Lundy Island…

The Hidden Gem Of The Bristol Channel…

My tale of Tallship exploration continues, this time exploring a lesser known island off Britain’s coast.

Having departed Southampton, we continued our trundle along the Channel. The Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, Lizard Point and Lands End were all observed, and We had brief stops in Plymouth, Falmouth and the Isles of Scilly.

In the Scillies, we had planned to go ashore. Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favour, and the fog made visibility almost impossible. The sound of the bell ringing became a constant, and as we left Scilly, the mood was glum. The first place we could have got ashore properly, we didn’t…

The was some good news though, as enroute to Cardiff (our next destination from the Scillies) we had planned on stopping off for a night anchored off an island called Lundy.

This remote, isolated island has a permanent population of 30, and is somewhat of a haven for natural observations and research.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, mainly because of the fact it is meant to be an incredible beautiful place.
Let me tell you something…I wasn’t let down!

Landing on the island takes place at the aptly named Landing Bay. From here you can see how high the rocky cliffs are, and it makes you appreciate why not many people would want to live here. It also makes you appreciate why so many people have shipwrecked their vessels on the shore. To think that sailors all throughout history have been caught out by the weather and have ended up smashed up on the rocks is frightening to think about, especially considering that emergency services and lifeboats weren’t available.

As you wander up the road towards the village, you have a great view of Landing bay and the incredible rock structures that decorate Lundy.

Seeing Pelican anchored in the bay made me feel really pirate like, and I was glad to know the other people I had landed with felt the same!

An interesting observation a pal of mine made was the fact there were 0 trees on the island, I suppose it’s no wonder, bearing in mind the island is situated right in the middle of the Bristol Channel with zero protection from the prevailing wind and weather. (This probably also contributes to the incredible coastline and weatheredness of it!)

My intention on Lundy was to explore the island as much as possible, unlike the vast majority who either went straight to the pub or stayed down at the beach (though who could blame them, since during our time onboard there hadn’t been any alcohol permitted, and nobody had yet gone swimming)

I was lucky enough to walk all the way from Landing bay to the northern tip. On the 2 mile walk, I was really impressed by the incredible natural beauty and wildlife.

Beautiful green pastures and rocky tors littered the landscape, as herds of goat, sheep and highland cattle all wandered calmly around the fields. It was interesting to observe that despite being so rugged, there is a somewhat beautiful and elegant charm about it, especially through the sense of hearing….

One of the things which really stood out to me on the walk to the north point was the peace and serenity of the nature. All that you could hear was the crashing of the occasional wave hitting the cliffs below, the occasional mooing of a stray cow, and the rare motor from one of the few cars on the island.

After exploring the inland and northern tip, I took leave to the pub for a drink and snack, before continuing to walk around the island.

Another point of interest I visited was the church, which I always like to do when I’m somewhere new. Unlike in the Greek islands where the monasteries are adorned beautifully with gold and authentic frescoes, Anglican churches are somewhat calmer with the extravagance of the gold and colours. However, it was really lovely to see some Stained Glass windows, which you don’t get in most Romanian, Greek or Bulgarian monasteries/churches.

I found it quite interesting comparing Lundy to some of the small Greek islands I’ve visited, especially the likes of Kasterlerizo, Psara and Halki. One thing remained true to all those places, which was the sense of community between the residents, and there welcoming spirits. They differed historically, geographically and naturally, but the everyone on Lundy was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Lundy island is certainly a place I’d recommend to anyone who considers themselves an intrepid adventurer, and bearing in mind Lundy is so small, unfortunately not many people know about it!
Anyone who has the chance, make sure you go!
Thank you Lundy Island!

(To conclude this blog, I’d like to once again stress the fact that I’m sorry I’ve not published in a while. It really is difficult to find the time, especially since when you have internet there is always something that has to be done. Then when there isn’t much to do, which is generally at sea, we are to far away from land to get any internet connection. So you all know, I’m currently writing the blogs offline, and as soon as I have WiFi, I’m publishing them.)

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My First Yacht Delivery…

This past week has been VERY busy.

As I mentioned at the end of my last blog, I was skippering a yacht delivery from Levington in Suffolk to Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Spoiler alert, the trip was successful, and as I’m writing this now I’m snug in my bed with a cup of coffee and a crumpet, thinking back on what an incredible experience it was and how lucky I am to be able to do something like it.

