Tag: https://www.goturkeytourism.com/

Asia, Countries, Europe

In Bodrum it’s the pipe of peace

funtime65

The Son and Heir was more used to me ordering a coffee and a biscuit, but when in Bodrum it’s the pipe of peace.

Well they say that in life you should try everything (and that would include the shisha pipe) once.

By hookah, by crook


Smokin’: The hookah

You probably need to be from Turkey, the Middle East or North Africa, to pull off the kasbah chic look.

And so that when I joined the shisha gang next in Istanbul and Jordan I declined the pipe of peace.

My cuppa tea

A beautiful day: Bodrum

Instead I just sipped my mint tea and watched the regulars play chess.

In Bodrum. I dare say there were more than a few Bobby Fischers, but on our first days in the marketplace it was backgammon.

They played a different, more fast-paced game than the one me and my Mum would play back in the stuffy Glasgow suburbs.

It wouldn’t have gone down well to chain smoke in front of my Dear Old Mum, exhort Allah or slam my counters down.

Chairman of the board

Counter attack: Backgammon

The cry of Ally filled the air too in Bodrum when I would try to bring the Son and Heir back into line.

And would discover a market trader swirling the six-year-old in the air exclaiming Ally!

They would look out for the boy every day with the Arabic name every day when we would walk through the market.

We had made instant friends.

And we would enjoy a family holiday we still look back on with joy 20 years later.

A slice of Turkey

It’s all about the… tea

I would fall in love with Turkey, its Turkish barbers, mud baths and Turkish dancers.

Which is why my heart breaks to see the wildfires around Bodrum.

And holidaymakers evacuating for rescue boats.

The Turks have suffered particularly badly through the pandemic.

So the wildfires must feel like the last straw.

Flying Turkey

Flying high: Turkish Airlines, Istanbul

Inevitably, and not without some evidence, the climate change zealots are taking excessive joy out of the situation.

I, of course, do not have the answer. But I would say that we cannot glibly just say make it more difficult to fly.

As exploring foreign countries, meeting the locals and making their friendship is the best way of breaking down barriers.

Because when they do get back on their feet, remember in Bodrum it’s the pipe of peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asia, Countries, Deals, Europe, UK

Vote for Turkey

funtime65

It’s gone under the radar but remember when we were warned to keep Turkey out of Europe… well now we want to keep Europe out and bring Turkey in.

While Greece gets added to pretty much the rest of Europe in being pulled from the exempt list holidaymakers returning from Turkey are safe from quarantine.

Which is as it should be. No, not the Greek bit, but the Turks bit.

JettyHolidays in Turkey

And as it happens we’ve got some deals for you to snap up some late summer sun.

Jet2Holidays has additional seats to Antalya and Dalaman from my local Edinburgh Airport.

What about this all-inclusive family holiday the Grand Yazici Club Marmaris Palace in Icmeier in the Dalaman area from £398pp?

Pool your talents

You’d rather ditch the family you’ve spent the last six months in lockdown with… well, here’s an adults only package.

The Flora Garden Hotel on the North side of Antalya area from £709pp. And there are private plunge rooms available too.

Water way to go: On the Bosphorus

Turkey was our first family holiday abroad, and our first in October when being further south you’ll still get the sun.

Of course, Turkey has its foot in Asia and in Europe so maybe those scare tactics that the Leavers used were pointless.

Constantinople, Byzantium, Istanbul… whichever of its iterations, has always been proudly in Asia and in Europe.