Kaleköy, «Castle's village», in Turkish, known as Simena in ancient Lycia, is now a village of the Demre district in the Antalya Province, located on the Mediterranean coast. The ancient Simena was once made of two parts - an island (known as Kekova) and a coastal part of the mainland (Kaleköy). From inscriptions that have been found, we know that the history of the ancient city of Simena goes back to the 4th century BC.
"ON THE WAY - From Cayagzi, the harbor of Demre"
"DEMRE BAY"
"CASTLE - The village is overlooked by a Byzantine castle, built in the Middle Age by the Knights of Rhodes, partially upon ancient Lycian foundations, to fight the pirates nested in Kekova"
"YACHT HARBOUR - A bit too empty these days..."
"I LIKE THE SUMMER..."
"SINGER/SULTAN - You'll probably need to enlarge the picture to see how Sultan looks like Singer..."
"VIEW - Inside the castle there is the smallest of theatres among the cities of Lycia, carved into the rock, with a capacity of about 300 people, a sign that this was a minor settlement in Roman times"
"FRAMED"
"BAY - Looking from the castle it becomes clear how a natural safe harbour this is. The actual shelter for yachts was Teimiussa (Ucagiz), a landlocked bay surrounded by green hills"
"NECROPOLIS - At the eastern end of the village is a Lycian necropolis with a cluster of some very nice sarcophagi overlooking the sea and surrounded by ancient olive trees"
"CARPETS"
"PORT"
"CAFE ANKH"
"DEMRE BAY"
"LUNCH TIME"
Posts
46 comments:
Hi Everybody! I won’t be surfing the Net for the next few days, but I don’t want to leave you empty hands for the whole weekend... ;)). So there is a new post for you to enjoy; and this time I take you to a lovely part of the Turkish Riviera.
Hope you enjoy and have an excellent weekend!!
I like the framed shot the most. Another great journey from you GMG. What a visual treat. Stay safe always.
I want to visit every place you show on your blog, Gil. You take the best photos and always seem to ahve a good time whereever you and the Mrs go!
What a fantastic set of pictures, as always! I pray to God to get the opportunity to see these places for I'm sure a man well travelled can have nothing more to yearn for and still be blessed with utter bliss!
The FRAMED shot and BAY shot looks great... Did u buy any carpets..???
My Travelogue, Savoir-Faire
Beautiful and lovely shots !! Bay is looking fantastic !! I am amazed to see them..Great photos..
Your photos make Turkey look such an exciting place, a place to put on my list of places to visit.
What a lovely journey GMG. Really I enjoy seeing the beautiful pictures of the place you visit and I think when the time will come so that I can also see these wonderful places. All the pictures are mind blowing.
Qu'est ce que je suis nulle en histoire sur la Turquie. Heureusement il y a ton blog pour clarifier certaines choses.
I love the shot with the Singer sewing machine! My grandma had one and she used to teach me how to hem skirts with it. I miss my grandma...that photo sent shivers down my spine.
Always love the places you visit! And your bits of history to go with them. Armchair visiting is also a pleasure :)
Hope you'll fly in and out to vote for me in this competition that is on. Thanks, globetrotter!
how do u manage to travel so much?? it's evident that u guys enjoy travelling but is it ur profession or just a way of life??
Have u visited India??
O would love to work outside sewing my clothes :)
Wonderful posts, Gil! Also the last one from Santa Claus (for the Americans) or "St.Nikolaus" for the Europeans, like us :)
Thanks for sharing. You're still in Turkey...?
Susanne
I have a singer sewing machine similar to that one, although I've never used it! My grandmother used to sew on one. Beautiful place!
Wonderful pictures! The blue water is amazing. I really like the pic of the Turkish flag at the top of the hill overlooking the village and the water.
Wonderful! Yes, surprised to see how empty the ports / marinas seem to be. When you visit the French Mediterranean ones, they are more than full and you wonder if anybody is really sailing. Of course in St. Tropez, the most important is to be nicely berthed ... and seen!