The boat was a Beneteau, which was good, because I know my way around the “Plastic Fantastic” French Yachts.  The only difference to our yacht ‘Steady on Jean’ however, is the yacht I was delivering was somewhat smaller….32ft to be precise!

Now anyone who sails will realise that packing liberally for a sailing excursion is essential, especially since Yachts in general have very limited space.  So I spent Monday evening last week organizing things to take on my epic voyage half way around Britain.

So Tuesday comes along, I get up at half past five in the morning, prepare the last things and tidy up the apartment I’m staying in, jump in my ride down to the marina at seven o’clock, and away we go by seven thirty…

Not quite.  I certainly jumped in my ride at 7 o’clock, but in typical sailor fashion no one was there.  The boat I’m delivering is locked, so I can’t even brew the kettle!  I walked up to the sea schools office that is organizing the delivery.  No one there.  So I sit, and wait…

After some considerable time of twirling my fingers, admiring a Halberg Rassey in the boatyard, and checking over the last bits and pieces of the yacht, my crew and voyage companions arrive.  So we get the boat sorted, prepare the last few odd things, fuel up, and (at last) we’re off…only an hour behind schedule!

Now before I continue, you’re probably wondering why a 16 year old is taking charge of a 32ft sailing yacht on a 500 mile (800km for my Continental followers) trip.  To answer that, in a none superfluous and simple way (which I will find extremely difficult as I like talking!) basically, I am qualifying myself to do an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam, which needs the person to have done a 400 mile trip in Tidal waters, acting as 2 days as captain, and must have lived on a yacht for a minimum of 30 days(hahahahaha), along with 12 night hours…

Out of those 4 things, the only one I needed to get was to have done 400 miles in Tidal waters.

So now you understand why my first sailing trip in UK/Atlantic waters in 6 years or so is quite the baptism of fire!

The trip in general wasn’t particularly hard, but there were some parts that were difficult.  Most notable, there was crossing the Thames estuary, were you’ve got to avoid the innumerable amount of Wind Turbines.

There was also the Goodwin Sands, which can be quite difficult in strong tides.  Luckily, the only thing we had to worry about were the UK Border Force, who had a nice good look at our boat from afar.

After that, Dover, and the worlds busiest shipping lane, the English Channel.  It’s standard practice as a yacht to call up Dover Port Control and ask permission to cross the entrance of Dover port, since the traffic is really quite incredible.  Ferries, tankers, cruise ships diving in and out, passing you on all sides.  I can only imagine the hard work the people at Dover Port Control have to cope with, so well done and thank you!

Passing Dover was quite mystical, since the sun was setting and the silhouette of Dover castle stood menacingly over the outrageously busy docks.

Once we passed Dover, our beautiful, warm sunny day turned into a traditional English day, as it rained all throughout that evening.  Thankfully, by the time the night watch sessions began, it had cleared, and during the night it held off.

My watch session was 3 o’clock the next morning, so I settled in to a deep sleep, ready for what lay ahead.

Wednesday came along.  The boats still floating, so obviously my plan worked haha!

As I start my watch session, we’ve just passed Beachy Head and passing Brighton, heading towards some flashing red lights (which later turned out to be ANOTHER wind farm!).

We had originally planned to stop in Brighton Marina to fuel up, but it seemed like the old girl still had some miles in her!

As the day rattled on, we passed the Isle of Wight, where a massive cruise ship lay at anchor, redundant due to Covid(!), Poole and eventually the day ended just off Portland Bill.

Still no need to fuel up, so we set our sights on Plymouth for the next day.  I had the 9 till 12 watch tonight, which was good fun since off Portland Bill and the Shambles there was a considerable breeze, so I managed to get us sailing at six and a half knots over the ground…  I don’t know how many of you have sailed at night, but if you ever get the opportunity to, do it.  It’s so peaceful and quiet.  Especially that night since there was no traffic and light pollution, which meant the stars were incredible!

Besides my spectacular night watch, Wednesday in round terms of the whole trip was probably the most boring, since navigationally, it was pretty much straight lines…

Next morning, I take watch from six o’clock.  We’ve made it across Lymes Bay, and we were just off Start Point and Dartmouth.

As we round the headland and start our approach for Plymouth, we get amazing wind.  Bearing in mind it’s a delivery, we want o be as quick as possible.  However, since all of us onboard were fed up with the whirring of the Yanmar engine, we started beating upwind towards Plymouth Sound.

