http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml Colin and Marys Web Site: Blog Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:36:12 -0500 http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/6a7b7f7c2702f8b745a37908eb0512c7_46b48ed3.writeback Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:36:03 -0500 Out And About With Hilda and Stan Wuthering Heights Today's the big day! Hilda takes to the skies. We are off to our favorite beach Silver Sands for the long awaited launch (been put of every week so far by Hilda). Stan says she is scared. She's going Para gliding!!! Stan is very apprehensive about this venture; Hilda gets nose bleeds on an escalator. Well there is no turning back now, the boys are waiting down at the beach, Stan's made sure of that bit, and he even slipped them a bit extra to give Hilda an extra long turn. Ali takes Hilda down to the water and shows her the special harness for her to try, its new the latest safety model, Stan mutters under his breath "you mean extra large" It just fits the boys carefully explain the safety procedure and show Hilda where to hold on and not to touch the clips. Hilda nods to say she understands and suddenly its time to go. The boat is ready. Hilda stands still as if in a trance. "Don't worry" Stan tells the confused staff "that's normal!! I get the same reaction when I ask her for a couple of bob for the pub" He shoves her forward and Hilda wades out into the clear waters. Getting into the boat is actually not quite as straight-forward as she thought it would be, but she manages rather well. From Stan's vantage point and she reminds him of one of those walruses heaving itself onto a beach!! Clunk! She's fastened in, the point of no return. Whoosh the boat takes off and she's away. Stan now grinning like a Cheshire Cat slopes of to the bar. Peace at last he thinks, little does he know its to be short lived as high up in the stratosphere you can hear Hilda wailing like a banshee. Stan looks up from his beer to see hoards of people pointing and looking skyward, following there gaze he looks up to see Hilda gliding of in the direction of Samos with the boat in hot pursuit. Houston, we have a problem!!! She seems to be floating nicely in the breeze and is not showing any sign of an imminent landing. Hope she's back in time to cook dinner he thinks. It's going to be a while now so I might as well have another Efes. Meanwhile somewhere above the bay Hilda is just beginning to enjoy the experience of flying through the air and is desperately trying to remember which clip she was told not to touch. It can't be this one she thought and pressed it. Suddenly everything seemed to change, firstly she started to go slower, which was rather pleasant and she couldn't see the boat anymore (then again she didn't have her reading glasses on). She thought she could hear shouting but obviously it wasn't anything to do with her, so she just enjoyed the view, as she headed toward the Milipark Not been blessed with a good memory Hilda tried to remember what the boys had said about landing and dimly remembered something about being wound back onto the boat by some kind of pulley thing. Looking down she couldn't work out how they would do that when she wasn't actually attached to the boat. Never mind she thought I expect it will work itself out. The wind was dropping and the coastline of the Milipark seemed to be coming up rather fast, or was it that she was coming down? As she approached the beach she saw a crowd of men in green uniforms, waving at her, how friendly, she thought, they are obviously waiting for me. As she got closer even without the benefit of her reading glasses she realized that they were actually soldiers and weren't waving but brandishing guns. Terrified Hilda landed in an undignified heap at their feet and tried to explain, in her not very good Turkish what had happened. Fortunately they saw the funny side and as in any crises gave her tea and sympathy till the speed boat arrived and took her back to Silver Sands. By now Stan has lost count of how many Efes he has drunk. He is just starting to think that he will have to stay out for dinner when he hears the voice that can sink a thousand ships. "STANLEY" Oops I'm in for it now he thinks frantically pushing the empties across the table, "Yes dear" he sheepishly replies "Did you have a nice time? You were away a long time, you certainly got your monies-worth" Then he sees the look on her face and realizes all is not well. "Sit down dear" he tells her and orders her a large drink (and one for himself of course) "Well dear how was it? I could hear you but not see you!!) Hilda gulps down the drink and tells Stan of ordeal, concentrating on how frightened she was and failing to mention the handsome soldiers and all their mobile numbers she had written on the back of her hand! He sympathizes and starts to wonder what he can find for her to do next, after she has made dinner of course, after all it's been a long day and he's rather peckish! http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/12e3b7e3633a5682e706afeed9032390_468f93f7.writeback Sat, 07 Jul 2007 08:24:07 -0500 Cambria A True Legend 1928 Kusadasi Marina has recently been host to one of the most famous yachts currently sailing. Built in 1928 by William Fife at his Fairlie yard on the Clyde "Cambria" was built for the immensely rich newspaper magnate Sir William Berry. Sir William wanted a gentleman's racing yacht that could compete on equal terms with the best of the day. These yachts included King George Vs "Britannia" Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock V Sir T.O.M. Sopwith's Endeavor, and Mr. W.L. Stephenson (of Woolworth's fame) Velsheda. Other now legendary names of the day include Lulworth, White Heather and Westward. Her brief racing career over Cambria was sold to Sir Robert McAlpine in 1934. He changed her name to Lillias and bought her to the Mediterranean; on his death in 1936 she was purchased by Mr. H.F. Giraud and moved to IIicia near Cesme where she became a cruiser. She sailed round the Eastern Mediterranean with the Ottoman jet set aboard. Regular guests in those days were Shah Reza, king Fiesel and Kemal Mustafa Ataturk, the creator of modern Turkey. Savarona, the presidential yacht, was often to be seen rocking at anchor alongside Lillias. The yacht ended up in Townsville Australia, in the Great Barrier Reef area. Discovered in 1994 by the Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating, the lines of Fife's design and the vessel's history immediately seduced three yachtsmen of great fame: John David, Denis ÒNeil and Iain Murray, the latter the designer of America's cuppers (Kookaburra I etc). The challenging restoration undertaken by the Norman Wright boatyards in Brisbane, Eastern Australia, perfectly achieved the declared objective of philologically returning the vessel to her original appearance while maintaining high standards of safety and sailing efficiency. Under the supervision of Iain Murray the Honduras mahogany skin was restored, several planks having to be replaced together with numerous steel frames, while the entire hull was fixed with 6000 stainless steel rivets. The engine, a Cummins 300 HP installed four years after launching (racers never carried excess weight), was reconditioned and the teak deck replaced. Complete dismantling of the interior revealed that the mahogany had survived in excellent condition: 85% was reused, faithfully following the original layout, the only concession being an extra cabin in place of the large private suite created for Sir William Berry. On deck, seven discreet winches (back then there were a dozen paid hands to do their work) mean she can be raced with a crew of only nineteen. Not only her name but also her rig returned to the origins: the conversion from ketch to cutter. The interior, very elegant with shiny mahogany, fine velvets and button tufted leather, provides four cabins for eight lucky guests who can relive the atmosphere of 30's style yachting. After participating in the America's Cup Jubilee in 2001, together with the elite of the world's most beautiful yachts, a spellbound "Cambria" followed the classic racing circuit and then settled on the French Riviera. Cambria sits patiently waiting for her owner and his family to join her from Germany. Captain Chris and crew Dave, Chuck, Tash, George and Andy have been getting her ship-shape ready for a cruise round the Greek Isles before heading off to join the remaining J-Class yachts in the Classic Race Circuit. TECHNICAL DATA Overall length: 41.15m Beam: 6.10m Draft: 4.25m Displacement: 112.000 Kg. Designer and builder: William Fife Year of construction: 1928 Construction material: mahogany skin on steel frames Rig: cutter Mast height: 46.90m Mast material: Spruce and Oregon laminate, with carbon reinforcement at the head Sail area: 769 sq. m. reaching, 1.274 sq. m. running Engine: Cummins 300 HP mod. NT 855 M Speed under power: 10 knots Water tanks: 1.000 litres Fuel tanks: 1.800 litres http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/01f441a491c12ee828f3cb7d76782c5f_468e44b2.writeback Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:33:38 -0500 Kusadasi Celebrates Cabotage Day By Mary West The 1st July is Cabotage Day and is celebrated in many ports all over Turkey. Special celebrations are held in the South Eastern city of Van, centered around the lake and its islands. In Kusadasi it is is a special day for the local coastgaurd and the Captain and Crew dress in their best uniforms and the Coastgaurd Cutter is "Dressed Up All Over" a nautical term refering to the ship putting out all the flags. Cabotage trade is a political term describing the "coastwise trade of a nation to vessels flying its national flag". Usually, industrial countries have special laws pertaining to trade and travel of goods and persons in its own waters when the ship carrying them is registered domestically. These laws, commonly called "cabotage laws (acts)", give concessions to local ships by restricting port and waterway usage by vessels with foreign registrations "to promote the development of indigenous tonnage..."] Initially, laws like these will protect domestic businesses by giving them an advantage over exportation. Later, this will increase the country's income via taxes and fees collected from foreign businesses. The country will receive more income, when foreign businesses decide to register their vessels domestically. Cabotage is so important to Turkish trade that a National Day is held to comemorate its inception. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/9bc7e21ca4dd65b2d93175b742ec665f_468e4117.writeback Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:18:15 -0500 Out And About With Hilda And Stan Down on the Farm It was a Sunday; Stan had his nose buried in last weeks News of the World when the phone rang. He peered over the top, with a "it's bound to be for you look" and turned his concentration back to the story about the vicar, several members of the Women's Institute and novel uses for hassocks or was it cassocks? Hilda sighed and went to answer the phone. Stan had just about worked out the difference between hassocks and cassocks when Hilda returned. It was Mavis she told him, he looked puzzled, you know Mavis and Reg she explained, anyway Mavis's mother is ill and they want us to house sit for a week while they go to England. Fine, said Stan who has just reached a rather juicy bit about the Church Warden and what he saw in the vestry. Hilda picked up her magazine and waited, it didn't take long. Stan dropped the paper, his glasses flying off his nose. "But what about all the animals?" he spluttered. "She was really worried about her mum" said Hilda "I told her you would be delighted to look after the animals, after all it's only for a week. They are going tonight but Mavis has written down all the instructions. What can possibly go wrong?" Next day they were up at the crack of dawn well 9am and off to inspect the task in hand. Stan having given the matter some thought had reached the conclusion that it couldn't be that hard, his opinion of Mavis was that she is a bit dippy and not too bright, so if she could do it, it was only common sense that someone such as himself with his military background (six weeks in the TA) would not only excel but make improvements to the no doubt haphazard way Mavis does things. Arriving at the house all looked peaceful and quiet, as they walked through the gate however Stan was nearly knocked over by the very boisterous greeting from Nelson, a rather large but very friendly mastiff, actually Nelson isn't the dangerous one, as Stan discovered as Suzy the Jack Russell took a small chunk out of his ankle. Yelling with pain and surprise Stan had to sit down whilst Hilda fetched the Fist Aid kit from the car. Once the blood was cleaned up she was able to tell Stan that it was only a scratch, and anyway it was his own fault for frightening Suzy. Hilda went to the shed and found the list Mavis had left for them. It detailed the amount of food to give the chickens, goats, donkey, tortoises, dogs, cats and of course the pet lamb. Stan now over the worst of the pain excitedly headed for the chickens looking forward to fresh eggs for his breakfast. He found one almost straight away, but was so disappointed when Hilda explained that it was a dummy to encourage the hens to lay real ones, that she had to promise him bacon and eggs anyway when he got home. Hilda consulted the list and fetched the halters for the goats; apparently they had to be taken round to the empty land down the road to graze on the lush long grass. After a few attempts the halters were on and Stan leading two goats and followed by the donkey made an interesting site plodding down the road. Hilda decided to fetch the lamb, now Hilda had never actually seen the lamb before. Mavis had "rescued" it when it was going to be slaughtered so she had a bit of a soft spot for it. Hilda opened the stable door and couldn't believe her eyes, there was the biggest Ram she had ever seen. Not only was it huge but it had enormous curving horns that looked as if they could do serious damage. The ram, not familiar with strange ladies in pink shell suits was equally taken aback and deciding that Hilda's fashion sense left a lot to be desired decided to follow the others down to the grazing. He was most upset at as he saw it almost left behind that he shouted to the others to wait and started to run to catch up with them. By this time Stan was beginning to enjoy the novelty of walking along the road with his menagerie when he heard Hilda's scream and looked up to seen a very large animal with huge horns charging at him. In his panic to get away he dropped the halters and made an extremely undignified attempt at a vault over a neighbor's wall. He landed in a crumpled heap among some stinging nettles and opened his eyes to see the very curious family eyeing him over their breakfast. Fortunately they spoke some English and while they helped him out the nettles he explained that he was being chased by a mad animal with huge horns, they nodded and made sympathetic noises and went to check the situation. A few minutes late they returned with a slightly shaken Hilda and their 6 year old daughter riding happily on the back of the "mad animal with huge horns". As they explained later over breakfast the animals were all really friendly