Home Stay on a Turkish farm

Kaputas Beach

After a couple of lazy, blissful days in Kas we set off on our journey again around the spectacular Turkish coastline, stopping briefly at the beautiful  Kaputas Beach.  We have glorious beaches in New Zealand but it is the colour of the water in Turkey that is sublime - aqua turquoise near the shore, changing to sea green and then to navy blue further out.  I could have stared at it for hours but we had a schedule to keep and were heading to a farm home stay high in the Taurus mountains. 


Fertile valley in the Taurus Mountains

Our route took us past the town of Kalkan, sadly now over run by ex-patriots, and through the world heritage site of Xanthos, then onto bumpy, twisty, narrow roads which wind through crumbling villages, their lush orchards and vines groaning under enormous crops. Our bus climbed ever upwards until, finally, we turned into the  farm which was to be our overnight stay.  This farming family provides a home stay experience to supplement their income and, like most in the area, is home to three generations of the same family.  Our accommodation was basic, in a dormitory, sleeping on foam mattresses on the floor, but it was a fantastic place to spend a night.

Bergil and Layla prepare our lunch

We settled in and then went to watch grandmother, Layla, and daughter, Bergil, prepare our lunch.  In their small kitchen they made delicious gozleme (Turkish stuffed pancakes) filled with cheese, onion, dill, cumin and parsley and cooked over an open fire,  which we ate at a long table under grapevines dripping with grapes.  Lunch was accompanied by their homemade Ayran, a sour yoghurt drink.

Ursil and his son show us the valley below their farm

After lunch and a relaxing snooze Ursil, the daughter's husband and their small son took us for a walk around the hillside and part way down to the valley.  It is an astonishing place, a veritable garden of Eden fed by natural, gushing spring water. We passed grape vines, figs, persimmons, quince, pears, blackberries, red currants, sunflowers, corn, beans and other crops, all growing in abundance and on every spare piece of land until we arrived at a lookout over the vast, fertile valley floor crammed with crops.


Layla weaving a Kilim rug

At the farmhouse with our hosts

Back at the farm we watched Layla weaving a kilim rug with walnut stained fingers and quick deft hands and then enjoyed a happy hour before another delicious meal under the vines.  We spent the evening chatting with the family, (Bergil spoke good English), buying a few of their handcrafts and drinking sage and mint tea from their garden.  In bed that night we giggled and joked like school kids on camp, even making shadow animals on the ceiling.  In the morning my friend, Hils, complained she hadn't slept because it had been "snorers alley".  The funny thing was that we all said the same thing...well somebody must have been asleep! I know I hadn't slept well because the farm dog was barking, a cock was crowing from about two onwards and I was nearly strangled by my sleeping bag liner, quite apart from being bothered by snorers!


 Everything for breakfast came from the farm; butter, cheese, bread, olives, apricot jam, honey, grape jam and eggs. 


The grape vine beside the farmhouse

Layla is a wonder woman.  As well as caring for the livestock on the farm she weaves rugs, knits jerseys, embroiders scarves, make all the jams, bread, pickles olive oil etc, ably assisted by Bergil, and still manages to look very youthful. 


Heading off down the mountain after our stay

After breakfast we loaded our van and then set off with Bergil and her little dog, Bonjook, for the 2 hour walk down the mountain.  It was quite difficult on the uneven, stony ground and narrow pathways but also very enjoyable.  Along the way we met several farming families harvesting their crops.  They were all so welcoming, friendly and generous pressing luscious peaches and great bunches of grapes into our hands.  Bergil told us that when her grandparents lived on the farm there was no road up and everything had to go up and down the mountain on donkeys.  That must have been tough!

The local farmers harvesting grapes
and, below, proud grandparents handed us peaches

This farmstay was a wonderful and unique experience.  How lucky we were to stay with a local family and gain an insight into  life on a Turkish farm. They were the loveliest of people, charming and obliging hosts and their farm, high in the mountains is a quiet and magical haven.