What we found to be the biggest nucance throughout the whole trip was the placement of fishing pots.  It seems as though the fisherman aren’t very concerned with where they place them, since they are right in line with the approach from Salcombe to Plymouth Sound.  Luckily, unlike the Turks and Greeks, the fishing pots are bright orange balls, which are somewhat easier to spot…

After many hours of great sailing, the wind, (in its typical fashion) died off, leaving us to drift.

So we cranked the engine back to life, and followed the Eastern channel towards Queen Anne’s Battery Marina, right on the Barbican, where the Mayflower set off from.

I hadn’t been to Plymouth in many years, so it was nice to see the Plymouth Hoe and it’s iconic Lighthouse again.  I was looking forward to be right In The centre of town and go for an explore that evening…

Unfortunately for us, QAB had no fueling pontoon, (or at least they had a fueling pontoon but no fuel), so we quickly came up with our next plan of action, and decided on going around the corner to Mayflower Marina.

This marinas a bit too far out of town, but nonetheless, it’s a secure place where you don’t get thrown 5 feet into the air every time you go over a wave…

So we had done 302 miles so far, in four days…not bad going, especially keeping in mind we were going into the prevailing weather and wind!

So back out to sea on Friday.  Rounded some very significant headlands today, such as Lizard Point (the most southerly part of the British mainland) and Lands End (the most westerly part of the British mainland).

Both headlands are significant aswell for seafarers, as they represent very dangerous areas where the sea can whip up and cause many problems.  Lizard point is sometimes known as the “Graveyard of Ships”.

However, Cornwall in general isn’t that hospitable to ships, since it is thought that on Cornwalls 250 mile coastline, there are an estimated 6000 shipwrecks!

It’s no surprise really, especially if you consider the county’s position and how unprotected from the Atlantic it is.

Lands End was very impressive.  Not only the fact it symbolizes the end of Britain before the expanse of ocean, but also the phenomenal cliffs, that are incredibly jagged.  It’s no wonder countless ships have been wrecked!

However, we safely rounded both points, and that evening we settled in for the last leg of the passage.  A simple straight line from Lands End to the entrance of Milford Haven Basin.

I had the 12 to 3 o’clock watch, which was good fun, especially since we were sailing really well in 17-25 knots of wind.

Funnily enough, I managed to see the distant lights of my hometown Newquay, so for my Newquay followers, just know that I waved hello!

So, Saturday.  The last day of the trip was very rolly, bearing in mind we had a some big Atlantic rollers coming in.  At this point we were still sailing, and had been for the past 10 hours-it wasn’t until we entered the basin of Milford Haven that we dropped our sails, and that wasn’t for another 3 hours!-though what made the last leg even better than was for about an hour and a half, we were surrounded by about 40+ Dolphins, who gleefully danced and lept out of the water really rounding out an epic and impressive voyage.

I love seeing Dolphins, especially when they seem so cheerful and happy to play on the bow of the boat and cruise alongside us.  If they could make it more obvious when they are jumping out of the water, that would be better, since they’re really difficult to get good pictures of!

However, in true Welsh fashion, there had to be a bit of rain.  Luckily for us, the trip in general had had very little.  Certainly at night it was chilly, but I had thermals, gortex, gloves and coats layered on to deter wind chill.

It was only in the last 2 hours of our approach to Milford Haven that the rain really started throwing it down, which dampened the mood considerably.  But after following another one of my great passage plans (the other one being entering Plymouth Sound) we made it safely through the bouyage and through the lock into Milford Marina.

And there we go, my great baptism of fire for sailing in British waters again, and first time as skipper without the security of going out with my sailor friends in Turkey or my family.  It was really a great experience, and certainly one I will remember and cherish for many years to come.

If I were to be critical of my approach, which every captain after a voyage must be, then I would change only a few things.

Firstly, I would have made the nightwatches fixed times, whereas on this trip we were on a router, which not only messed up our sleeping schedule, but also meant there was a lack of discipline as such on board.  As you can imagine, being on a 32 ft boat out of sight of land can be quite boring, so knowing you have set times adds some organisation, which is essential on yachts.

Secondly, I think (and the people I were with agree with me), that my way of waking up the crew was a bit….gentle.  What I mean by that is if that person wasn’t on watch at a particular time, I’d be doing it for him.  I suppose I should of stuck to my guns, but hey ho!

