Turkish Aegean Coast

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Ayvalik was the next pleasant harbour town.

Linda was starting to realise that harbour towns tend to be built on hills as she hauled her baggage up through the narrow alleys while we hunted down the recommended pension. She was just on the point of refusal when our efforts were rewarded by by the double oak door of the pension.

This converted Ottoman house was actually quite a treat as the elevation provided a splendid view over the rooftops of Ayvalik down to the sea. In addition to the double bed our room was large enough for two separate lounging areas and about 14 puffed up cushions (at £11 per night).

The town is full of interest and bustle (and the first couple of large supermarkets we have seen). We ate most nights in a small backstreet restaurant, who were genuinely pleased that we favoured them at a typical cost of £3-4 for two. The main beach was in a resort 7km along the coast crowded with holidaying Turks.

Bergama was a convenient pit stop on the way to the next location. A nice enough town with its own set set of ruins. Here the main event occurred while I was taking a nap. The pension owner invited Linda onto the roof to admire the view and then attempted to seduce here with a bottle of red wine and a wooden massage ball.

Selcuk is the first town we have visited where tourism is obviously the most important part of the local economy. It sits close to the major ruin of Ephesus, which we had to pass to get to the beach. Things must be pretty quiet at the moment though, as we had the entire pension to ourselves.

The ruins extend to the town centre where the remains of a high aquaduct are used as nesting posts by storks. The restaurants below are very romantic, if not a little risky. The restauranteurs were somewhat less romantic, proving unable to add up a bill accurately.

We had some drama on the beach. Linda spotted some kids stealing someones bag and raced off across the scorching sands in pursuit. The culprits realised that the game was up and returned the bag to its owners before running off. Even the thieves have good manners.

A 20 minute bus ride took us on to Kusadasi. As expected it was full of Brits, Germans, Dutch and what have you. Unexpectedly we quite liked it.

For the first time we got a room with a balcony and Linda was as please as punch.

To start with we went to the main beach and squeezed in with the international crowd.

On subsequent days we took a dolmus bus to other beaches were few others ventured. In particular, we visited the Dilek National Park, where pine forests sweep down mountainsides right to the waters edge.

Next stop Bodrum, another resort town. Linda was feeling a bit dicky that morning and waited at the bus station while I went to sort out a pension. This took a bit longer than expected as I got a bit lost and the sun was really beating down fiercely.

For the first time (ever?) the first pension I approached was full. The guy seemed surprised that I did not want to sleep on the settee for one night but I was not that desperate.

Eventually I found a small but clean room at the top end of our price range and collected Linda from the station.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the town and harbour and developed a growing dislike for it. I was here 20 years ago and my memory was of a fabulous castle with a pleasant town attached. Now it is dominated by tourists and tourist shops with a castle around the back for those who are interested. It felt that any character and Turkishness had been subsumed under the weight of jewellery shops, leather shops and expensive cafes. The premise was the same as at Kusadasi, but we found no atmosphere or charm.

It was also desperately hot so maybe it was just us. The night was worse. The small clean room turned into an airless furnace. We lay on the bed clutching towels to be awoken at intervals by sweat running from our bodies to drip onto the soddening mattress.

We left at first light and trundled through the empty streets towards the Harbour where we boarded the daily ferry to Datca.

Linda was still feeling off colour so I Left her in a cafe while I went to find a pension. When I saw the spotless room with bathroom, balcony and breakfast for £11 a night I new I would be redeemed. The clothes line and burdened grape vines have proved a further bonus.

Even better, Datca has turned out to be a bit of a find. Formerly a sleepy harbour town it is now a sleepy resort town on a peninsular which is said to mark the meeting of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

There is plenty of room on the beaches, plenty of room on the pavements, a shallow area for swimming on one side and a harbour big enough for Tom Hanks yacht on the other.

We are now into our second week here and there are people in the pension who have been here much longer, its that sort of place. Its rather like being on holiday - we,ve even had a candlelit dinner on the sea shore.

This is now peak season in Turkey and the weather has been unstintingly hot and cloudless. I am being continually mistaken for a Turk - until I open my mouth. We are attracting continual attention a s passers-by assume I have picked up Linda on her holiday.

So far we reckon that we have lost about a stone each. Linda has lost weight proportionately over her body and is currently rather trim.She is also giving herself daily swimming lessons with noticeable improvement.

Most of my weight loss has occurred from my buttocks, which is bad news since I seem to spend the best part of the day sat on my backside on one seat or another.

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Photos

Leaving Bodrum
I just can't stand it