Christchurch's "Cardboard" Cathedral

I wrote about Christchurch last year and commented on the shock I felt at seeing the devastation this city suffered from the massive earthquake of February 2011.

The Anglican Cathedral was the much loved centre piece of
Cathedral Square.  After the earthquake it was so badly damaged
that it is has been deemed irreparable

 I was back there recently and it was good to see that the city's rebuild is progressing well.  It will be a long slow job and, as yet, there is not much to see in the way of new buildings but the city is buzzing.  It has a skyline filled with construction cranes and all around the city foundations are being poured  for new buildings to replace demolished ones. I was particularly interested to see the "Cardboard" or Transitional Cathedral built as a temporary home for Christchurch's Anglican community after their beloved cathedral was devastated in the earthquake that rocked the city.

Designed free of charge by Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, who is well known for his post disaster architecture, and in association with Christchurch architects, Warren and Mahoney, the very name "Cardboard" conjures up an image of a less than substantial,  flimsy structure.  When details emerged of a "cardboard" Cathedral to be built as a temporary replacement for the solid stone Cathedral, a famous icon of the city, many of the public were disbelieving.  And when, during construction and before the roof was completed, some of the cardboard tubes got wet and had to be replaced, they nodded sagely muttering "I told you so".  But how wrong they were.

The simple interior with cardboard tubes beams
 The design of the seats echos the tubular construction

The cathedral is a solid structure built in an A frame style.  The steeply pitched frame consists of 2 foot diameter cardboard tubes which are reinforced with wooden beams and then coated with polyurethane and fire retardants.  The beams, covered by a polycarbonate roof rest on 8 shipping containers which have been converted to provide office space and storage rooms.

The stained glass using images from the old cathedral's rose window

At the entry to the cathedral there is a large brightly coloured stained glass window made up of triangles and featuring images from the rose window in the damaged cathedral.
The Cathedral seats 700 and has been designed to be multi-purpose so that as well as being used for regular church services it also serves as a much needed concert and conference venue.

Even the pulpit is constructed from cardboard tubes

I was mightily impressed by the Cardboard Cathedral.  It is simple in the extreme, a calm, peaceful non-pretentious place.  While debate rages over the future of the old cathedral, although it now appears  that it will be completely demolished, this is an ideal stop-gap measure.  I am betting that the locals become very fond of their Cardboard, Transitional Cathedral and will be reluctant to see it go when they do eventually get a brand new Cathedral in Christchurch's main square, on the site of the old one.

Kayaking in Kas

The trip through Turkey had been busy until now so we were all looking forward to a couple of days relaxation in the gorgeous seaside town of Kas.  Kas (pronounced "cash") is synonymous with bougainvillea in Turkish and the town certainly lives up to it - long, trailing, delicate fronds of pink and white bougainvillea adorn many of the buildings in town, including our hotel.  The idyllic view from our hotel was of a ridiculously blue bay with boats anchored inshore and a lonely Greek island just off shore.  Apparently the Greek government pays its handful of residents to live on this island in order to keep it in Greek hands. Our sumptuous breakfast on the top floor, open sided restaurant, watching as the golden sun rose to bathe the town, was certainly a wow moment.

View from our hotel restaurant










Looking at the sunken city

But, no time to linger, we were off for a kayaking adventure.  I love kayaking so was excited about this, especially the part where we were to kayak over a sunken city.  A short drive from Kas, a quick kayaking lesson for beginners and we were off.  Ok, well the sunken city was a bit of a non event.  There was nothing to see apart from a couple of large underwater rocks which, we were told, were masonry, but the 3 and a half kilometre trip on flat, crystal clear water, to our destination, a small island, was everything I hoped it would be.