I won’t chat about the drive back or Milford Haven itself, since regarding both things there isn’t actually much to talk about.

However, I will leave this poem here, since I find it quite poignant and I hope whoever’s reading this will appreciate that it really shows how I feel towards the sea, and boating.  It’s a really beautiful poem:

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.”

Sea Fever by John Masefield

Keep an eye out for my future blogs, as I will soon be documenting my travels on the Pelican of London…

If any yachtsmen are reading this, I’d be really interested to know how you organize you’re crew for a long haul delivery.  Leave your comments down below!

The Sehit Fethi Bey Park…

…A Superb Addition To Fethiye…

As you may know if you’ve seen my Twitter or Instagram, we are now back in Fethiye.

It’s great to be back home, and for the next week I will be settling back into the Turkish-(and the home school!)-way of life.
One of the places I was looking forward to exploring upon arriving back in Fethiye was the new park, which has been built on the flat wasteland area between Fethiye and Calis.
The new park is called the Sehit Fethi Bey Park, and this is in honor of the first pilot of the Ottoman Air Force and the towns namesake ‘Fethi Bey’.
His story goes that he was flying from Istanbul to Cairo, but unfortunately, on the 27th of February, he crashed his plane into the desert between Damascus and Jerusalem.

For his gallant effort, he received the title of the airforce’s first aviation martyr (‘şehit’ means ‘martyr’ in Turkish).

As the pilot was from the area, the people of Makri thought it apt to name the town after the martyr, so in 1934, Makri became Fethiye.

-(As a side note, on the 27th of February this year, as part of a service commemorating Fethi Bey, we admired two Turkish Air Force F-16s fly over the statue in attendance of pilots and other senior Air Force officials)- a fitting tribute to this aviation hero and noisy beyond belief!

The Sehit Fethi Bey park opened in July 2018, so, I’m trailing behind my fellow Fethiye bloggers and newspaper journalists that have already written about the park, but, never mind- great things are always worth the wait!

It was good to see in illustrations of the park before its build that it would cater for both the young and the old, with a series of outdoor gyms, play parks, a skatepark and basketball ball court for the youth, whilst older people would enjoy the wonderfully well kept gardens and it’s two library areas.

It’s more than great to see the realisation!

Sure enough there is plenty to see, do and enjoy for young and old alike…. The playground facilities are far and away more adventurous and ambitious than the projections made for the area…in fact we ( my friends and I ) had so much fun there we immersed ourselves in the best game of hide and seek – ever – which went on for some hours!

My fellow hiders and seekers ( who, incidentally, were aged between 20 and 26 years old [clears throat] ) came away from the game with flushed cheeks and grinning like children…..and I would just like to clarify a point, we weren’t actually the only ” grown up ” children enjoying the parks grounds and equipment! We saw adults trampolining and sliding down the massive tower slide…….we even saw a dog on a swing??

 

Another brilliant thing about the park is now Fethiye and Calis are joined with a better cycle and running path. Previously, you would have had to either cycle along the road or braved the marsh/wasteland with some seriously muddy off roading and a couple of fences to scale avec la bicycle……… but now, I – and you – can enjoy a flat and comfortable ride all the way.

When you wander about the architecturally modern and pristine park you admire a fine selection of sculptures, including that of a metal man standing on a metal fish, perhaps recognising the many fishermen around this part of the bay.

There are also several installations of horses at different points of a gallop which are imposingly large and impressive.

Despite not being traditionally Turkish, there are also some Dutch style windmills that are dotted about the place and the new canal-style river system has fine watermills, and Ducks patrolling the river ways.
In many respects, it reminds me of the sculpture park in Kemer-in the Antalya Province which sits close by to the marina, but The Sehit Fethi Bey park is much more structured and impressive.

There are also a splattering of giant snails, Teletubby hills and some freaky wonky houses thrown in for good measure…..interesting and eyebrow raising concepts.

Despite being built on quite a large area, there are signs steering you to the various different vicinities dotted about the recreational ground, and there are plenty of illustrative maps giving you a comprehensive perspective of where you are and where everything is.

Personally, my favourite part of the park is the small amphitheater that sits beside a water feature and pond, and is situated on the opposite side of the river from the three storey climbing frame.

The water in front of the amphitheatre has a rather small island archipelago, where tortoise, small turtles/terrapins, ducks and other water birds paddle and enhance the peaceful surroundings. I’d find this area the most soothing place to sit down with a book and glass of çay In hand and get lost in the pages of an interesting travel story whilst relaxing in the serene ambience.

