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Author Topic: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!  (Read 21154 times)

Offline Babs

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #40 on: September 20, 2015, 06:09:19 PM »
Chris, we had a similar problem in mussakka earlier this year we felt as if they couldn't wait to get rid of us! It was all rush rush rush.......sadly made us decide not to return later in our holiday!

Offline keith

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #41 on: September 20, 2015, 07:57:28 PM »
Hi Chris...thank you for sharing your holiday with the forum. I was disappointed with your Mussakka experience........ I can only say that we had a completely different level of service on our last night in Kalkan and didn't feel at all rushed.

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #42 on: September 21, 2015, 12:07:33 PM »
sounds like an off-night in Mussakka.....oh dear. At least you brought it to Mehmet's attention and gave him the opportunity to recompense you - I would say this is untypical and to be honest we are always stuffed when we eat there. Usually avoid starters and sides as we have been overwhelmed by the amount of food in the past. BH has been known to ask the waiter to leave the bread on the table if they come to whisk it away early - it's never a problem.
No excuse though for not keeping your wine glasses topped....do they not know hydration is important..?
Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt :)

Offline Lizilu20

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #43 on: September 21, 2015, 12:22:37 PM »
What a shame your experience wasn't as good as usual. How disappointing for you.  :( We've found in the past that if we have had cause to point out a problem in a restaurant (not particularly Mussakka) that the waiters don't always seem to know how to handle it. It's happened an odd time and met with a shrug of the shoulders, a smile or an "I'm sorry" but no action on how to resolve the problem. It's as though the young lads serving, are not trained in customer service  ??? Glad you managed to discuss it with Mehmet who listened to you and then did something about it. Hopefully just a one off!  :)

Offline Lola1

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #44 on: September 21, 2015, 01:34:24 PM »
I don't want to be Mussakka- bashing but I have to say that we had a similar experience at the end of May. Having placed our order, we then waited an hour and a quarter to be served. It was one of those frustrating occasions when we just seemed unable to catch the eye of anyone, although we did manage at one point to enquire about the whereabouts of our meal. We had only ordered a main course!  Admittedly, it had been rather busy when we arrived but had emptied out considerably when we finally received our meal. When it arrived there was no apology for the delay until I rather sniffily requested it. We were given a free round of drinks to compensate although by now we had rather had our fill of alcohol while waiting for the meal and had had somehow gone "past it." We were so disappointed as it was always our favourite restaurant when down by the harbour but decided to give it another go when we returned in July. This is Mussakka, after all! I have to say that, while service was much quicker, it's just lost a little something for me and I'm not sure we will return during our next visit in a few weeks. Having said all that, I'm glad they are doing well following their relocation and have risen phoenix-like from the ashes, as it were.

Offline Mrs M!

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #45 on: September 21, 2015, 10:50:15 PM »
I have to say that I've only been there once back in 2012 and was sufficiently unimpressed and have therefore never returned... The food was good but the service was inadequate compared to the other places we visited (and have subsequently visited)!  I felt at the time that they rested on their 'Laurels' a little too much.
Lou :)

Offline Chris_S

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #46 on: September 22, 2015, 02:32:42 PM »
Day 14 – And The Gods Cried

Well, they seemed quite happy at breakfast, then they went a bit gloomy, and E L James on us (as before) until Thor started hurling the thunderbolts around, and a swift retreat under cover was called for.

This, of course, meant a re-appraisal of the days plans.

These were partly allocated, and weather would have no bearing, but others activities were less certain.

The upshot was a cop-out by having lunch in the hotel.  This was preferable to white water rafting down Bougainvillea Boulevard to Dyonisia or Chillies, (or if a good flow was achieved, Indigo).  It was reminiscent of 9 September 2011, when we last had such precipitation (see You Tube “It Rains in Kalkan”).

With such variable weather it was as well that the afternoon between 1500-1700 was devoted to Formula 1 (Singapore GP) at Bread & More.