Wowza! I would love to live on that hill overlooking the sea. What a view. Yes, a well travelled person must know bliss.
Joyce
the sea look really nice with some of old constructions ^^ but the hills would be nicer if they were covered more trees ^^
Sight amazing pictures I saw these singer machines over there in the street I love the old castle on top of the hil
A wonderful place to make holidays: the castle ruins on the hill and the view from above.
I wish I could visit the castle. The scenery of the castle and its surroundings are so superb. Thanks for dropping a note in my blog. :)
Man! Can we run away with you two sometime??? you have such glorious pics.... lovely.
Astoundingly beautiful! Can one get up to the castle still? A place to kidnap imagination!
a very interesting and beautiful place... the colour of the water is amazing!
The architecture of the buildings is so visually in tune with the environment. I just love it and the blue water and sky.
Wow! These are some great pictures! It must have been magnificent out there! It would be so cool to live there...by the sea:)
Beautiful place! Thanks for bringing it to us through the wonderful snaps.
:)
Hi Gil! Many thanks for this fabulous trip! I've really enjoyed all the wonderful images, the Demre Bay with the little clouds and the boats, the yacht arbour, all the fine views of the castle and from the castle, the Bay of Teimiussa which looks like a lake, the picture with the carpets is beautiful as well.
Have a very nice week! :-)
Hello GMG. Another gorgeous views.
I Love the sea.
Thank you so much for bringing us there.
One day I will see these in actual:).
Loking forward for your next stop.
Cheers. Regards.
At least the Sultan/Singer has a very nice view over the harbour.
Isn't it a beautiful country so full of varieties. For sure I am going back !
I love it when I find a good travel blog and this post is telling about my part of the world..So good..
what a sweet and quaint place!!!....
I'm so jealous of the people who live in those homes along the waterfront! What a view they must have!!
oh...I shall dream of this place tonight...a home here would just be perfect..and you are right! Malacca was missing 'formosa' indeed. Happy week ahead Gil :)
Que c'est beau et tout ce bleu, c'est un pays auquel on ne pense pas visiter, mais je vais y penser, il y a beaucoup de vieilles pierres, ça j'adore.
fun fun fun!
the ocean view taken from the castle grounds is great...
Will we see any plates of excellent Turkish food appearing in the series?
As to LHR..........next time ABSOLUTELY, Trotter!
Will we see any plates of excellent Turkish food appearing in the series?
As to LHR..........next time ABSOLUTELY, Trotter!
Hi Mr. and Mrs. Trotter,
Thank you for more lovely photos of Turkey. The water is so crystal blue and amazing!!
Welcome home to you both!
Constance'
Hi Everybody! Turkish Riviera 2008 is coming to an end with some lovely colours, I assume! The sea, further to its tremendous colours, had an unbelievable temperature and, at least when we were there, was perfectly suitable for admirals… (That’s a Portuguese expression used to name a sea with no waves at all… ;)). I see that you enjoyed it as much as I did… So, now, enjoy your weekend!!!
Norman,
That framed wasn’t easy to catch, but in the end it came out quite well!! I’ll try to keep safe, though the pandemic is developing…
Pat,
Having a good time isn’t that difficult; just a question of mood and good taste… ;). Choosing the places is harder, in particular having still so much to see… But, all In all, probably the secret is to try to find out the good things there are in any places you go to – and there are always some nice things anywhere - and forget the grimy side of the sites – which are also always present… ;)
Rakesh,
Great thinking! I wish your dreams come true and you manage to travel as much as you wish; from my side, I must tell you that my trips are much shorter than I would love… but the point is that our world isn’t such a small one, contrary to the well known saying… ;))
Friend,
I didn’t buy any carpets in Turkey, though once I spent some time in Istanbul on a carpet show… Must confess that, after having seen some hundreds (truly more than one hundred carpets…), I wasn’t in any mood to buy a single one… And then, one always has to bargain the prices, and when I have to bargain I’m always convinced that I’m going to be cheated… What is the sense of asking you 1000 if they are willing to let it go by 150 and the real value might be no more than 60? No, thanks…
Unseen,
You think the pictures are lovely, but truly is the site that is wonderful! Better plan a vacation there, once you have seen all «unseen Rajasthan»… ;), a fabulous region in our wonderful planet!!
