Day 63: Foça to Gövoka, 300km. Up to 39°C

We enjoyed our stay at Lola38°. 
Perfect hospitality. The hotel was a carefully restored very old building.
Rooms were in the garden courtyard.
Breakfast was served in the morning shade out the front overlooking the harbour.
Eggs mixed through a tomato and capsicum  sauce, 
Freshly baked borek (thinly rolled pastry filled with cheese)
Fresh apricots steeped in syrup, grilled goat's cheese, olives, white cheese with cheery compote, cheeses, tomatoes and cucumber, 
freshly squeezed orange juice and chai.

Biçan and her father were wonderful hosts. He had restored the old building over three years.
The turquoise, delphinium blue and pink colours were gorgeous and restful.

Dick has a plan that we ride for 300 km in the mornings with a stop every 100km.
An excellent plan on these hot days.
There are lovely tea places on the side of the road. Often inconspicuous, covered in grape vines. A spout of water near the road seems to be a hint.

I am using google translate and have a series of sentences at the ready for when we stop.
Today Firdevs and I  a conversation via the phone screen. Thank you Fern for the tip about this App.
There were some young women at the next table. I liked the T shirt and purse of one of them.
We have seen some T shirts which are crude and I suspect the wearers don't know what the words mean.

There are mosques in the villages. Some are new. There are often piles of marble chips nearby the new ones.

The land is very dry.
Olive trees adorn the  hill sides, fields are parched.
There is some irrigation and some small fields of tomatoes and other vegetables.

The sun plays games with some clouds in a mystical way.

A brand new university on the hill outside a town.
Men doing men's work over chai unde the shade of the grape vines, their motorbikes nearby.
Two nearly naked men ride their bikes down the hairpins to Gövoka. 
A serious numbers game is underway by several tables of men as I walk past in Gövoka.

We had a little trouble finding the hotel today. 
I hopped off the bike to enquire. I gave Dick the directions and decided to walk down the hill.
Foolish move. My dark bike jacket had absorbed lots of heat. I nearly melted. A little bit would be OK after today's breakfast! But...
The host gave me water, I hopped into the pool, had a beer and recovered.

Later in the evening when the heat had dissipated we wandered down the hill to a fish restaurant. 
Some guests were dining at tables set in the river.
We chose our fresh fish, nibbled on broccoli and squid from the Mezze cabinet and relaxed.
Another memorable day on the road.


 
Firdevs and I had a lovely chat via Google Translate.
 
Gorgeous girl.


 

 


 
 
  

 


 

 
Revival.
 

 
Which one will we have? Sea bream, sea bass, red schnapper, perch...
Sea bass tonight.
Served with a slice of onion, lemon and rocket.
Deliciously fresh and cooked to perfection.
 
 
 
 

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi Diana and Dick,
We are enjoying following your blog. This early part in Turkey is very familiar to us from two years ago. The weather was not so hot though.
Love
Rod and MAry
Pearlsonwheels said…
Hi Rod and Mary, We are enjoying our time in Turkey very much. Lovely people and food and the roads are good. Really appreciate the swim at the end of the day. I am sure Paul wasn't out walking at this time of the year! D

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