Bozburun: A photo essay

We're wintering in Bozburun this year. Bozburn is a nuggetty little town on the southern coast of Turkey, with two main livelihoods: tourism and boat building. In winter, the tourists all disappear, so the town focusses on turning out classical wooden boats just about anywhere they can. Pavlov is in the main boat yard area north of the town, but any free space in the town is fair game to build a boat on.

On any vacant spot: Build a boat!

A couple sprouting just in front of our apartment

There's even boats growing out of buildings and wedged between them.

That's a boat protruding from the building

Another boat wedged between apartment buildings

This frantic boat building activity is probably mandated by the beautiful harbour surrounds. Bozburun has some of the most picturesque coast line in Turkey.

Fishing boats in the port

Calm conditions most of the time

Megan looking over the bay

Waiting for summer

and all those missing tourists...

The town hosts a small mosque, a supermarket and several cafe's, a bakery and a chandlery: all the requirements for our winter life.

Waterfront supermarket

Boardwalk and mosque

Before prayer

There's a weekly market that we enjoy. It breaks the monotony of a one-shop town, and the fruit and veggies are better and cheaper than the supermarket.

Megan buying shoes

Nuts and dried goods

Plenty of choice

A done deal

Our apartment is minimal and a little cold and damp, but its a huge improvement over trying to live on board Pavlov, while suspended 8 metres over a busy and very muddy boat-yard.

Megan at our minimal kitchen

Megan outside our apartment

The bus services in Turkey are superb, and its only a short dolmus trip back to Orhaniye or into Marmaris.

Dolmus in flight

The bay in Orhaniye

The road to Orhaniye village

Placid at the moment

So we are enjoying our winter sojourn. Boat work is proceeding, albeit slowly. We've learned to take the inevitable frustrations in our stride.

Arriving at the supermarket by boat

Boats wintering in the port

We are glad to be back in Turkey, even though we are escaping again next week. We're off to Israel for 10 days, just to break the winter tedium.

Megan

 The sun is beginning to shine; the rain is still raining, but hopefully less. We're starting to get into the mood for summer travels. Life is good.

Megan's son, Michael