"Zorba" and our guides

We were trailed by an old put-put boat skippered by a rotund, jolly old man in a captain's hat.   His role was to make sure we were safe and with his weathered face and missing teeth he looked like a character in a movie so we nicknamed him Zorba.  We pulled up on the tiny, rocky island for lunch.  I couldn't help thinking that it was the sort of place you see on postcards and wish you were there - and, well, we were! It had all the necessary postcard requirements - a sheltered cove, clear aqua green sea and a white stony beach with  the
                                                                                       occasional stone ruin here and there

Tired after our long kayak we dived into the delicious sea for a swim while our kayak guides prepared a picnic lunch of dolmas, olives, stuffed peppers, fat, juicy tomatoes, cold meat, cheeses and bread.  There was just time for another swim and then we were off kayaking again to Simena, about 1 kilometre away. 

Simena castle, overlooking the bay

Simena, with a ruined castle on top of the hill, dates from the 4th century BC.  It was quite a climb to the castle in the searing heat but worth it for the view which looks out over Lycian tombs on one side and has panoramic views of the bay and coastline on the other.  Then it was back down again for welcome ice creams before starting out to kayak home.



 



We circled a partly submerged Lycian tomb close to shore and then made our way out into the bay.  By now the wind had come up and the sea was choppy.  It was hard, exhausting work with waves breaking over our kayaks - a bit scary really, but because I was the only one in a single kayak a guide stayed with me all the way back.  This was an unexpected bonus because he led me to a secret spot to view sea turtles swimming happily in a sheltered cove.

Setting off from Simena, unaware of the hard work ahead.

I was thrilled to finally make it to shore, albeit well behind the others.  We had kayaked for over 7 kilometres - not bad, not bad at all!  Zorba celebrated our safe return with an impromptu waltz along the beach with one of our group, much to our amusement. So, not exactly a rest day but a wonderful day all the same.  Back to the hotel to hot showers, a stunning sunset and a romantic dinner overlooking the bay at The Sultan's Garden, an open air restaurant bedecked with floating panels of fine white cotton and softly lit Turkish lanterns.  This is the life!  I decided there and then I could stay in Kas a week, or a month, or maybe even a year!

                                             The town of Kas with a Greek Island in the bay.

The Giant's House Sculpture and Mosaic Garden, Akaroa, New Zealand

The Giant's House

Hidden away up a side road about a kilometre from Akaroa township is this colourful and unexpected gem.  The Giant's House stands high on a hillside overlooking a valley and was named by a little girl who one day looked up at it and said it was so big a giant must live there. Built for a bank manager in 1880 from native timbers milled from the local area it is a magnificent house, currently operated as a Bed and Breakfast and function centre. 


The mosaic piano, with a mirrored lid to show off the succulents
planted inside it,  plays jazzy music as you wander the gardens




















But it is not the house which astonishes the visitor (it is off limits to all but staying guests)  it is the spectacular garden filled with vibrant mosaic statues which takes the breath away.  The garden and sculptures are the work of well established artist, Josie Martin, who has spent 14 years developing them from scratch.  Josie originally bought the house for its size and wall space, which was perfect for displaying paintings, but when she began to dig the garden and discovered broken pieces of old china she decided to use them by trying her hand at mosaics. Pleased with the look of her first mosaic, her front door step, she then went on to "carpet" the conservatory. 



From those small beginnings the garden has grown to become a joyous, vibrant, surreal world peopled with lively, larger then life size, mosaic characters which are discovered up enticing stairways and along winding mosaic paths. It is cookie, eccentric, flamboyant and absolute fun with a capital F, a happy place.  I walked around the garden with a big smile on my face.




















Overview of the terraced garden

The garden is an ever evolving work of art which Josie develops with the help of local craftsmen who build her designs from reinforcing steel and concrete which she then completes with colours, tiles, mosaics, lights and mirrors.  A new addition to the gardens is a contemporary art gallery where some of Josie's work is displayed.

