Turkey has continued to impress us. We covered lots of
ground over the last couple weeks, with stops in Antalya, Kas, Ölüdeniz, Pamukkale and Bodrum. Mais avant
de commencer, il faut souligner que notre dernière semaine a été marquée par un événement encore plus magnifique: la
naissance de nos deux nièces jumelles! Welcome to parenthood, Marie and
Frank. On a vraiment hâte de les rencontrer!
The southern region was very different from what we’d seen
so far – but in an equally appealing way. While we loved the cultural aspect of
Istanbul and Cappadocia, the south felt a bit more balanced and definitely had
a more typical European beach vibe. As an example, instead of 3 mosques
competing simultaneously for the loudest prayer 6 times a day, you only hear
one much more subtle hymn, and less often. Gen could even walk around
comfortably in shorts without disapproving looks being sent her way! And if you’re lucky, you might even cross a
couple random hippies jamming to Stairway to Heaven on a lonely rock halfway up
a hill in the middle of nowhere. Priceless J.
Antalya and Kas were very charming coastal towns, with
narrow streets and cute little restaurants and bars spread throughout. A bit
quiet because we were early in the tourist season – but that said, we were
happy with our timing when we got to Ölüdeniz, which was swamped with sunburnt British tourists. Luckily,
this was compensated by the most amazing 30 minutes of paragliding off of a
2000-meter cliff… they say it’s one of the top three spots in the world, which we
just might believe. Ace’s pilot was even crazy enough to let him fly the thing…
luckily he’s well versed in aviation (mmmm…. says Gen…and maybe Ace too). Next
was Pamukkale, renowned for its incredible travertines. Check out the pictures!
Last but not least, we finished with Bodrum, a chic, trendy town that the Turks
compare to St. Barts and St. Tropez. Maybe they’re pushing it, but the great
nightlife vibe was a perfect note for our last days before moving on.
Final impressions: Getting around in Turkey is as easy as
any country we’ve traveled in. The country is clean and the water is a
beautiful clear blue. It’s culturally rich, and for the price the food is
probably as good as we’ve ever had – with variety ranging from what might be
the best burger in memory (by far!) to succulent seafood (Ace even enjoyed the
escargot). And finally, one can’t help but be surprised by how genuine and
friendly the locals are. Overall, the biggest flaw we’ve noted is the lack of
tourist promotion for their country!
Et maintenant en français… sur demande spéciale de Max ;) La dernière semaine et demie de
voyage a su nous épaté sans arrêt (avec photos à l’appui) : un resto après
l’autre de bouffe incroyable à Antalya et Bodrum (mmm… de la crème glacée
Mövenpick, un bon burger au cheddar et des moules au pesto… impressionnant pour
des non-adeptes des fruits de mer comme nous); l’eau turquoise aussi
transparente que du verre et la qualité de nos talents de kayakistes de mer
hors pair à Kas; des vues à couper le souffle du haut de notre parapente à 2000
mètres dans les airs et un hôtel qui ressemble à un jeu d’enfants chez McDonald
à Ölüdeniz; des terrasses aussi blanches que neige et un coucher de soleil
digne des plus beaux à Pamukkale; et, pour la cerise sur le sundae, un petit
village avec une tournée des bars qui rivalise Montréal à Bodrum (peut-être
même pour la prochaine fête de Shannon – surtout pour nous faire pardonner
pour le fait qu’on a manqué les deux derniers ;).
En fin de compte,
notre seul problème est que la Turquie a mis la barre très haute pour le reste
de notre voyage! Et ce n’est que le début… Reste à voir ce qui nous attend au
Portugal!
Photos - May 28-June 7: The Turkish Mediterranean Coast
Photos - May 28-June 7: The Turkish Mediterranean Coast
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