It also has a personal autonomy with me as there are beautiful metal sculptures of flamingos that stand in the water, silhouetted against the backdrop of Fethiye bay. This brings a smile to my face as I recall my recent road trip and final sailing adventures as, in Porto Lagos, which was the starting point of both of these recent journeys the nature park and wetland reserve there had flocks and flocks of real flamingoes, bright pink and camera shy unfortunately!

In conclusion, the Sehit Fethi Bey Park has become an outstanding addition to Fethiye. With its plethora of sculptures, the beautiful and well kept gardens, and the modern and indeed adventurous playgrounds, the place truly is somewhere that caters for everybody’s needs. It’s a place were people can meet up and have fun, locals and visitors alike.

As an important note, picnics are not allowed-(though food and drink can be bought either just outside and also from kiosks on site)- Dogs are not allowed either but there is parking on site. Also, don’t worry about having to pay an entrance fee, as the park is completely free and open and available for all to enjoy……

Apparently – I hear – the lights in the recreation ground are quite an awesome spectacle at night….. I’d better take my tripod and go and see, watch this space……. ” hide and seek” anyone?

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The Buzluzdha Monument…

In 1891, a group of socialists led by Dimitar Blageov assembled secretly in the area of the Buzluzdha Peak to form an organised socialist movement that led to the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. This then became the Bulgarian Communist Party.
The communist party would go onto lead the country after the Second World War with Russian support, so to commorate the creation of the party, in 1981, the Buzluzdha monument was built.

Sitting at the top of the peak, this perculier UFO shaped building, cost about 14,186,00 Lev to build, equal to about 35 million US dollars today.

To build it, they had to blow up the top of the mountain. The height now is 1,432 meters, but before the construction, it was 1,441 meters. By blowing it up, they had to dispose some 15,000 cubic meters of discharged rock.

At the opening ceremony of the monument, Bulgarian leader Todor Zhikov proclaimed:
“I am honoured to be in the historical position to open the House-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party, built in honour of the accomplishments of Dimitar Blagoev and his associates, who, 90 years ago, laid the foundations for the revolutionary Marxist Party in Bulgaria.
Let the pathways leading here – to the legendary Buzludzha Peak, here in the Stara Planina where the first Marxists came to continue the work of sacred and pure love that was started by Bulgaria’s socialist writers and philosophers – never fall into disrepair”

“Let generation after generation of socialist and communist Bulgaria come here, to bow down before the feats and the deeds of those who came before; those who lived on this land and gave everything they had to their nation. Let them feel that spirit that ennobles us and as we empathise with the ideas and dreams of our forefathers, so let us experience that same excitement today! Glory to Blagoev and his followers; those first disciples of Bulgarian socialism, who sowed the immortal seeds of today’s Bulgarian Communist Party in the public soul!”

Despite the history it’s associated with, it is a very impressive building. Inside is meant to be too, but unfortunately you can’t go in there anymore because of glass in the ceiling falling off and injuring People.

If you get the chance to visit this area of Bulgaria, I’d really recommend doing so.
In all honesty Bulgaria and Romania have been incredible places to visit, not only for the places we’ve been to, but also the wonderful people we’ve met on this once in a lifetime trip.

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The Transfagarasan Highway…

 

High in the Fargaras mountains, lies a road that flows like a piece of string discarded…..it weaves into hairpins and long flowing bends, that curve and climb high above the trees and hills, and ascends through gorges and valleys, tunnels through mountains and crosses over brooks..this, is the Transfagarasan…

The ninety kilometre long road was built in the early 1970’s as a strategic military route so the Russians could quickly rush troops and tanks to protect its southern flank in case of war between the east and west.  Caucescus concern however was if the Russians tried to invade Romania, like they did with Czechoslovakia in the 1950’s.

It was mainly built by the military, and it had a high financial, and human, cost.
The work was carried out in an elevation of 2,000 metres, using roughly six million kilograms of dynamite to blow out the cliffs and rock formations. The employed were prodominantly junior military personnel who were untrained in blasting techniques. This resulted in many workers dieing. Official records suggest that 40 soldiers lost their lives, but unofficial estimates put the number in the hundreds.

Despite all the destruction and death, the road was completed in 1974.

