Tropical Storm, Marmaris Castle & Old City

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Geo: 36.8524, 28.2632

Woke up in Kalkan to a very pleasant morning after the storm. Unfortunately that changed and we encountered very heavy rain for about an hour. Large pools of water on the road. Last night's rain had caused rivers to rise leaving an excavator stranded. Thankfully the rain was only temporary and along the way the sun came out. Marmaris is a tourist destination for many British citizens. One restaurant advertised steak & kidney pie. The town gets its name because of the rich deposits of marble in the area. The town has a beautiful harbour and has a cruise ship terminal. The castle is excellent. The original castle dates to 3000 BC. At one point it was besieged by Alexander the Great. It fell into disrepair and in 1522 was rebuilt thanks to the Ottomans under Mehmed the Conqueror. Various battles were fought with the Knights of St. John who were based in Rhodes but also occupied the Dodecanese Islands. Marmaris is strategically located between the Aegean and Mediterranean. Lord Nelson and his entire fleet sheltered in the harbour in 1798. In 1914 the French bombarded the fort and destroyed it. The castle was restored and reopened to the public in 1991. There are many excellent displays and because it is relatively small it is easy to view. Our hotel,is located within easy walking distance of the harbour (10 minutes) and the old city (20 minutes). It is on a busy street but the room is on the 3rd floor. Side Note - Yesterday and today we have been stopped at a police roadblock 3 times. No explanation as to why. We were just asked to produce drivers licence and registration and then told to go on our way. Seems they were randomly checking cars.

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Comments

[Carla]

Very interesting place. The lunch looked wonderful.

[Carla]

I didn't get a blog today, Where are you?