Where I was the only customer!  I always said I was a bit odd, and it felt like it – especially with people coming in to ask if the Rugby was on.  As I get an acute pain in the knees whenever it gets mentioned, I’ll skip over that aspect.  Listening to the commentary was rather like watching TV dramas these days, where you have to try to discern the words with the background ‘dramatic’ music.  In this case indeterminable wallpaper muzak from the other end of the bar.  As there were no customers this was odd, and intrusive.  It was bad enough with the traffic on Kalamar Road (do you realise it’s louder than a F1 Car?), just as well I understand what I’m watching then…

No sooner had that ended, when the heavens opened again.  This getting slightly tedious, I thought.  Fortunately prepared, in true English style, I had a collapsible umbrella with me.  I probably looked the epitome of the English holidaymaker abroad walking down the road with an umbrella!  At least it WAS raining.

The departures from the Hotel get smaller at each event, and so it was today with two leaving, seen off by six guests.  There’ll be nobody left when we leave.  Or rather there will be nobody left that knows us when we leave…

Jo’s for evening drinks on the apartment balcony in Kalamar.  Antler would enthuse over the view here, across the bay.  I could see him, coffee in hand in the dawn’s early light.  Instead we had the fading rays of twilight, followed by distant lightning somewhere over Dalaman, or farther, difficult to tell.  Very nice hour or so with the wine, cocktails, nibbles and conversation.  Civilised.  Very.  Thanks Jo and Colin.

Alternatif for the evening, at a pace opposite to the night before – more in keeping with Kalkan’s pace of life.  Mustafa making a fuss of us, after the previous table debacle.  He had been at the ‘bus station’ for an engagement party, so now you know what the fireworks were for.

Mousakka and Serenissima Steak were the order of the day, the starter’s are omitted,  having been covered by the drinks earlier.  Up to the usual standards, though they were out of Crème Caramel, and Mustafa sent out scouting parties to find some, to no avail.  Lemon Cheesecake it was then, before making our adieus and doing the usual end of evening, Pirat – Taxi – Hotel – Bar – Drink

(Hydration is important)

and more convivial storytelling and conversation.  Until the Land of Nod appears on the horizon and we succumb, gently.

[Apologies for the late posting  :angel:]
Please use "Click to Say Thanks' if you enjoy this Post.  ::)

Offline Chris_S

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #47 on: September 22, 2015, 10:17:03 PM »
Day 15 – Is That It?

You know the feeling, when you realise that those 14 days you’ve been looking forward to for the last 351 days is finally here.

You want to do so much, you want to repeat things, you want to revisit people, places, activities.

But you can’t – there’s just not enough time, hours in the remaining day, to do any of those things and still prepare for the expedition that is called ‘going home’.

We are partially fortunate that we aren’t in the situation (as anyone who has done a package trip to Spain would know) of vacating the room by 10am, when your flight leaves at midnight (or some such).  In our case, pick up at 1730, vacate by 1645.  Workable.

Post Breakfast, it’s what we call the packing, Phase 1.  Everything not needed for the remainder of the day is found a home in the bags.  Some degree of order, but it’s not like you’re going to be wearing any of this when you get back to Blighty, is it?  Most of it is heading for the Washing Machine within hours of arrival.

Phase 1 completed, there’s time (deliberately planned) for a couple of hours or so to get the last rays of sunshine for 2015 – got to get that Vitamin D topped up, and

Lie Down and Recover

 – before a slightly later lunch at Chillies.

Now, anyone doing this return trip realises there are awfully big gaps in the 12 hour door-door journey, sustenance-wise, you get something or nothing on the flight (dependent on how budget your airline is); Dalaman food is slightly more expensive than Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons, and at exactly the opposite end of the culinary scale.  There’s always the packed lunch approach, but this is more suited to SqueezyJet and Thomas Crook type flights.

The alternative, for us, is to go for something that keeps body and soul together for the best part of that time.  Generally referred to as The English Breakfast.  (Or The American Breakfast, or the Irish Breakfast, or the …)

So Chillies English Breakfast it was, and for 19TL, enough Pork based products to give authenticity, this will last us until 35,000 feet over ‘somewhere in Europe’; though the copious White Wine was not something you would normally take with it in your local greasy spoon – but then Kalkan isn’t your local greasy spoon.