Diane,
It isn’t the fault of my pictures: you can believe that Turkey is actually an exciting place to be seen, as most things in this world, before it gets polluted… For the time being, with roughly the same population as France, it gets seven times less tourists every year… ;)). So, start packing right now and hurry up; time is pushing… ;))
Babli,
I’m happy to see that you enjoy the pictures and posts; and I’m sure that sooner or later you’ll manage to travel and see most of these places by yourself… Meanwhile, start packing… ;)
Thérèse,
Disons que c’est beaucoup plus facile de savoir quelque chose de l’histoire d’un pays si on a la chance de pouvoir le visiter, sur place… Bien sûr, un blog peut aider un peu, mais ce n’est pas la même chose… ;)
Jen,
I feel that most of our grandmas and even some mothers had one of those famous Singer sewing machines, which in Turkey were probably sold under the brand Sultan; it was quite impressive to see one of those machines just like that under the tree… ;)
Keats,
I’m glad you liked the places I’ve shown and actually armchair travelling is a piece of cake... ;)). I’ve already voted, so you may count with another excellent vote on your blog!!
Sue,
That seems to be a dream post: work under a tree, enjoying the nice view of the sea... ;)). The story of St. Nicholas’ statues in Demre is an amazing one; don’t think there is anything similar elsewhere for St. Nicholas or any other one... ;))
This Turkey was in September 2008; you know I’m always at least one year late in posting... ;))
Rhonda,
I can imagine that you never used your Singer sewing machine... ;)). Exactly the contrary to what happened with your grandma. Different times... ;)
Ron,
A flag on the top of a hill, furthermore inside a castle, always brings back some youthful dreams of conquest; parallel to the mature dreams with Steelers and Penguins... ;))
Replies, Part Two. Sorry Jd, had to put you out of order because it didn't fit in Blogger's limits... ;)
JD,
I’m going to repeat the answer given some years ago to the young Singaporean – Clarence – who was also willing to travel around the world... ;))
«OK. Let’s try some “Rules to Improve a Young Man’s Capabilities to Travel”:
1. Begin with the reading: “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” or better “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog” will do;
2. Choose a career which allows you to travel a lot – concierge is not recommended! ;)
3. Start hitch-hiking – see references at “Blogtrotter Revival” or, safer nowadays, embark on a Student’s Exchange Programme;
4. Get an occupation where you get paid for travelling – for the purpose of enjoying trips, working as a travel agent seems to be only a last instance’s option;
5. Build your Travellers’ image: Marco Polo, Fernão Mendes Pinto, Vasco da Gama, Cabral, Magalhães – aka Magellan -, Columbus...
6. Like Bruce Chatwin, make choices: Sotheby’s/Sunday Times Magazine or “Have gone to Patagonia”? Buy or travel?
7. Choose your motto: “Navigare necesse est; vivere non est necesse” (Gnaeus Pompeius – 108/46 BC - aka Pompey the younger, commanding frightened sailors during a severe storm – “to sail is necessary; to live is not necessary”);
8. It works? You will be able to quote Benjamin Disraeli: “Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen”;
9. Doesn’t work? Why not trying to join the Salvation Army?…» ;)))
Now seriously: I travelled a lot in the past professionally; nowadays is mostly entertainment... As far as India is concerned, there are twenty one posts on this blog; see label list India!!
Peter,
This one was a very small marina, and was probably intended only for the passing boats on the Kekova Road. But it’s true that either the yachts were all large at sea or then, as it was already September, European tourists were all back home with children back to school... It has nothing to do with St. Tropez where people go «to see and be seen»... ;))
Joyce,
I’m sure you would have a great view from the top of that hill; but then I suspect you’ll need a huge library to stay there for some time: except for the sarcophagus, there isn’t much more around and one can’t spend all day just looking at the sunken city in front... ;))
Galaxy,
You know, desertification isn’t only a concept; if you travel round you’ll see that’s a reality; sad, but true...
