Turkey, Cesme

Cesme has been a weekend and summer retreat for the well-to-do residences of Izmir for century’s. Recently it has become one of Turkeys most prominent centers of international tourism. Many hotels, marinas, restaurants, and family second homes, with wonderful beaches are now found in Cesme and its surrounding towns and villages. A very cutie town to note is Alacati, it is a historical town on the leeward side of the peninsula so it is perfect for windsurfing. It is noted for its Greek house, ancient windmills with modern wind turbines on the hill overlooking it. It is known as the windsurfing and kite-surfing capital of Turkey and the third best surfing resort in the world. Putting it on the map, link

M.E. and I drove all around the peninsula and visited some of the most beautiful little villages and natural harbors. It was amazing to see all the little summer home communities popping up around the older establishes villages. Late in the afternoon we ended up in the windsurfing area near Alacati. I sort of had the idea of wanting to rent a board after not windsurfing for over 15 years. The conditions seemed right so for an hour I rented some equipment. To my surprise it all can back very natural, as they say, like riding a bike. It was just windy enough to get up on a plan, so for an hour I was out playing again in the wind and surf. It was good fun!

There was this wonderful farmers market and general market Saturday morning in the village of Alacati. It was early October and I guess the growing season is extended in this area because of the warmer climate. The fruits and vegetables were plentiful, beautifully displayed and in abundance. It was great to see the variety being offered. There was another section of the market with long rows of stalls selling all kinds of items, from shoes to tableware. We spent most of the morning walking around, stopping at a local outdoor restaurant for some tea. All in all we really like Istanbul and Turkey. It is a fascinating country, steeped in history, dynamic landscape, naturally beauty, with an abundance of locally grown fruits and vegetables. It is ashamed that it is now getting bad press.