Me Time

We only to often hear that phrase, 'me time', being a therapist I often tell my clients that they must always allow time for themselves. It is a very important aspect towards holistic healing. Because of the nature of my business, helping others, counseling and helping to heal, I am acutely aware of my need to have 'me time' to. I fondly call it, ‘recharging my batteries'.

For me 'recharging my batteries is taking myself to one of my favourite holiday destinations, Oludeniz, Turkey. I first travelled to Oludeniz last August with one of my girlfriends, as a last minute whim holiday, a much needed break for both of us. Neither of us had visited Turkey before, so we both agreed to give it a go.

Tuesday

We both instantly fell in love with Oludeniz, and vowed we would without hesitation return time and time again, so here I am writing this blog, whilst relaxing, enjoying the sun, sat round the pool.

I arrived earlier today, my accommodation was at the Turk Hotel, a small family run hotel, offering B&B, and half board accommodation. My first port of call was to have a wonderful pedicure, which would help considerably with the buildup of water retention from the four hour flight, at the Otel Alize Beauty Salon. Much talking and laughing and catching up was enjoyed by all, as I met up with staff from one of my previous trips to Oludeniz.

I am now well over half way into just one of the books I brought with me, Eat, Pray, Love, I have already read it once, but felt I had a need to read it again. It's a very thought provoking book, as was the film, but as always in so many cases, the book is far better. It is filled with wonderful inspirational quotes such as,

"Attraversiamo: Let's cross over (let's trust each other)", 


“I've come to believe in something I call "The Physics of the Quest." A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally...“, 


and “You're going to have to learn to select your thoughts the same way you select your clothes every day”



I ate in the hotel this evening, and enjoyed a selection of typical cuisine, There is an abundance of vegetables that are consumed in Turkey, produce like tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions and potatoes being put to very good use in stews, salads and soups. Chickpeas, lentils, bulgar wheat, and rice (sometimes made into pilaf) are all eaten on a regular basis. The famous doner kebap, slices of lamb cooked on a vertical revolving spit, is the country’s national dish and can be found everywhere. Shish kebap is chunks of lamb grilled on skewers, while the Iskender kebap involves lamb drenched in melted butter with layers of pide, plenty of tomatoes and yoghurt. Kofte are traditional meatballs.

Wednesday



Up early as I always am when on holiday, breakfast eaten, which consisted of the traditional Turkish breakfast, which combines flavours you may not have first considered throwing together for your morning meal! It includes lots of bread with jam or honey, feta cheese, olives, a hardboiled egg, sliced tomatoes and cucumber.

I was sat by the pool by 9am and there is only 3 of us poolside with hardly any beds reserved with towels. Now that is a rare site!

Babadag Mountain

Temperatures are already at 27 degrees as the sun peeks out from behind Babadag Mountain. Today’s plan, well what is there to plan, I am here to relax, so that is exactly what I intend to do. We had been blessed with a gentle breeze as the temperatures soared throughout the day. The day consisted of reading, sunbathing and swimming and of no particular order, as well as lunch of a simple jacket potato, served Turkish style, costing a mere 8.50Tl, equivalent of approx £3.

Managed to finish one book and have just started on the new chapters of Committed, also by the same author if Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, kindly loaned by my good friend. I also achieved 51 widths of the pool, ok it's not extremely wide, but for someone who does little swimming this is an achievement :-)  There is something about basking in hot sun and relaxing that always inspires me.



Turkish Cay



There are many things to sample in Turkey, including a must have traditional Turkish bath, usually including a form of massage and exfoliation and Turkish Cay (Tea), a black tea beverage, which is extremely refreshing, served in tulip shaped glasses, called "ince bellis". A very popular drink with the Turkish.

Thursday



Hubbly Bubbly Pipes



Another relaxing day by the pool, hardest decision is what to eat or drink the simplest of life, which can only encourage much relaxation and distressing. I was feeling a little peckish during the day. Pistachio nuts are everywhere, as are hazelnuts, of which Turkey produces half the world’s supply. They can be bought for pennies from street vendors – as can figs, sultanas, pine nuts, and hot, fresh cobs of grilled corn. 

Friday

It was already showing signs of being another scorcher, and it was too. I was highly amused mid afternoon when I entered my room after the maids had cleaned it to find my towel laid out on my bed in a shape of a heart with flowers scattered over the covers, a lovely finishing touch.

This evenings' meal was in Fethiye with Turkish friends, we visited a newly opened Pide restaurant. Pide is the Turkish flatbread sold in every store and baked on every street corner. Pide is also the name of Turkish pizza, the bread is topped with lamb, onions, cheese and tomato or any variety of combinations. Did you know that the Turkish eat an astounding four times as much bread as any other nation.

Ayran

I was served Aryan a traditional drink made with yogurt and water, and sometimes salt. It is often served alongside fast food, very much an acquired taste.

For dessert I was able to sample Künefe It is made by drizzling a row of thin streams of flour and water batter onto a turning hot plate, so they dry into long threads resembling shredded wheat, this is called ”wire kadayif”. Cheese and sometime ground pistachio nuts are put in between layers of the wire kadayif and cooked in small copper paltes served with very hot syrup, it went perfectly with the Turkish coffee.

