Kaş and the Mediterranean Sea

Kaş (pronounced Kash) is a small town on the Mediterranean Sea. Our group of four ladies (read: leydis) Eda, Ozge, Canan, and myself, took an early morning flight from Istanbul to Dalaman and then an almost 2 hour car ride to Kaş. It's small, quiet and pretty there with views of the tall hills around it, the Mediterranean, and the Greek island of Kastellorizo. Kaş takes up less than two paragraphs of my 2012 guidebook and in 2015 it was still a hidden gem - most of the tourists were Turkish, but really there were few tourists. There were many shops but no one was harassing us to come inside and there were many restaurants and bars. The beaches were great because there weren't any sandy beaches just swimming platforms/places to jump off into the sea, so the beach chairs set up there were actually free - order food and drinks or don't, just have a good time! Or you can take different ferries to different beaches like we did! We also did a boat tour of Kekova Bay where we got to swim and gasp at the beautiful scenery. Eda and I also sneaked off for a day trip to the aforementioned Greek island of Kastellorizo. Life was very good in Kaş!

The drive from Dalaman airport to Kas provided some gorgeous views.

Travel Companions: Ozge, Eda, and Canan

A door in Kaş 

Kaş 

Kaş with the Greek island of Kastellorizo to the far right.

Window in Kaş.

Hills and boats.

We got in so early that first day that we were able to hop on a ferry to a beach across the way called Nuri's Beach. We hung out all day, Ozge and Canan tanned their faces off, Eda and I kayaked in a single canoe like a couple of attached-at-the-hip lovers...and trust that we had lots of difficulty passing certain barriers and half the beach was laughing with us. I love people who do not take themselves too seriously, it's the only way to live.

Nuri's beach 

Turkish poses? Thai poses?

Back in Kaş, we ate, we drank, we had fun, and we swam. We could have spent a few more days and gone to some ancient ruins and other beautiful beaches, but alas, time is short and we can only so as much as we can. Next time!

Hills. Boats. 

cousins

Raki is a Turkish alcoholic beverage mixed with a bit of water. Tastes like black licorice.

Canan's a sweetheart.

Turkish breakfast should really be the only breakfast.

Shops and a Lycian tomb in the very background.

Lycian tomb. History is everywhere!

Ataturk from the back looking out at the sea.

Istanbul, kalbimi kalbimi (my heart)

Merhaba (hello) and welcome back to Turkey! I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in Turkey in June 2012 and experience the beauty of the city, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, the Bosphorus, the friendships, the music, the food, and the travels to Troy, Assos, Bergama, Ephesus, Olu Deniz (don't go there), and all of Cappadocia. Oh, and do you remember that I finally was cured of that epic ear infection that I got in Thailand? Yeah...non of that this time around. Coming out of winter this year, my friend and Turkish sister Eda informed she was heading to Turkey for her annual trip to visit family, and after very little deliberation I decided to join. Twice lucky!! This time around my Turkey travels included Istanbul, the Mediterranean coastal town of Kaş (pronounced Kahsh) and it's surroundings, and a day trip to the Greek island of Kastellorizo (or Meis)! So much beauty, so much fun. Here are some photos form Istanbul that revisit many of the things I got to experience three years ago.  

BUT first off, my first night I had midye dolma. 

Midye dolma are mussels stuffed with rice, herbs, and pine nuts with lemon squeezed on top. I am salivating as I write this. How did I miss this delicious street food the first time around? Oh! I only started to like mussels a few months ago. The real question is why did I only eat them one time on this trip? I guess I have to go back to Turkey...

Mel + Me + a lot of midiye dolma
This is the way you eat street food at 1 in the morning. The people behind the camera
were convinced we would get sick. (We didn't. It was delicious.)

Blast to the past along the Bosphorus.

The grounds at Sakip Sabanci Museum.

Sakip Sabanci Museum

Beautiful Islamic Art at Sakip Sabanci Museum

Sakip Sabanci Museum

Art at the Sakup Sabanci Museum.

Bosphorus and the Asian side.

Turks and Russkis.

Recycle your bottles and cat/dog food will be released for all the strays.

I love free international exercise. 

Istanbul reflections.

Turkish family.

We ate at Ali's. Delicious.

Leydis

Friends from New York who then moved to Florida were also in Istanbul. Ah, Turkish breakfast.

Murat is a very tall man. Cortney, me, Eda.

Welcome back to Hagia Sophia, the most special building I have ever seen (twice!).

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is a former church which was converted into a mosque and eventually turned into a museum. From it's original construction in 537 until 1453 it was a Greek Catholic cathedral, except between 1204 and 1261 when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathdral under the Latin Empire. It was converted into a mosque in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople. As history often shows, new rulers tend to destroy the old, but here the Ottoman rulers were impressed by the cathedral and instead of tearing it down, removed the bells, altar, and relics and removed or plastered over the mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary, and Christian saints and angels. Islamic features like the four minarets were added. In 1935 the mosque was secularized and opened as a museum by the first Turkish president. They uncovered the Christian mosaics and kept the Islamic features, making the Hagia Sophia a special place where people of all different cultures and religions can join together to marvel at it's all-inclusive beauty.

Fountain. Hagia Sophia

Door. Hagia Sophia

Viewpoint. Hagia Sophia

Epic. Hagia Sophia.

Happy to be back at Hagia Sophia

Mosaics dating back to the 12th century. Hagia Sophia.

Hallway. Hagia Sophia.

Blue Mosque.
I didn't visit it this time around, but I did get to see it's beauty from the exterior.

Spice Market.

Spice market.

Why is there a baby in the jewelry display? Babies love gold?!

Galatta Tower.

Someone got herself an exquisite hat.

Why be touristy and go up Galatta tower, when you can have a drink
on the roof of a friend who lives just across from the tower.

A couple of Turks.

I told you about Turkish friendships, right?

And then we went to the movies at Akmerkez and the theater was dope.

Reserved seats. 5-6 rows. Comfy seats. And there was an intermission half way through.

Comfiest seats ever. We saw 'Jurassic World' and
fell for Chris Pratt's silent, smart, strong portrayal of Owen, the raptor trainer.

Birthday celebration for Ozge, Can, and Dodo.

Soho House - Istanbul, 'cause we fancy like that.

Leydis

Lycian Secret - Istanbul Edition.

Mel and Eda and some creepy street art.

Istanbul Street Art

I forgot that Turks don't sit inside bars, but instead stand/crowd outside of them.
 This is a street with people having a good time at 4-5 different bars.

Tough, angry pandas.

Tarkan Forever <3

Song of summer for me and Hasan, my Turkish baba: