Antler's Day Five (part 2): Yellow Villa, Kaya.....and a very special guy!

[antler]

The Call to Prayer woke me this morning and so I took the opportunity to join the sunrise with the cockerells. It's 6.15am and little white clouds are brilliantly illiuminated by the rising sun, yet to appear from the hill beyond.
It had been a very relaxing day by the pool yesterday getting great value for money out of the Water Hammock. It was only cut short by our drinks appointment at 6pm, with Tortoise Lady from EK, at her Yellow Villa.
Whilst here, it is always good to have a nose around, to see what might suit another occasion or even someone else. And did we enjoy our nose around Yellow Villa!
It is a traditional Turkish house that has been lovingly and immaculately restored and improved.  A wrought iron staircase climbs up over the front door to the first floor, and the windows all have shutters adding to its authenticity. We walked around the side, past what was a vegetable garden and is now a pool, to the new sun terrace. Then, the back of the property just "opens up" with the new purchase of an orchard (a tortoise sanctuary!) keeping at bay any possibility of ruining the tranquility of the property by further development.
Stretching across the back of the property is a raised and shaded terrace that looks out over the orchard, towards the Kalmar Road and out to sea. Chickens were scratching away in the orchard amongst the olive and fruit trees. I felt like I was part of some TV programme and Sarah Beeney was about to appear in some "Home or Away" film shoot.

We walked up the twisting, white painted, wooden staircase, to the bedrooms on the first floor. The master bedroom has had an en suite added that is a wet room, with drench shower and exposed stone walls and stone flooring. And big enough to party in. The original, shuttered windows sufficient to cause the right airflow to keep the place cool, or warm.
Being a sun starved Brit, the part that grabbed me was the upper terrace that stretches across the whole roof of the house. The only things stopping you getting wall to wall sunshine are two things: the hill it rises above and the hill it sets behind. And incase that is too much in the mid summer heat, the additional dining and kitchen area on the top floor is covered.
The whole place has presence. And a most incredible view.
And so at around 19.30, the sun went down behind the hill high above Kalamar as we sat there, up on the roof on Ottoman sofas, nibbling on olives picked last year from the orchard below, sipping wine and dipping fresh bread into the Single Estate olive oil. What touched my heart so much, was the love and attention to detail that can be put back into a place like this, that not only hangs on to all of its original features, but enhances it in a 21st century way, to preserve it for ever.
I didn't want to go anywhere - ever again. And when my ticket comes up with the numbers, Tortoise Lady,  I will make sure you will be very happy - and Yellow Villa will be mine!

We walked along the Kalamar Road, spied Kaya where we hadn't eaten for the last couple of years, and popped in for steak. The minute I walked in the entrance I caught a stare and knew exactly that I was about to meet one of the funniest guys on the planet. I wandered over as he jumpped off his bar stool and gave Blue Lizzard a great big hug.
It was difficult to focus on the menu with all the chatter, and the waiter kept coming back. Eventually, the order for 2 fillets and one calves liver went in, after pinching some of Ollie's starter - a plate of the freshest, red hot calamari, not long from the sea.
"Tommy Cooper" did his stuff, and I don't know what happened to the yellow rope as it was chopped up into bits only to become one piece again.
The stroll up the hill was slow, stopping in Cafe Ev just to be sociable, before a few spots of rain landed on our terrace as I enjoyed my midnight swim.
Steve

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=9609.0

[Skunk]

Sounds like you had a wonderful evening!  Fancy bumping into BL.  Didn't know he is over there. I have seen Tortoise Lady's villa over the web and isn't it just fantastic.  A bit big for two though unfortunately! 

[babyboomer]

I am so enjoying reading your holiday report. What a wonderful latest one. The mind just drifts away to kalkan.
Tortoise lady,s villa sound magnificent.How lucky is she to live in such a wonderful villa,complete with chickens.

I too think blue lizard is very witty, and would love to meet him. mind you in my mind he looks like bob marley,however, he says he doesnt, but it doesnt matter. to me he always will.
I know the rain didnt last and today is very hot again but a little misty looking out to the islands.

Like you i enjoy popping into cafe ev. the chef is lovely.life is so different in kalkan, and when i return home i get more confused about which life is the real one. i think kalkan beats it hands down. but sadly unless our numbers come up, i cant imagine we would have a villa out there as lovely as yellow villa.

thanks for all your news, keep making time to write.

best wishes babyboomer

[antler]

26C here on the balcony, and just had a swim. It is 11.30pm.

I bet you just can't wait to get to Kalkan?!

We had a bbq tonight, for 3 of us, and it cost the same as the starter last night for Ollie.

Is that sad or just very boring?

K4E and BH came round for a drink today and we enjoyed some bread and cheese by the pool. Since then, I slept in the afternoon sun. And evening  sun. Now I want to party and Mrs A is telling me to behave.

Ollie, do you fancy a session in Moonlight?

Cheers

Steve

[kalkan4eva]

....some bread and cheese by the pool...? You totally undersell yourself - it was a veritable feast and we enjoyed every minute of it. A lovely afternoon of chatting, drinking and eating the wonderful food prepared by "mine host". It was a real pleasure to meet you all and spend time in your company