What’s happened since I last posted? I have no idea. All I know is it involved a lot of cheese and a lot of alcohol and I woke up this morning and I was in Belek, Turkey. Ok.. cool.
Two days ago: Annecy, France As several of us wanted some good exercise, we decided to go on an extended hike around Annecy which ended up at a fondue place for dinner. Instead of traditional fondue we decided to share a raclette, which is a type of cheese that is continually melting at your table and served with charcuterie and potatoes. We ended up with literally a third of a huge block of cheese hanging under this sort of V shaped iron which heats each side of the wedge until it melts and you can scrape off the goodness onto your plate to eat with bread and meat. And, apparently, the only things you are allowed to drink at a meal like this is either white wine or hot tea. Definitely no water! Did someone want water! Hell no!
One day ago: Geneva I met a friend of mine along with several of his friends for what they believe is the best fondue in Geneva. They felt a little bad that I had already eaten 5 pounds of cheese the night before, but considering the way they were talking this place up, I said.. bring it on! Out came two large pots of boiling cheese and twelve hundred loaves of bread. And the wine. Of course. Homemade wine this time which was excellent.
Of course, after the fondue, we had to have an aperitif in order to digest all the damn dairy. So we had a glass of pear alcohol. Sorry I can’t be more specific than that. We had this with a couple plates of double cream soaked meringue. My heart.. I can feel it screaming. Ok.. well, then we needed to digest all this additional dairy so, of course, some more aperitifs, please. Did I mention that we went out for beers before dinner? Oh.. and after dinner, too. I was back at my hotel around 2am after 23 pounds of cheese, more drinks than I can count, some drunken texts to Marcus and, finally, I was asleep. All in all, a very fun night.
Yesterday: Turkey I arrive to much warmer temperatures than my wardrobe was anticipating. I think I am a little out of practice because my packing job for this trip was terrible. I need a few more tank tops and shorts. But I have my swimsuit and the Mediterranean beckons. The flight in was amazing as I had great views of the Greek Isles. Almost wanted to ask the pilot to land on one of them and let me off.
There was, of course, mass confusion on getting a group of us to our hotel which involved driving from our terminal, to a second terminal, to a third terminal, waiting at the third terminal for 20-30 minutes, driving back to the first terminal, getting on the highway to go to the hotel, getting a call that made the driver stop on the highway and start driving in reverse while cars and busses fly by us honking because apparently he needed to go back to the third terminal… again. A couple hours later, I am finally in my room, exhausted.
Today: Turkey I had a slow start to the morning but the sun woke me up at about 7am. I had all morning to wander and explore, eat and swim. I left my room at about 9am, realized that I forgot a towel, tried to get back in only to find that my key card no longer worked. Frustrated, I hike back to the reception building and get a new one.
All the food and drink here is included in the price of your room, which is weird. I keep feeling like I’m stealing. I wandered along the shore which is amazingly beautiful. The hotel is set in a bay and on the other side of the bay are the Taurus mountains, all scraggly and brown. It’s hot already and there is a haze in the air so I can’t capture the mountains in any pictures. The ocean is calm and a wee bit cold.
I’m feeling a bit lonely today. I don’t know what it is. Maybe that I’ve been traveling for a week and I have another full week to go, which seems like a long time. I wish Marcus was here because this is the kind of place best enjoyed with another person. Whatever the reason, I find the hotel a bit ridiculous (FIVE pools??!!!!!) and the staff a little surly (or maybe it’s just me???). But then I went down to the beach at sunset and watched the sun descend behind the Taurus mountains in an amazing display of light and contrast and I felt a wee bit better. After dinner with a small group, I walked back to my hotel, happy to have some time to relax, insert my keycard and.. crap… Guess I’m hiking back to reception for a third keycard.
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Boy, would I love to be there with you -- don't be lonely though! Think how close to all your countrymen you are! Thumb your nose at a Turk for Kostas!
ReplyDeleteSounds like Andy's nightmare ... all that cheese! You'll be home in less than a week. Enjoy Turkey and that fabulous hotel!!
ReplyDeleteNot remotely. Because raclette comes from Annecy, as everyone knows, and Annecy is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
ReplyDeleteRaclette! Isn't that what Heidi shared with her grandfather in that book years ago about the little Swiss girl and the cheese and the grandfather and the mountains ... and .... all that? Isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd remember to tell the Turks that you're Albanian ...