Lost at Sea: Into the Hive Mind

Gulet in Marmaris

Well, a bit of a road trip was necessary. We'd sent 111 kg of baggage by air freight from Australia, all the things we couldn't bear to leave behind. For me, it was essential tools for the boat, my sewing machine, some books. For Megan, it was extra winter clothing, medications and other things that we thought we might really need. Initially, we thought we'd catch a bus up to Istanbul (we couldn't fly of course, we had too much excess baggage).

Harbour at Marmaris

Thank God we came to our senses, and decided to hire a car so that we could make a proper trip out of the expedition. Istanbul is around 1100 km from Fethiye, and we'd have a lot of running around to do to pick up the luggage. (What an understatement that proved to be).

Restaurants on the promenade

First stop was Marmaris, a town we'd visited last year and really enjoyed. Another sailing Mecca, yachting has created much of the wealth of this town, with 4 large marinas and all the supporting industries.

Avelik pensione

We then drove to a small coastal town that proved to be an absolute delight. We stayed with a family in a pension, with this delightful cool garden to rest in from the heat.

Garden critters

Night critters

The streets were narrow, cobbled and higgle-piggly which made them a delight to explore. These houses in the old town were Ottoman era, and resembled Tudor style houses around Canterbury.

We then drove north towards ancient Troy.

Cliff side cafe

Coast north from Avelik

Aegean Sea

Although I've seen a lot of archaeological sites, Troy was interesting in that the butchering of the site by Schliemann back in the 1800's did expose the different time layers of the city. It was fascinating to imagine the different forms the city took over the ages.

The obligatory horse

Map of the site

Entry road

Columns

Schliemann's layers

Entry ramp and city walls

Athenean temple

Another day of driving took us to Gellibolu, (the town Gallipoli that give the name to the peninsula). This was a bustling sea-side town that we enjoyed. Wandering along the sea front, seeing the tiny boat harbours, raised interesting questions of getting our boat in to moorings like this when we sail to Istanbul.