May 14, 2022

May 14, 2022

Before leaving Konya, Turkey we walked to Bedestan, the historical covered bazaar. On the way we visited the Aziziye Mosque, one of few that is not domed. It was built in 1874 in the Baroque style when the Ottoman Empire was trying to be more European. I am getting good at taking my shoes off while standing on one leg.

Bedestan today is the local market. Everything is for sale in this bazaar. We stroll through the covered fruit and vegetable market. It is very colorful. The presentation is sometimes so different than ours. There are enormous chunks of moldy blue cheese just laying out in the open.

In the outdoor areas, we pass stores for everything, Cows feet is a popular butcher shop item. Several stores surprise us. One stand was selling milking machines, and several were selling tombstones! I guess you can't leave that to the last minute.

We leave Konya driving south. To reach the coast we have to cross over the Taurus Mountain Range. They are tall and snow-covered and beautiful. We stop along the way at a resort for lunch. We eat at an outdoor cafe in the pine trees. It takes us quite a while to navigate the Taurus Mountains. Even though the road is wide and well constructed it has to switchback constantly doubling the distance.

Once over the mountains we can see the Mediterranean Sea. This area is nicknamed the Turquoise Coast. There are large greenhouses everywhere. Mostly they are growing bananas. This area was once prime beach destination for northern Europeans, especially Russians and Ukrainians. Sadly they are too busy right now.

The shoreline of Turkey was part of the Greco-Roman world. We pass the remnants of a Roman aqueduct. We stop to visit the ancient town of Aspendos. It has the best preserved theater of antiquity and it is a beaut. The backstage wall is nearly intact only missing its decorative sculpture. The seating and stairs are in great condition, with even upper and lower tiers like in modern stadiums.

After photographing it from multiple directions, we hike up to the hill behind to get a great view of the theater and the Taurus Mountains in the background. There are others ruins, like a stadium, but we don't have time to explore them.

We continue our drive to Antalya where we check into our home for the next two days. This is a resort town where we are going to relax.

We have dinner with a few of our travel partners at a waterfront restaurant. We were told it is very expensive. I had Calamari and wine and it cost less than $15. I guess it is all relative. Fortunately for us the Turks are debasing their currency more than the USA.