and were a common site in the neighborhood. But they could quite understand how appearances could be deceptive!! The neighbors suggested they help to look after the animals till Mavis returned, Stan jumped at the chance and even Hilda looked relieved. Thanks to the neighbors the rest of the week passed mainly without incident. Well apart from loosing a tortoise for two days (Hilda had no idea they were so quick, she swore she only turned her back on it for a second) Nelson found it roaming in the undergrowth and decided it made quite a good ball till it got fed up and bit his nose. Stan and Suzy waged a battle all week over Stan's feet. Stan said it was the hideous socks Hilda made him wear but Hilda was convinced that it was the smell of his feet that upset Suzy. Even the chickens seemed happy and by the end of the week everyone had fresh eggs for breakfast. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/95f331461b68863026f8d660c9e70dc0_468e3cdd.writeback Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:00:14 -0500 Kusadasi Coast to Become Marina Hotspot By Mary west BA Boating of all types is becoming an increasingly important sector of the tourist and leisure industry. There is already a chain of marinas on Turkeys west coast stretching from Istanbul in the north to Alanya in the south. Kusadasi currently has the Setur Marina at the northern end of the town. The marina attracts visitors not only from Europe but as far a field as Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and of course the Americas. Walking around the marina you will be surprised to see that a large proportion of boats are resisted in North America, mostly in Delaware, these boats are mainly Turkish owned but registered in the USA to avoid paying the Turkish tax. The marina has now added a new feature a 2 meter high fence!!!! This has caused a lot of ill feeling amongst boat owners, who were not consulted prior to its erection. Many people are concerned on a safety basis. There are very few gates which could lead to a serious problem in the event of a fire on a boat. Each boat has only 1 key making it inconvenient if the boat passengers are not all going out at the same time. In many places the fence is very close to the boats making it feel claustrophobic. Boat owners are fed up of visitors making remarks about not feeding the animals! This fence could have adverse affects on the marinas busines. If plans go ahead we will have another luxury marina at the Old Club Med site. This will incorporate a hotel and leisure complex if approved. Guzelcamli has already had plans approved for a new development which will include the current fishing harbor as well as having hotel, restaurants, shops and other leisure facilities. A new ferry service to Samos is also planned. As anyone who owns or uses a boat will tell you, they are a labour intensive item and are constantly needing repairs and maintenance. This can only bode well for the local economy, more jobs will be created for crews for the boats, and better still employment with be created for the skilled workforce already in the area. Competition to attract the vessels should improve standards all round and provide an opportunity to maximize the impact of good advertising and marketing skills. Two towns already in the forefront are Davutlar and Guzelcamli. For a long time in the shadow of there big neighbour Kusadasi, both have started to gear up their infrastructure to welcome a well earned boost to their economy. New wider roads, street lighting, cleaner streets and most of all a big warm welcome. Guzelcamli are building a new marina in the near future that alone will bring more tourists. Its proximity to the national park makes it an ideal starting point for the increasing number of so called green tourists as the park offers a wide variety of eco-friendly pursuits. The small town its self still has a village atmosphere but offers a wide selection of facilities for the visitor. Just outside the town is the famous mystic cave of Zeus where Aphrodite the goddess of beauty is said to have swam. Davutlar has made a start by building a small sheltered anchorage for shallow drafted craft up to around 3 meters in length. It is situated next to the very popular public picnic area at love beach. It is all ready proving very popular and is encouraging more local people to become day boaters. The emphasis on utilizing all types of water craft from the large cruise ships at Kusadasi, charter vessels, privately owned yachts and motor cruisers and small day boats is making the area a Mecca for boats of all types. Along with boats themselves come the spin-off pursuits such as diving, parasailing, speed boat trips, water skiing, fishing trips etc. All these activities help the local economy bringing in money and employment. Given the right marketing strategy the Kusadasi area should become one of the premier boating areas in the Mediterranean. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/97089fca0504e789e62dca00144c32c2_467f68aa.writeback Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:03:06 -0500 Ege Eye Article 07/05/07 Season Opens at Kusadasi Setur Marina Report by Mary West. Thursday 3rd May saw the official opening of the 2007 season at Setur Kusadsi Marina, Hosted by Mr. Hakan Tellioglu (Marina Manager) and his excellent team led by Zenep Alkan a barbeque was held for all those with moorings at the Marina, visiting boats, and the participants of the EMYR (Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally). Their annual visit to Kusadasi is seen as the opening event of the season. This year the rally will comprise of some 80 boats, both sail and motor. The fleet leaves Atakoy in Istanbul and passes down the coast of Turkey calling at most major marinas until they arrive at Kemer. From there they call at Girne in Northern Cyprus, Mersin and Iskenderun in Turkey, Lattakia in Syria, Jounieh in Lebanon, Haifa and Ashkelon in Israel, Port Said in Egypt and finally Herzliya in Israel. Quite some journey!! During the barbeque presentations were made by Mr. David Gerrard rally organizer to Mr. Huseyn Veranyurt of Turkish Customs and to Mr. Celal Oral Kusadasi Harbour Master to thank their organizations for the help and assistance given to the rally. Thanks were also given to the Turkish Coastguard for the technical, safety and security help they offer to boats of all nationalities in times of trouble. Mr. Gerrard went on to praise the Turkish Authorities and the staff of Setur Marinas throughout Turkey for the professional and courteous service they offer. Part of the purpose of the rally is to encourage young people to partake in marine activities, to develop an understanding and appreciation of the marine environment. With this in mind Mr. Gerrard thanked Mr. Behsat Kymbasan of the Kusadasi Sailing School (based at Kusadasi Marina), for his efforts in increasing participation by youngsters in learning to sail. 2007 will prove to be a particularly exciting one at Kusadasi as plans have been unveiled to redevelop part of the marina. The plans include new cafes and restaurants, updating the workshops and generally improving facilities for both boat owners and visitors alike. Work is due to start in September and should be completed in time for the start of the 2008 season. The party was a huge success and has set the scene for a very busy and interesting 2007 season. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/8b66b2e6dfb1010210fbd15bf5e73b73_467f656c.writeback Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:49:16 -0500 Tourist Tales By Mary West Our long time friends Don & Doris have been coming to Turkey for 15 years now; they can tell a tale or two about the travels this tale is no exception. As usual they fly into Izmir then are ushered onto coaches for the normal journey to Kusadasi or so they thought. They are welcomed onboard by the Thomas cook rep. and the bus departs Izmir. First stop the Pine Bay Hotel, a couple disembark explaining that they know the routine and don't need any help from the driver or courier. The coach sets off down the hill for the next drop. Yes you all know what happens next, the first bend in the road and out pops a load of suitcases all over the road, down the embankment etc. etc.etc...... Shouting from inside the coach alerts the driver who stops. Most of the passengers pile out in the dark to see if it's their cases strewn all over the road. The Pine Bay Hotel security hears the shouting and appears with flash lights to help recover cases. Don & Doris can't see theirs, until they here an English man shouting at a Turkish man who is running off into the bushes clutching suitcase. Passengers and onlookers give chase; he drops their case and disappears into the night. Eventually all the cases are recovered and they continue their journey to their hotel. Some cases including theirs were damaged beyond repair, but at least the contents survived intact. The Thomas Cook rep. did reprimand the driver for not checking that the luggage door was closed properly, but to no avail, the shrug of the shoulders said it all. As Don said This is Turkey. Alls well that ends well. The rep. apologized to Don and Doris and a new suitcase will be in their possession before they leave, along with a present from Thomas Cook. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/1686ba48630e588770495b1175ff51a6_467f6295.writeback Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:37:09 -0500 Were Have They All Gone By Mary West It's the end of June and the town's hotels are half empty. The last three years seem to have seen a decline in the number of tourists coming to Kusadasi . Walking along the streets even at lunch-time most of the restaurants and bars have only a few tables full. The young men touting for business seem ever more desperate. Several of the towns well know bars and restaurants have recently been closed down for excessive marketing tactics, including trying to physically drag in unwilling customers. Speaking personally to a German Tour Operator, bookings to Kusadasi are down 40% on last year. He sites the reasons as being 1. Poor marketing by Kusadasi. 2. Generally the low standard of accommodation. 3. Poor quality and variety of food available. 4. High price of drinks. 