Aug 30th: Our last full day in Kalkan

[antler]

Even though the taxi doesn't come until 9pm Monday evening, this is our last full day. The day that has to be special, just perfect, because you saved all year for this holiday and this is the only piece of it that is left.

I've checked the sunlight, and it is exactly as per the web cam, so we are off to a good start! The head is clear, no need for Resolve today. Can you imagine wasting your last day - in Kalkan - with a thumping hangover?!

A bit of admin to do - we have to check our flights home. We haven't done that for years. But there is a Turkey number to ring, 9 to 5, 7 days a week. We booked our flights through Travel Republic back in January. We were amazed at the prices for Dalaman - many were over £400 each. Mrs A then came across Travel Republic and up popped £276. "Just book it" I said, and so she pressed the confirm button and £276 became £303 but heh!, it wasn't £400. The good thing was, you could choose your duration, and after a year of being in a new job and giving it my "all" I wanted to have a real, chill-out break. So we took a Friday evening flight with British Midland out of Manchester's Terminal 3, returning on the Monday night, 18 days later. No risk of a wet August Bank Holiday for us this year! BMI were great, very professional and it felt very much Scheduled-goes-Charter - a bit less cattle class.

So, on this our perfect day we are having some pastries from the Nur Patisserie, already doing a thriving business I can see, as vans come and go. Some of those baby, cheesy, creamy croissants that Emre gave us yesterday. Just enough not to ruin our perfect lunch.

And then its the 8TL taxi ride, up the hill to paradise. And we know it will be a perfect last day there, because that is all it ever is.

It will be good to chat with Okan, the waiter, one more time; he's 20 and doing a tourism degree. He has 28 days left until he goes home to see his family, a fifteen hour drive away. You forget how big this elephant is, called Turkey. As you look down on Kalkan from the Mediteran, how can all this love and perfection be rolled-up into nothing more than a pimple on Turkey Elephants bum?

Idan will have his arms stretched out one more time, holding back his over-flowing heart and wanting to dance. And then there will be Gamse ("Dimple" - what a lovely name and so sweet). Today, Gamse is going to be my problem. Gamse is going to come out with something that is going to turn me into mush. A blob of unprofessional male weakness wanting to turn and run.

Because tonight, once the sun goes down at 7.15pm, and we pack up our things and go over to the bar to bid farewell, I'm going to say to them all "Thank you for everything and hope to see you again next year". Nothing wrong with that?

But Gamse, in her lovely, almost perfect Turkish English is going to say 7 words in a way that I cannot decribe. I know she will, as I've heard her say them before, but not on our last day.

She's going to say "We will be waiting here for you" and I'm going to be a mess.

I'm going to buy pastries.

Antler



Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=4266.0

[Chrissie]

 :'( I know that feeling so well.Thank you for your daily Kalkan experiences.I have really enjoyed reading them.I think you should stay for another two weeks just to prepare me for my holiday.
Safe journey home...is it safe to say that you will be back to Kalkan ??
 :-*Chrissie

[fitwenchdidyell]

Yet again another great report. 

Enjoy your day (and your tomorrow)

[kalkanbelle]

Antler

Safe journey and thank you for sharing your holiday experience.  We will also be waiting for your return to Kalkan!

Looking forward to the photos!

Kalkanbelle

[RosiB]

That's exactly how Kalkan and our Turkish friends got to us all those years ago - and still do!!

Have enjoyed your posts immensely.
Many happy returns - to Kalkan!

[MartynE]

Antler

I wish you could be staying there till we arrive on Thursday so we could buy you, Mrs A and OH a drink at the Nur bar. As this is not possible I'd just like to say thanks for describing the magic of Kalkan so eloquently... you have put into words exactly what most of us feel about the place (that last post actually brought a tear to my eye) and you have certainly whetted our appetites for this year's break.

Enjoy your last day.

Serefe!

 

[antler]

No problem Martyn, Check out my photos being uploaded as we speak.

I have a lot more to write, including why we stayed where we did and my Top Tips, so stay tuned!!

I'm really looking forward to Mussakka tonight, and in the morning, I'm going to treat myself to a Turkish shave and neck massage.

I'm sorry we will miss you too.  This apartment is wonderful (www.kalkansecrets.com) and I still can't believe the flowers the lovely Layla leaves on Mrs A's bed when she cleans the room.

I will write more in the morning as the sun rises and I enjoy my apple tea on the Sunrise Apartment's lovely balcony.

Speak soon

Steve

[itstime]

Have so enjoyed reading your thoughts on Kalkan that I'm tempted to try organise a "Whip round" to go towards keeping you there until our next visit in October.
It's so heartening to read about your thoughts and feelings about this wonderful place which mirror my own

[Roxie]

Class!
Rx