At least the weather was a stark contrast to the previous couple of days, blue skies, fluffy white bits (clouds – keep focussed!) and more than acceptable temperatures – just enough to give the senses a shock on return to the mid-shires.

Dawdling in Chillies just sufficiently to time the return to the hotel to complete the packing (Phase 2), ablutions and numerous checks to ensure that the stash of Krugerrands, diamonds and €500 notes hadn’t been left behind (as if!), That goes, more or less, according to plan.  (We’ll ignore the cleaners hovering around, glowering like broody harpies because they want us to disappear so they can prepare for the next occupants, and we’re eating into their window of opportunity.)  Bill paid, and with 45 minutes remaining, there is, time to sit at the bar and soak up the last waves of atmosphere over a couple of glasses of Red that amazingly have survived in the bottle with our room number on, for this very purpose.  How’s that for accurate planning?

Transfer arrives, and farewells made (see previous descriptions, but this is much, much smaller, but no less well-intentioned) be venture forth.  Good driver, older, safer, cautious, smooth.  Unlike the last one who took 19 mobile calls and made 7 whilst driving.  Hands-Free? Oh! You mean not touching the steering wheel!  And it still took the same time without doing 120kph.  Salutary lesson to younger drivers…!!

As we approach Göcek, we appreciate, that in addition to dusk there is more cloud, and as we near the tunnel, lightning flashes across the sky.  By the time we get to Dalaman Airport, it’s like Saturday in Kalkan again, only heavier!  Fortunately, we don’t get wet (very) and join check-in.

As we’re flying Imperial Airways, or is it BEA – must watch out to see if Petula Clark’s a hostess – the check-in’s not open and there’s 40 or so queuing.  M-m-m-m, this looks like a Havaş issue, they’re not used to this new interloper at Dalaman, yet.

It’s painless, however, and the required assistance means we queue-jump, security, passport control and to a lesser extent, boarding.  It always seems to me that Dalaman Airport has the world’s least efficient air-con system in any airport I’ve been to.  Singapore didn’t have the oven-like atmosphere, and neither did Alice Springs or Uluru (there I go, name-dropping again), and those last two are definitely not in the Air-Bridge class of airports.

The flight’s delayed by 20 minutes. Ha!  The inbound doesn’t arrive until 2130 instead of 2045, are they telling us it’s going to turn around in 40 minutes?  Pull the other one!

So they did, Push back in 42 minutes from previous arrival.  So it can be done.

No tonic water though, but Gin and Vodka was OK, how about Bacardi? Nope, but we have Coke!

Red wine it is then (Hydration at Altitude is VERY Important).  Chilean, quite reasonable at 35,000 feet – cheeky with just a hint of Damsons and berries(!), with the prospect of a wrap, wrapping very little, a bridge roll and cheese and crackers on the aforementioned gastronomic delights.  At least on Imperial Airways, the drink (when they have any – they must have been a thirsty lot on the way out) and the nourishment (avoiding the term: Meal) are included.

20 minutes late at Airwick Gatport, we watch amusedly as the passengers stand in the aisle while the engines power down (Word of advice, until the engines are stopped, the aircraft can still collide with the terminal if something fails – it’s happened), fully expecting the doors to be opened immediately and their luggage waiting for them.

We wait. And quietly walk off, and smugly by-pass the lot of them queuing for Immigration as we motor round the airport, where, amazingly, all the luggage is on the carousel.  As we’re among the first there, and didn’t have to endure the immense line of people proving that they’re not illegal immigrants, so for once the luggage was quicker than the passengers.  Very obviously NOT Luton Airport, where the luggage can be hours after the passengers, especially after midnight arrivals.

Straight out of the airport, avoiding the red and green channels, due to the buggy, and declaring (truthfully) we only have 2 litres of booze between us, they allow us to proceed to Valet Parking.

The car’s waiting and 50 minutes after touchdown, we’re driving out of the Airport.  Even more obviously NOT Luton.  I could do with more of this!