5. Flights expensive compared to Spain. 6. Lack of a high quality beach area in the town centre. He said that when comparing like for like Spain is now much better value than Turkey. If the same is true of other countries in Europe then the prospects for the future of Kusadasi as a tourist destination do not look good. I have noticed the sharp increase in prices over the last three years but this has not bean accompanied by a corresponding increase in quality and service. Kusadasi used to be a place you could come on holiday on a minimum budget and where your spending money went a long way. Now the prices no longer make this possible. It seems that Kusadasi has two choices, it must either continue to try and attract the budget conscious holiday-maker with good basic facilities and prices to match or, it must improve and develop to attract clients with a larger budget. It will be very difficult to appeal to both. Tourism chiefs would do well to visit some other popular European destinations to see how this can be best achieved. It is very difficult for individual hotels and attractions to market themselves without an efficient local and national tourism organization behind to support them. The Tourist Information Office in Kusadasi (when it's open) lacks up to date information, unlike the smaller towns of Davutlar & Guzelcamli where information brochures are first class. They are very keen to attract tourists wanting them to sample their hospitality; the welcome is warm and friendly with no pressure at all. So come on Kusadasi its make your mind up. Time stop the stone gathering more moss. It's a lovely town bring it back to life. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/f4e5acef4943e169d5f79c761deb29ca_467f6166.writeback Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:32:06 -0500 Out And About With Hilda and Stan Washday Blues I'm sat reading my latest copy of Viz when I here the rumblings of Stan's voice Hilda!!! What's a Turkish bath....!!??? Hilda replies that it's a kind of wash and scrub. Stan then decides they are going. Hilda looks up from her copy of Viz muttering that he's not that fond of water at the best of times. What bright spark told you about a Turkish Bath? No one, its here in this mag. Hilda takes a look; He's looking at a picture of 4 scantly clad young females in the Turkish bath. Typical !! Ah says Hilda. That explains it!!! Stan looks sheepish and insists that it's the bath he is interested in. He had read all about it and it turns out there is one in Davutlar, just down the road. It's called a hamam. Hilda knows when she is beaten and agrees to give it a go. The Haman in Davutlar is a small well set out Traditional Turkish bath used by the town's folk, not like some in Kusadasi which are built for the tourists. Hilda and Stan approach the entrance with mixed feelings Stan looking forward to the scantily clad females, and Hilda to the young man in his loin cloth Wow!! Hilda's already got a sweat on. Merhaba says the little man at the reception. Stan in his best Turkish explains that they have come for a bath!! Nodding, the man waves then through to a area with little cubicles to change in. Towels are provided to cover their modesty. Stan being well proportioned (fat says Hilda) looks at his and tells Hilda it will only go round my neck!! Good job Hilda brought a beach towel. Then it's off into a sauna which reminds Stan of his shed at the bottom of the garden. The heat is amazing but Stan doesn't seem to notice as his eyes are fixed on the door, waiting for the bikini clad ladies to arrive. At last the door opens the man pours water on some stones on the floor the whole place fills with steam and gets even hotter. After what seems like an age but is about half an hour they are released, and led through to a marble covered circular room with a huge slab of marble in the centre and a high domed roof. All around the walls are small recesses; each one has antique taps and a metal bowl. The man explains that here we wash off all the sweat from the sauna before going for the bath, Stan is confused he cant see a bath anywhere, but feeling sure that the ladies will turn up soon has a good wash. Then a door opens and Stan looks up hopefully, at last the ladies! Well yes and no, there is only one, Stan's face falls, she reminds him of a Russian shot putter, Olga from the Volga thinks Stan,!!! but there is no going back now. She leads him to the marble slab and starts throwing water at him, then gets what looks like a pillowcase and fills it full of soap, after waving it round in the air for a while she lathers him all over and rinses him off again. Then it's out with a sort of loofah. Using all her considerable strength she scrubs him all over pausing only to rinse him off from time to time. It hurts, but of course Stan being a real man bites back his cries of pain and has no choice but to carry on to the end. Hilda is shaking with giggles and can't believe the dirt that is rinsed off Stan, she had no idea he was so dirty. But the best is still to come! The massage begins, Stan is thumped and pummeled within an inch of his life, he turns a lovely shade of pink. At last