 

The plantings are also colourful and perfectly groomed.  I was entranced by the glorious, fragrant, sweet peas, roses and bougainvillea twirling around pillars and posts at the time of my visit.  Even the toilet is interesting with the walls and ceiling covered in the (invited) signatures of guests to the gardens.  The Giants House is a "must see" if you are in Akaroa.   Initially I thought the $20 entrance fee was a bit steep but on reflection I think it was money well spent for the pleasure it has given me every time my mind has wandered back to my visit.... and I smile.

The gardens at 68 Rue Balguerie, Akaroa  are open from 12pm to 5pm in summer and 2pm to 4pm in winter

             www.thegiantshouse.co.nz



A flaming mountain, St Nicholas, and ancient legends.

One of the many chimera atop Mt Olympos

Another day, another sweaty hike up a mountain.  This time it was  Mt Olympos to see the chimera (fire vents)at the top.  In legend this myriad of small craters with natural gas flames erupting from them are said to be the breath of the monster, Chimera,  part lion, part goat, part snake, which roamed the hillside.  A small ruined temple is nearby,  built to offer prayers for protection from the said monster.  According to Homer, Poseidon stood on these mountains and watched Odysseus escaping on a raft.  Poseidon then invoked a massive storm which shipwrecked Odysseus on the island of Scheria.  We are finding that everywhere we go in Turkey there is something fascinating to learn!


The ruined temple on Mt Olympos




Walking amongst the chimera

It was a very hot day to start with but even hotter amongst the flaming chimera.  We picked our way cautiously across the hillside being careful not to step into a gassy cauldron.  They are not obvious until you are nearly on top of them. Apparently the flames can be seen for quite a distance at night.  Some people even make the challenging hike up in the dark to see them which must be quite an eerie experience.


Ooops!  I think it might be ice cream time!



The beach at Cirali
 

Our van had broken down just as we arrived at the mountain and was still being repaired when we returned to it, however, we were very happy to have an excuse to sit in the peaceful pine forest and eat ice creams from the tiny shop there.


 All fixed and ready to go we headed to the nearby village of Cirali to have our first swim in the Mediterranean. The water was crystal clear and warm.  I noted in my diary that it was "refreshing and delicious" and very welcome after the hike.  After the swim some of us wandered further along the stony beach to the entry to the Hellenistic ruined city of Olympos.  We didn't go in but took time to admire the well preserved Lycian tombs at the entrance.

We ate lunch at a beach restaurant, typical Turkish style with long cushioned benches, which we were invited to lounge and relax on between swims.  For lunch I had what was becoming a great favourite of mine, lentil soup with a half lemon squeezed into it.





Inside St Nicholas' Basilica

















St Nicholas statue, Demre

After lunch we travelled on to the town of Demre to see the St Nicholas Basilica.  This Byzantine (5th centuryAD) church is on the site where St Nicholas lived and worked in the 3rd Century AD.  St Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia and Greece and there were many very devout and visibly moved pilgrims from both countries visiting while we were there. He was famous as a protector of fishermen, travellers, children and the poor and was the model for Santa Claus due to his habit of leaving coins in shoes people left out side their houses. The Dutch Sinterklass, which is a corruption of 'Saint Nicholas', is the basis of the name Santa Claus. The basilica is gradually being restored and still has quite a few of the original floor mosaics and some ceiling frescoes.  I found it to be a calming and peaceful place.  We sat and had our photos taken at the statue of St Nicholas in the town square and wondered what he would think of Santa Claus and the commercialisation of Christmas.

From Demre we travelled on to Kas, arriving at this stunningly beautiful seaside town in time for a glorious sunset.



Antalya - Turkey's mediterranean coast and Termessos, a stunning mountaintop ruin.

Drinking fountain in the main street of Antalya

We knew we were going to be staying in an ancient and historic part of Antalya when our driver told us we had to walk the last part of our journey to the Hotel.  It didn't matter, though, because it was an enjoyable short walk in the balmy late afternoon sun.  My first impressions of Antalya weren't that great.  It was busy and modern and seemed to be packed with nouveau riche tourists from all over Europe but fortunately that was only my first impression and I soon realised Antalya had much to offer.




