So here it is...................!!!

[kalkan4eva]

Lovely reports RosiB, must be lovely celebrating a big anniversary in Kalkan.
Look forward to hearing more about it

[RosiB]

I've completely lost track of the days now, so don't know which day we did what!
We've been to Saklikent and Patara - both were very busy but very few European tourists. I've noticed a lot more Japanese people around this year, though. Saklikent was as beautiful as ever, but after all the rain, the river was running very fast and high so no one wanted to attempt walking along the gorge. The children were quite happy to clamber around at the top, near the little snack place and loved swinging in hammocks over the water when we went for lunch. The only down side was the toilet just before you cross over to walk up to the gorge. I swear there used to be an attendant, but there wasn't this time, and if I hadn't been desperate, there's no way I'd have used it!

The sea at Patara was calmer than I've seen it in a long time, which was just as well as two of our little darlings were less than enthusiastic about being there - at least to start! We had decided before we left not to go to the ruins because it was too hot, so it was straight into the water as soon as we'd dumped the towels on our sunbeds. The water was amazingly warm, too, which meant that I didn't chicken out after two minutes! By three o'clock, everyone had had enough, though, and we headed back to - jump in the pool! What else?!!!
Rachel says we've deprived her by not taking her to Patara when she was younger; I can't think we didn't but she says it's not a place to forget so it must have been missed somehow.

Bill has to do some house related tasks today but has promised to be back in time to head to Islamlar and Bodamya Tepe for lunch. Tonight we're going to Agora to celebrate Lily 's birthday, so it's going to be a very stuffed family by tonight!

[Lizilu20]

You've been far more active than us Ros, (why does my predictive text keep putting Rod Stewart when I type your name) sounds like you're having a fantastic holiday. We will be shortly on our way up for the contraband. 

[Babs]

Saklikent rough and Patara calm......everything is going upside down in Kalkan.....blame the rain! But now normal service has resumed and you sound like you're having a lovely holiday

[RosiB]

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I wrote anything! Time flies when you're having fun!

Lunch at Bodamya Tepe was as fab as ever. It was a bit of an adventure getting there, as there was some road resurfacing going on, so Bill had to do a tricky three (hundred) point turn and find an alternative route. Hassan is less than impressed with the road works; he thinks people who don't know their way around give up, so Islamlar is missing out. On our way back, we wanted to stop at Just Living, but turned right instead of left at the junction and found ourselves almost at Patara! By this time, I decided that the stress levels were getting a bit too high so we just came back to relax (for "relax" read "jump in the pool"!)
Steve had booked a table at Agora for our evening meal; Lily wanted to go there as it was her birthday meal and Guven had promised her chocolate cake and fireworks! We went to Black and Gold for fancy drinks first - and disaster struck! Lily chose a frozen strawberry concoction; nothing wrong with that, I hear. No, there isn't, unless the recipient is ten years old and wearing white. You guessed it - the pretty white outfit became an attractive pink colour! This necessitated a side trip to buy an alternative; what did she choose? Another white outfit! More of this later! We had a lovely meal, with the children being spoiled rotten, especially Lily. At the end of our meal, to the accompaniment of "Happy Birthday" and a firestorm of sparkles, out came the promised chocolate cake. Lily insisted on being the perfect hostess and sharing the cake out. I don't think she intended sharing it with the front of her new white dress, but that's what happened!! This, of course, put paid to any further wandering so an earlier than planned return was the result.

On Friday, Rachel, Steve and their family flew back so things have been a bit quieter. We took the girls to Kalkan Beach Park on Sunday. They loved the water taxi and we were lucky enough to see a pretty big turtle in the harbour as we set out. We were the first to arrive so had our choice of sunbeds, which was lucky as it filled up quickly. By about lunchtime, we decided to leave so it was back to the pool! The girls decided they wanted to go to Patara on Monday; what a difference in the sea conditions! Much more of what we usually find - crashing waves and a breeze. In fact, the waves were crashing so much, I lost confidence and didn't even attempt to go beyond the edge! Not so the others - the girls loved having the waves come over their heads, as long as Bill was holding their hands!

On Tuesday night, we ate at home but decided to go into Kalkan for a wander and to buy gifts to take home. We also managed to get the best iced coffee in Kalkan in Cafe del Mar, a treat I'd been longing for all holiday! We'd managed to avoid Sweet Dreams until now, but stumbled across this Wonka-like
 establishment - luckily at the end of the evening!

Last night we ate at Cafe Vita for their barbeque evening. It is good value for money but not one of my favourite places. The children enjoyed it though.

This morning Bill and the girls are going to the market while I
get on with washing everything ready to go home. Three weeks have flown by and it doesn't seem like any time at all since we arrived. We've had a lovely time with family and friends and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating anniversaries and birthdays. Next summer, we'll have Rachel and Steve's wedding, which will give us even more special memories of beautiful Kalkan - can't wait!

[Lizilu20]

What a fantastic read Ros. You are doing fat more than us. We've been very lazy this week.
How I remember girls and white dresses. I'm not much better myself though 

[itstime]

Oh how I feel your pain. I remember vividly many years years ago my son who was around 4 years old (he's now 29  ) wearing a brand new Real Madrid all white football strip. Sadly he had opted to eat spaghetti bolognaise. The rest as you can imagine is history 

[Babs]

I can match your white clothes stories, usually me, and will raise you the biggest ever bird poo on my daughters top when we were in Italy years ago......again quick search for new outfit to go to dinner!
Thanks for shared no your fun with us.

[Bob & Jayne]

RosiB loving your blogs and it sounds like you have all had a fab holiday, the white outfit x 2 story did make me smile, but guessing at the time poor Lily wasn't feeling much like smiling, but sounds like you did her proud for her birthday and had a wonderful evening. Enjoy the rest of your holiday and look forward to reading another blog maybe! 

[clara 50]

The dreaded white clobber. A few years back were in the taxi heading for the airport to fly home. The driver was kind enough to give us cherry cold drinks. Hate cherry drinks but didn't want to offend, half way there and he really hit the brakes and nearly the whole damn thing sloshed all down the front of a new white t-shirt OH thought it was hilarious, Ididn't I looked like I'd murdered someone, didn't think it so funny when I was rummaging in the case in the foyer for a top that was the least creased. Looked like I'd slept in it but heyho at least I didn't look like I was a stand in on Silence of the lambs and scare all the kids. Have a great time keep the posts coming.

[Kalkan regular]

I used to travel in white trousers but drink red wine and as we all know there's not much space on a charter flight! I often arrived looking like I'd done a murder. I've leaned that I won't give up red wine so the white pants have had to go.