it's over and a very stiff Stan returns to his bench to sooth his aching body with cool water. Stan can't wait any longer. Where's the bath? he asks the confused man. Eventually Stan understands that there is no actual bath and it's the process that's called the bath. The man reappears and the same process is repeated with Hilda, not being a man she has the sense to ask him to be gentle, and she really enjoys the whole thing. After the massage the man takes them though to another area where they are served cay and cool drinks and told to relax for a while, it's amazing how tiring it is and after a few minutes they are both fast asleep, Stan of course snoring gently. The traditional Turkish Bath really is an experience you shouldn't miss. The staff will be as gentle or as tough with you as you want, and you come out feeling really refreshed and relaxed, you feel about a stone lighter and can't wait for the next one. Stan is thinking of trying a tourist bath next time, maybe that's where the scantily clad girls are. More from the intrepid duo next time. http://maryandcolin.zoomshare.com/2.shtml/9fd4d2ae1c9021cef4583404096721ff_466a4465.writeback Sat, 09 Jun 2007 01:10:45 -0500 Out and About with Hilda and Stan When the Boat comes in..!! Having already moved to Turkey from England Stan and Hilda consider themselves seasoned travelers. Last week a friend with a boat offered them the chance of a day trip to Samos, naturally they jumped at the chance. The day dawned bright and clear and the sea was like a millpond, everyone piled on board, there was Stan and Hilda, their friend who owned the boat the Turkish captain and his wife, son, mother in law and the wife's friend. Being Turkish there was a huge picnic and as they were going to a foreign country, clothes for every occasion. Eventually everything and everyone found a space and off we went. The trip was lovely, sunny and calm, in fact Stan was beginning to see himself as Master of his own vessel something like Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen Hilda too was thinking how nice it would be to have a boat, although her day- dreams mainly consisted of her being served G and Ts by handsome young men whilst reclining on a sun lounger on a yacht that would not look out of place in Monte Carlo. They moored up at the new marina at Pythagorean and the ladies set off to explore the town, leaving the men to refuel the boat and as they put it "Clean her bottom". The walk to the town is a quite steep rocky path around a headland. Hilda was beginning to regret the new high heeled sandals and white jeans she had considered suitably nautical for the occasion. The views of the harbor are spectacular; it looks like every holiday brochure for a Greek Island. The harbor is full of fishing boats, gullets and private vessels of all types, jostling for position. Across the quay are lots of shops restaurants and cafes all vying to attract the tourists, everywhere is the sound of traditional Greek music. Once the Turkish ladies realized that there wasn't a Greek policeman on every corner waiting to throw then in jail they really enjoyed the thrill of being in a foreign country. The shops with their different Greek products fascinated them. Then the only problem was they wouldn't take Turkish Lira, (they didn't think much of the Greek bread though!). They all said that the town and type of houses reminded them of Guzelcamli. After stocking up on the Duty Free and visiting the local bacon and sausage supplier it was time to return to the boat. Back on board it was picnic time and out of the luggage came boiled eggs, olives, cheese, bread, yogurt, jam, creamed aubergine and delicious mini gozleme. After lunch most people had a little nap Stan started to snore like the foghorn on the QEll which rocked boat like at sea, whilst the others went for a swim at a little cove and watched a spear fisherman return with his catch, including an octopus which he proceeded to throw repeatedly at the rocks to tenderize it. Hilda thought it was cruel, but then remembered she like octopus and decided it was ok. All too soon it was time to return to Kusadasi, the boat was cast off and they were off. Stan was allowed a turn at steering and decided it was really easy; the size of boat he wanted was going up, almost by the minute. (He could see himself in command of The Ark Royal After about two hours of comfortable cruising the wind began to blow and the waves became considerably larger, the boat with its shallow keel started to be tossed around like a cork and things began to get seriously rocky. Hilda decided that her G and T would taste better on dry land and Stan decided that other peoples boat were probably more fun than your own. With the meltem blowing and the waves hitting the boat broadside it took nearly three hours to travel what should have been the last hour. Stan said it reminded him of the movie The Perfect Storm, Both Hilda and Stan were delighted to be back in the marina. The trip was wonderful and it has made them seriously consider looking into getting their own boat. When of course they win the lotto..!! More from the roving couple next time..!!