Inside the hotel

Atelya Art Hotel on the left

Atelya Art Hotel, a lovely boutique hotel crammed with Turkish art and artifacts, is in the quaint and picturesque area of Kaleici, which means "within the castle". The surrounding streets are lined with old Ottoman houses, some having been restored and some in desperate need of restoration, and plenty of craft stalls manned by friendly, pleasant stall holders accompanied by the inevitable cats and kittens.



Hadrian's Gate

Antalya was founded by Attalus II and was ceded to Rome by his nephew in 133BC. When Hadrian visited the city in 130AD a triumphal arch was built in his honour and it still stands today, in extraordinarily good condition, guarding the modern shoppers who pass backwards and forwards beneath it. Today the city is a mix of the historic and of modern seaside tourism.  Many tourists come for both and others come for one or the other.  We were here, mainly, for the historic so after a good night's sleep and breakfast in the hotel's delightful walled garden we set off for our bus and a trip to the ruined walled city of Termessos.





Among the ruins of Termessos

We drove a long way up the mountain on narrow winding roads before tackling the

The theatre at Termessos

last kilometre on foot. It was a hot, sticky hike uphill on a rocky track but fortunately our guide stopped frequently to give us information while we slurped merrily on our water bottles.  It was well worth the climb, though.   Founded in 200AD, the time of Marcus Aurelius, Termessos is more than 1000 metres above sea level and surrounded by dense pine forests. It has not been repaired in any way and remains just as it was when it was damaged by a huge earthquake and abandoned. The city is thought to have been home to between 10,000 and 15,000 and it is really hard to imagine how on earth they built a city so high up in the mountains.  Several buildings are still recognisable ; the meeting room, a row of shops and a highly sophisticated water cistern system, but the crowning glory is the theatre, built on the very top of the mountain to seat 4,500 with spectacular views in every direction.
Alexander the Great tried to conquer Termessos three times but always failed.  he even tried to burn the residents out by setting fire to their surrounding olive orchards.  In the end it was the damage the earthquake did to the water cistern, stopping the town's water supply, which eventually drove the residents out. I think the absolute beauty of Termessos is that it has not been restored.  It has lain in the forest just as it was when abandoned many hundreds of years ago and is a peaceful and surreal place.

We wandered around for some time and then, we were back to reality and the modern world. It was, however, a gentle return, stopping for lunch at the restaurant owned by our driver's family which is set in a beautiful natural park.  We sat under fragrant trees and dined on freshly made and ridiculously inexpensive Gozlemi (Turkish filled pancakes) while our driver chatted with his family and puffed his chest out with pride.

Our evening meal in Antalya was at a restaurant high above the bay where dozens of softly lit boats lay at anchor below.  It was very romantic so some of us decided to take a walk along the sea front after dinner.  Oh dear!  There were rows and rows of touristy cruise boats bedecked with effigies of pirates and numerous touts looking for passengers, definitely not my thing.  Nevertheless, Antalya is well worth a trip, particularly to visit Termessos and to visit nearby Mt Olympus, which I will write about next time.



The beach at Antalya

Walking the Banks Peninsula - South Island, New Zealand

With my friends on the first night at Onuku Lodge

I'm leaving my Turkish tales briefly to write about a wonderful four day hike I did recently on Banks Peninsula.  I was delighted when a friend rang to ask me if I would be interested in joining him and another friend on the hike. I had heard how scenic it was and could think of no better way to spend the week before Christmas away from "shopper mayhem" in the city. This is a private 35 kilometre walk created by a group of farmers and property owners who were looking to diversify their businesses and show off the stunning scenery of the Peninsula. A limit of 12 people a day are permitted on the 4 day walk which can also be done in 2 days (maximum 4 people), although I suggest the 2 day option is more suitable for super fit or seriously time stretched people.  We chose to do it in the more leisurely 4 days and were so glad we did.  This gave us plenty of time to enjoy the views and surroundings and to hang out and relax at the end of each day's hike.