3am bed, then.  Waitrose delivery at 9am.  Just enough time to have some slee…ZZZZZZZ

Offline RosiB

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #48 on: September 23, 2015, 08:06:08 AM »
Thank you, Chris - I've really enjoyed your blogs! Glad you're home safely. x

Offline Chris_S

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #49 on: September 23, 2015, 10:21:33 AM »
Day 16 – Closing Down: Don’t forget to turn off your set (fade to white dot)

Well, that’s it.  Certainly for this year.

Will there be one next year?  We’re booked in, flights to sort out (not the best time yet).  EK and KTLN will be monitored assiduously, as per usual.  Biggest issue is getting back to the weight we went out as.  Familiar Territory.

I'm not going to rate anyone or anything – too dangerous!  But I can say that, whereas we normally try somewhere new, or go somewhere familiar, and they fail us, for one reason or another, this didn't happen this year.

A few glitches, errors or cock-ups, but nobody got it enough wrong to give a ‘not going there again’ flag.  Things go wrong sometimes; that’s life and it’s not the error, it’s the rectification that means you can overlook things.  It’s when the error is studiously ignored or it’s more systemic that the worry really starts.  Fortunately, this wasn't an issue (well, it IS Kalkan), except for the sole potential systemic problem…

The Boat trips were good, as always, the food was good, as always, etc., etc., etc.

I just hoped you enjoyed / appreciated / didn't quite hate, the ramblings of an Idiot on Holiday in Kalkan.

Maybe that’s next years report Title – if you can face it.  Plenty of time to cancel the Broadband contract!

Remember two facts: Hydration is Important and to Lie Down and Recover when necessary.

Cue: National Anthem.

And

Don’t forget to turn off your set (fade to white dot)………………..

Offline BarbH

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #50 on: September 23, 2015, 12:10:48 PM »
Thank you for taking the trouble to post while you was on holiday. Really enjoyed them.

Glad you had a good time and booked again for next year, we have also but not sure yet if we will get out there due to pending operations, fingers crossed they can be sorted before then.

Weather not good out there by the sound of things weatherwise, feel sorry for the people on holiday this week, lets hope  it clears up soon.

Looks like the UK is due for some sunshine in the next few days, better get the garden chairs back out again!

BarbH

Offline Lizilu20

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #51 on: September 23, 2015, 12:55:31 PM »
Well I certainly enjoyed and appreciated your ramblings (note, no reference to idiot  ;)) Chris_S and jolly well hope you continue next year.

Sorry the weather wasn't brilliant for the last couple of days and glad you both arrived home safely.

I will gladly remember your motto(s)/facts and hope to perfect them next April when next in Kalkan. Cheers  :)

Offline janeb

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #52 on: September 23, 2015, 01:03:22 PM »
 :) Thank you so much Chris_s I really enjoyed your reports. The term "Hydration is Important" will definitely stay with me and I will endeavour to live up to that maxim next week.  :laugh: Like you we have already booked for next May and are planning a trip in August too if possible.

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #53 on: September 23, 2015, 01:38:17 PM »
Yes thank you for keeping us entertained with your posts Chris_S, have enjoyed reading them.  Sounds like you had a fabulous holiday. Glad your all booked up for next year, sadly as yet we are not! but are working on it. 

Jayne

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #54 on: September 23, 2015, 06:10:29 PM »
LOVED you blog, Chris_S...made me chuckle quite a bit. Look forward to the return trip next year
Still wondering if you were at Meldi..? Rhapsody? Oasis? Pasha? Regency? Do tell :)

Offline keith

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #55 on: September 23, 2015, 07:55:09 PM »
Excellent reports Chris_S.  Look forward to reading about your adventures next year. I'm enjoying a glass of wine while writing this as I totally share your sentiment that 'Hydration is important'.

Offline Babs

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #56 on: September 23, 2015, 08:57:30 PM »
Great posts Chris! I'm also curious about where you have been staying?

Offline Haybo

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Re: A-a-a-a-a-a-h Kalkan!
« Reply #57 on: September 24, 2015, 05:59:15 AM »
Really enjoyed your reports.  The time seemed to fly by! I don't think any forum regulars will travel without ensuring the two rules are observed at all times!


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