After our meal we returned to Oludeniz to have a wander around the local shops and market stalls, I also got to sample Dragon Fruit, a fuchsia pink skinned fruit with scales, also known as Pitaya or Cactus Fruit, it tasted very similar to Kiwi fruit, except the flesh was bright pink!

Saturday

Another chilling day around the pool and talking with fellow guests and sharing our knowledge and love of Turkey. Early evening I trekked over to Hisaronu to have a wander around the town. It’s a lot livelier than Oludeniz, more clubs, pubs and bars, not to mention the funfair!




Sunday

Lycian Tombs

I spoke with a group of Turkish teachers today, guests at the hotel, who was surprised at my knowledge of Turkish language. They had studied English 20 years ago and did not get much opportunity to practice as the town they lived in, north of Istanbul did not have many English speaking tourists. We had a fascinating conversation sharing our knowledge about our cultures and language

Monday



Fethiye Sunset

Today is the start of Ramadan. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual intimacy with their partners during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God.

Ramadan Kareem is a common greeting to Muslims at the start of their fasting period. Not all Muslim can or do participate in this ritual.

At sunset the family will gather the fast breaking meal known as Iftar, the meal starts with the eating of three dates.

Clay Oven

This evening I was invited to join a lovely couple I had met here in the hotel for a meal. They had been recommended a restaurant called the Kings Garden in Fethiye. This place was just at the foot of the Lycian tombs carved in the rock face. When we arrived at the restaurant having been collected by an air conditioned bus, arranged by the restaurant, the views were amazing, not only of the tombs but of Fethiye itself.

Once seated and our menu choice selected we were told we could go up to one of the tombs, so off we trekked, in time to catch a fantastic sunset. The end of fasting for Ramadan was signaled by one canon shot and calling from the mosques once the sun had set.





Meze is a integral style of Turkish eating, which was at the start of our meal, served with Puffy Bread, cooked in a clay oven. Our main course, Desti Kebab, was also cooked in the clay oven in small clay pots. Our meal was lovely, so can clearly see why the high recommendation. After eating we were then escorted back to our hotel by bus, total cost of the whole evening, 3 course meal for 3, 1 bottle of wine and 1 water and transport to and from hotel £20.

Tuesday

Spent the day by the pool again and finished my third book. I also observed those that were participating in Ramadan. The temperatures were in the region of 37 degrees today. The summer months are the hardest time to do Ramadan, where no food or water can pass their lips between sunrise and sunset. Drummers, a tradition dating back to Ottoman times, wake people for pre dawn meal of Sahur, a light meal eaten about half hour to one hour before dawn.





Wednesday

I ventured down to Belcekiz beach early this morning after breakfast, hardly anyone insight, stall holders were just setting up their wares. I watched the sun rise over Babdag Mountain and lit the place up. Also I was snap happy with my camera getting shots of a deserted beach, all bar the beach boys and the mass of loungers and brollies.  

The swallows were doing a merry dance across the hotel pool when I returned, its now 9am, and I am the only one sat by the pool again. I love this time of day, it is peaceful and quiet, perfect for meditation to set yourself up for the day.



Dana Banayar

This evening I went for a meal with another group of people I had met here at the Holel, we went to the Daphne Gardens, another highly recommended restaurant. I chose Dana Banayar, a beef, vegetable and cheese dish, slow baked in a clay oven, it was wonderful. We then returned to hotel just in time to say goodbye to some friends, who were returning to the UK.

Thursday

Another trip out early morning, this time to the famous Blue Lagoon of Oludeniz.  The reason this heavenly place is called Olu deniz ("Sea of the Dead") is attributed to the following legend;



Blue Lagoon, Oludeniz

Once a father and son were caught in a storm here and were in danger of sinking. The son claimed that if they approached the rocks ashore they could take shelter in a cove. The father on the other hand asserted that their ship would be driven onto the rocks and break up and that there were no coves around here anyway. In his terror of running around on the rocks, the

father knocked his son (who was at the helm) into the sea with an oar and took over the helm himself. Just as the ship was about to hit the rocks on the cape, she turned into this calm, smooth watered bay.



Blue Lagoon

The blue lagoon was also made famous by the film of the same name. As you can see it was extremely quiet when I was there. I waded around in the warm crystal clear still waters for several hours watching the fish swim around my feet. I was hoping that I may have spotted a Turtle surface, wasn’t quite sure but am sure I saw a mass of bubbles as one swam around by the pontoon in the distance.

The evening was spent in the hotel, talking with fellow guests. A refreshing bit of fun later with hi-jinxs from the bar staff, when I was thrown in the pool fully clothed!

Friday



Beautiful Turkish Lanterns

Last day of my holiday, and as always sad to go. Popped off out to get some last minute shopping, then spent remainder of the day in the pool, talking, swimming and sunbathing.



Had a big send off by staff and new friends, when it was my time to go to set off to the airport. I guess I am going to be missed. Looking forward to returning again soon.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, as much as I have enjoyed writing about one of my favourite places to relax and chill with "me time".

Please feel free to comment. Below are links to various sources with regards to this post. 

Turk Hotel, Oludeniz, Turkey

Otel Alize, Oludeniz, Turkey

Elizabeth Gilbert best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love

Turkeys For Life - a great blog on Fethiye and living in Turkey

Kings Garden Restaurant, Fethiye

Ramadan

Ramadan Drummer Tradition