 Our group of 3 was joined by a German couple in their 50s and a family of 4 including 2 young teenagers.  Strangers to start with, by the end of the 4 days we were like family however out on the track we scarcely saw the others.


View from the trig at 699 metres - a hard climb with a heavy pack!

Starting from an overnight stay at Onuku, a short drive from the picturesque French settlement of Akaroa (I have written a previous post about Akaroa) the first day is quite challenging as the track slopes steeply up to reach a height of 699 metres and then back down to sea level on an uneven but beautiful bush track. After that everything else seems easy in comparison.  The initial climb is well worth it, though, for the gob smacking and panoramic views.


Much of the track is across farmland and on coastal paths and there are plenty of opportunities to view wildlife along the way. The land and sea are pristine and the owners pride themselves on the fact that this is an eco walk. Apart from the stunning views and prolific wildlife, which includes penguins, seals, and many native birds, another highlight is the overnight lodgings.  Each of the 4 stopovers offer unique, characterful, clean, accommodation and the ice cold beer in the fridge is a great bonus at the end of a hard day's hike. Two of the huts have well stocked stores which reduces the need to carry much food and the kitchens are kitted out with pots, pans and dishes, in fact all equipment needed to cook a meal.



I made it!!

There is also an option to have your packs carried on the 2 most challenging days.  I kind of regretted I didn't get mine carried on the first day but was later secretly pleased with myself that I had managed to haul it all the way up the longest and steepest part of the track.






Waterfall on the first day







Our second night's stay was at Flea Bay, so named for a type of flea which lives on penguins, not because it is infested with fleas! Our farmer host, Francis Helps,  has a passion for penguins and has created a vast sanctuary for them across his farmland.  He took us out on a dusk viewing of the penguins as they came ashore to nest for the night. He has specially erected, camouflaged  stations along the cliff which make for a marvellous wild-life watching experience.  The next morning, as we ate breakfast in the quaint old farmhouse, we watched the farmer mustering sheep on the hill behind with the help of his two trusty farm dogs, a real kiwi experience.  A kayaking option is also offered here which some of the group took up and thoroughly enjoyed.

The shower Room at Stony Bay


















The third night's accommodation, at Stony Bay, is a quirky, eccentric delight.  A small village built specially for the hikers out of all sorts of reclaimed and recycled materials...a bit like Hobbit land. There were even penguin chicks nesting under each hut, cute, rather smelly, balls of fluff. Fortunately there is gas for cooking but the candles for lighting and an outdoor bath snuggled in bush and heated by a log fire, which we all had turns soaking in, make it deliciously atmospheric.  In the evening we lit a camp fire and sat around it telling each other tales of our travels and scarcely thinking about the poor souls in the city caught up in the Christmas rush. We struck the only rain of the hike here but didn't mind at all, just passing  time playing scrabble, reading, writing our diaries and chatting until, by midday, the weather was fine again for us to continue on our way.


Otanerito Homestead

Otanerito Beach from the track

Our final stopover was at Otanerito in a beautiful old house set in pretty gardens beside  an isolated, sandy beach. The final day's hike is through the magnificent Hinewai bush reserve, beside the bubbling Narbey Stream, where you can safely drink the water straight from the stream - delicious! -  and up through the beech forest  to the saddle, at 590metres. The final leg was a steep but easy walk down hill to  sea level and Akaroa again.

 



Near the top of the saddle

From the final saddle, looking down on Akaroa

I highly recommend this hike.  It is superb.  Well designed, well organised and utterly beautiful.  Each hiker is provided with a comprehensive guide to the track, the wild life, history and points of interest along the way. Because the numbers are limited, there is a feeling that you have the track all to yourself.  It is also extremely good value - between $230 and $285 for 4 days (depending on the time of year) and between $150 and $175 for 2 days.  As I mentioned earlier, I would suggest taking four days to enjoy it as much as we did.

www.bankstrack.co.nz