing on past Simi and closing the mainland again the bleached look of the hills is offset in places by brown bare soil but it is so steep that any feeling of a fertile land that is mimics is missing. It is dramatic and undeniably appealing with a wild feeling missing in our tamed world. All too soon the signs of civilisation are back; houses and gently undulating bare lines indicating the location of a road following the coastline.
The sea is not so much rough as rather ruffled with enough wind to please the sailing yachts heading in the same direction but more than a motorboat would prefer.
Oh I do love stabilisers, the motorboat equivalent of a mast and sails to help control the wild movements.
Anchor aweigh at 6 am we have a trip of 100 or so miles to make to Bodrum. At 10 knots that will take 10 or so hours and to keep inside Turkish telephone coverage area we duck into towards the coast and pass to the north of the Greek island of Simi.
The sea is smooth with just a long swell left form the storms earlier and Moni handles it well rising and falling gently pitching in a very seaman like fashion
The sun is shining, the sea is blue there is lots to see as sailing yachts, gullets cargo ships and inter island ferries cris-cross our course.
We joined the 32 metre motor yacht Moni upon her arrival from Antalya. She had made the passage in a 17 hour non stop trip and had performed very well in heavy seas and storm force winds.
The decision was made that we should wait until the morning of the next day to continue onto Bodrum and so we spent a very comfortable night at anchor with a stern line taken to the shore and tied around a stout looking tree.
The on board BBQ was put to good use over dinner with the crew cooking chicken served with rice and vegetables. For dessert we learned the art of eating Erik a small crunchy green, plum like, fruit unlike anything we have tasted before. Locals bite them and dip them into salt before finishing them off. Very tasty.
The boat we spent our first night on was Vitere a Bahama Bay 61
The Vicem 61 Bahama Bay merges Vicem classic Down East styling with the latest cutting edge technologies of Volvo IPS. The Vicem 61BB boasts some new twists to a classic style motoryacht, and this the second time that a Vicem model (first one was the Bahama Bay 54) has been fitted with a Volvo Penta IPS Drive system.
The 61BB is part of the Bahama Bay series, a line of boats designed and built specifically for Volvo Penta’s IPS system.
The Vicem Bahama Bay range is completed with the 55 and 58 models. They are similar in appearance to the Vicem’s Classic Line but have less curve in the sheer line, no varnished-teak hand and toe rails above deck and an hardtop that extends all the way aft to cover the teak-laden cockpit.
The line is made for more Mediterranean and tropical climates too. Vicem loves to present a classic look and profile without all the classic maintenance, to make it stand up better to the harsher effects of the sun.
On location in Turkey to undertake sea trials during the maiden voyage of the brand new motor yacht Moni we spent our first night in Goceck aboard the 18 meter Vivere a Bahama Bay 61 from Vicem Yachts and reviewed in Yachts International May June edition.
Our hosts Hakki and Randie Koroglu made us very welcome while we waited for Moni to make the passage from Antalya to Gocek to pick us up.
Together dined at West Cafe and Bistro on the High Street eating an excellent fresh sea bass washed down with local wine.
We have been visiting Gocek for the last 12 or so years and while it is growing and expanding it is doing so slowly and pleasingly
Visiting Perini Navi for the unveiling of the new hull of the Vitruvius 73 we stayed at the Lord Byron Hotel on the promenade facing the Gulf of Liguria at Forte dei Marmi.
It is a 5 star Hotel set in a green and exclusive residential district, it offers 29 finely furnished rooms and suites of elegant accommodation in the tranquil atmosphere of a renovated Tuscan villa. All guest rooms enjoy panoramic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea or of the hotel’s private garden and, in the distance, the Apuan Alps.
Facilities include meeting rooms, outdoor swimming pool and an indoor American bar, which is also located poolside during the summertime.
We loved the fine bed linens that were changed each day, the restaurant is superb and the only one that has ever offered us a water list! Yes thats right just like a wine list but listing mineral waters. We also thought breakfast one of the best we have ever had in Italy.
Forte dei Marmi has built up a tradition as one of the most famous tourist resorts in the world, and one of the busiest on the Tyrrhenian coast. As long ago as the late 18th century, noblemen and women from all over Europe, as well as diplomats, businessmen, artists and celebrities began to build splendid villas nestling in the pinewoods, choosing the fine sands for their holidays and rest periods.
Apart from the beauty of its beaches, gardens and old town, Forte dei Marmi is also well-known for its elegance and sophistication: its shops and haute couture boutiques are as much of a magnet for tourists as the nearby historic cities of Florence, Pisa and Arezzo, and its bars and restaurants have served stars from every corner of the globe, a key venue in Italy’s dolce vita since the 1960s.
But what makes life in Forte dei Marmi so unique is its relaxed atmosphere, the rhythm of its spacious public areas, the bicycle rides along its tree-lined avenues, its silences and its times for meeting up with friends for an apéritif after a day spent relaxing in the sunshine.
Why?
We get to see Genoa at least once a year generally in early May when MYBA stages its annual Charter yacht Show The birthplace of Christopher Columbus this busy port is a terminus for cruise ships and a turn around point for ferries on the Sardinia run. It’s a working port dominated by a working city that has not lost sight of its roots yet still finds time to enjoy the pleasures of life.
What do we miss when we are not there
The buzz of bustle, the stand up lunches at busy street side cantinas and the joy of finding yet another wonderful specialist shop in yet another undiscovered alleyway.
Fresh pesto and pasta.
What we do when we return
The first thing we do is walk down to the old port, Porto Vecchio, to see the superyachts. The docks of Molo Vecchio are a wonderful example of distinctive, useful restoration and renovation from a state of decay a decade earlier and it is a wonderful contrast to see leisure yachts lay alongside docks once utilised by freighters loading wine and olive oil.
Where we stay
Hotel Bristol Palace, 00 39 010 59 25 41 www.hotelbristolpalace.com, bang in the centre, on the Vis XX Settmebre, walking distance to everywhere, fresh linen sheets every day and a surprisingly good supper bar. Double bedded room with Jacuzzi bath from €200 and up. Since its on the street where most of the shops are located and is close by the market this is perhaps our first choice. We also like the Grand Hotel Savoia
What we enjoy when not working
We admit we love to linger along the streets looking into shop windows. Sometimes we confess we slip in side and Genoa has been responisble for many much loved additions to our wardrobes. We never get bored with the aquarium in the Porto Antico (tel: 010 24.81.205 www.acquario.ge.it) it’s wonderful but do stop before entering and take a look at the exterior, it’s built in the shape and style of an ocean cargo ship docked in the harbour into which it extends. Once inside you should not miss the opportunity to tickle the skate, they love it! The large tanks housing shark and dolphin are quite spectacular.
What not to miss
The Oriental market, on Via Venti Settembre, an undercover haven of produce from pasta to vegetables, wonderful flowers, fresh fish and meat surrounded by smaller perimeter stalls stacked with cheeses, biscuits, salami and cold meats.
We suggest you avoid
Dark ally ways at night, it is not a mater of danger but more one of common sense and self preservation.
Getting Around
You need neither buses or taxis in Genoa and by taking one you would miss out on the myriad of alleyways that contain all the finest shops and cafes. Buses are, however, cheap, clean and plentiful and taxi drivers; honest and courteous and the easy to use Metro, while not extensive, is a fast way to get from place to place.
What we take home
Parmesan Cheese we buy in the market, we love the trofiette, pasta made from chestnut flour and often take it and some local pesto home to serve as a simple supper on the day we get home. When we feel greedy and have room in our bags we might slip in some fresh white or purple tipped asparagus to make dinner out of supper.
What we like to nibble while there
Grisini are high on our list and our favourites are those made with Olives. You must try a warm and tasty slab of Focaccia, and don’t miss out on fritto misto a selection of deep fried fish.
Where we eat
Its is well worth a trip out to the Boccadasse a fifteen minute drive or so from the main square which costs around 12 Euros in a taxi. There, several family run restaurants cluster around a tiny cove onto whose beach, small fishing boats are drawn up. They all serve fresh fish and all we have tried there we would recommend
What we drink
We like the local wines from the Cinque Terre, five tiny villages hanging onto the side of the mountains occupied from Roman times where the wine is little changed and worthy of its reputation. The Genoese wine; Val Polcevera Blanco goes well with a snack of Sant’Olcese salami and fresh fava beans which are always in season when we visit.