Marja,
I’m glad to bring back your good memories; the story of Mr. Singer and the sewing machines is an incredible story of success. The most amazing one was the machine I saw in India, entering Jaipur…
Ingrid,
Yeah, for holidays seems perfectly suitable, but I wonder that it must be tough living there, in particular in winter time with much less tourists around, if any at all... ;))
Alice SG,
My pleasure to comment on your posts!! As for the castle, it’s a nice place to visit, but imagine it renewed as a «hotel de charme»... I can imagine you spending some weeks there... ;))
Jo,
You would be certainly welcome to come with us in one of our trips, but for the time being it seems you’re going to be busy with the children; and then, when they grew up, it will be probably too late for us to be travelling around this not so small world... ;))
Ted,
Yes, you can walk the whole way up to the top. There is only one slight problem, at least for me: the temperature is in summer close to 40º Celsius, roughly more than 100º Fahrenheit... ;))
Piika,
Wow, great to see you back here!!
You’ll have to see the next post on the «Sea Symphony» to actually have a glimpse of the amazing colours the waters get on that Simena/Kekova region. Truly amazing!!
Replies, Part Three!
Paula,
That’s what we could name as sustainability «avant la lettre»... ;). The fabulous display of blues and turquoise were to come on the next post...
Yvonne,
It was magnificent, but I wouldn’t say it would be lovely to live there... If you want to enjoy your life by the sea, you have better move here and live in Lisbon... ;))
Bindhu Unny,
It’s my pleasure to show the sites and even much more happy when visitors love it and show that in their comments. Thanks!!
Pietro,
You’re welcome!! My pleasure always to take you around!! Actually this whole they trip that drove us around the Demre region was one of the best adventures we made in the Turkish Riviera!!
Regina,
It’s my pleasure and I’m the one who is truly happy to see that you enjoyed!! I’m sure you’ll see all these places as soon as you wish; but, as things tend to get spoiled every day, it’s probably better to visit it rather sooner than later. Start packing... ;))
Hélène,
That was certainly the intention, I think... And it also has the tree shade, so that you can work without being burnt by the Turkish blazing sun... ;))
Gattina,
Full of contrasts indeed, I would say! I still have two destinations there to see: re-visit Istanbul without a snow storm and Cappadocia!!
Turquoise Diaries,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here! And thanks also for the nice words... The region I’m showing and that probably is very well known to you is absolutely wonderful!!
Shooting Star,
Quite picturesque indeed! And there were the old Singer machines like the ones I saw in India...
Lori,
Come on, jealous? ;)) OK, living in the waterfront is a wonderful thing; I’ve always dreamed of, but never managed to make it... However, when you live in New York, the only jealous are the non-residents... ;))
M.Kate,
Have you imagined spending 365 days a year there? I’m not so sure it would continue to be a dream, unless it turns a bit of a nightmare... ;)). Thanks for acknowledging the unforgiveable missing of the «Famosa» in Malacca, the ruins of the «Famous» Portuguese Gate of St. James, also known as the «Formosa», the «Beautiful»... ;))
Lyliane,
Ne laisse pas toute cette discussion en France à propos de l’accès de la Turquie à l’Union Européenne obnubiler une visite que s’impose: il y a des sites absolument superbes à voir dans ce coin… ;)). J’espère que tout va mieux maintenant chez toi!!
Mariposa,
Fun! The first time I remember hearing that word was long time ago, but that was because Elvis was playing «Fun in Acapulco», though he never went to Acapulco in his lifetime… ;))
Eye,
You’ll something even more impressive in the next post, as far as sea colours are concerned!
Stuart,
Sorry, no food this time; but since you remembered, we’ll have something great next time I’ll drop by London... ;))
Constance,
The colours of the sea water in that region are stunning, as it can be seen in my last post on the Turkish Riviera 2008!!
That's a beautiful place to spend time at, would love to be there.
Barb,
Just start packing... ;))
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