The Transfagarasan is the second highest paved road in Romania, only behind the Transalpina, but this road is a much bigger attraction for hikers,motorists, bikers, cyclists and tourists generally not only for the views and brilliant driving itself, but also since there’s a small lake enroute, and Poenari Castle, the real castle where Vlad the Impaler lived.

Some people visit it since British TV show “Top Gear’s” lead host Jeremy Clarkson proclaimed it to be “the best driving road in the world”. Geoff however, disagrees…he says that the Transalpina is a much better road to drive on…so you’ll need to drive them both for you to be able to decide for yourself.

In conclusion, the Transfagarasan is a wonderful road. It’s smooth, with brilliant views and is a pleasure to drive on. If you come to Romania, this is a must do!  (As a side note, it’s closed between October and March since being so high means it’s buried in deep snow for the winter months)

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Barsana Monastery…

…A Piece Of Heaven On Earth…

9th October 2018

We’ve left the Maramures now, heading south back towards Bulgaria. We’ve still yet to explore the really touristy parts of Transylvania, such as Brasov, Sighisoara and Sibiu.
But before we head Off in that direction though, we will go eastwards, to the area which borders Moldova, called Bucovina.

We stopped enroute after twenty minutes driving, thankfully, at the Barsana wooden Monastery’s…

This enormous complex is made up of large, grand wooden houses and an incredible monastery, which together sit on a beautiful, grass hill with a lovely view overlooking a clean and unspoilt valley.
The Monastery itself was renovated in 1993, and has been done in an authentic and traditional way, meaning it’s in a brilliant condition.

This is the first thing you notice upon walking up the small incline towards the white-walled entrance, built underneath a tall, wooden tower.

Peering through the arch, to your left, you will notice a garden vividly dotted with roses of many shades of red, pink and white, and a plethora of other trees and flowers that adorn the sides of the stone paths, and other flowers that hang down from the finely carved wooden balconies.

Entering the premises, you feel at peace and the scenrenity of the monastery is astounding. The only thing that breaks the silence is the sound of bird song, and the occasional sound of passing traffic.

It’s funny to think that despite being a popular tourist stop, and protected and listed by Unesco, a church procession happens every Sunday at 10:45.
Bigger events are set up for more tourists and pilgrims alike, who visit the monastery on the 30th June each year, when “the Barsana Monastery Celebrates and venerates the 12 apostles that are the protectors of this holy place”.

Within the site there are several traditional wooden buildings. One holds a museum which illustrates life as a monk, as well as giving an insight into authentic religious equipment, such as murals, shrines, crosses, icons and many other beautifully patterned and decorated items.

 

You can spend about 45 minutes exploring this place, whether it be praying in the stunning monastery, or following the stone paths that weave throughout the garden, Barsana Monastery is a must-see.

After spending some time admiring the wonderful gardens and buildings, we set out towards our destination.
It was a long drive from Barsana to our next stop, Vatra Dornei, located in the even more traditional area of Bucovina, known for sharing a border with Moldova and its famous painted churches, which date back from the 15th and 16th centuries…but more on those tomorrow…

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The Breb Village Hotel…

…Gateway To The Maramures…

The Maramures is an area of Romania which is still untouched and really it seems, undiscovered by the rest of the world. The traditional wooden churches and tall, magnificent wooden gates are dotted around the towns and roads, and the landscape is like nowhere I’ve been. A patchwork of pastures and fields is dotted with haystacks, which have taken the workers hard, old fashioned labour to build, here is a land where the hay is still cut by scythe and gathered by the family.

In the Maramures, history comes alive…It really is like stepping into the pages of a history book. The people are heartwarmingly friendly, and the houses they live in are straight out of the pages of a fairy tale . They work hard, and toil in the fields for hours on end, especially now as winter draws on, the harvest must be in, the apples collected and hay dried. The ground is covered in pumpkins and squashes and there is a cheery wave from the workers as you pass…
You see them working under the backdrop of the blue Ukrainian mountains as you descend from the winding roads which bring you into to this secluded and romantically charming place.

In order to experience the life in the Maramurian village, and to explore the much overlooked and extremely fascinating area, we decided to stay in the Village Hotel.

Situated in the Maramurian village of Breb, the Village Hotel is a small complex made up of traditional houses of the area.

What’s incredible about these houses though, is the fact the the owner had gone around Romania and found houses in a derelict state, dismantled them, and then rebuilt them on this plot of land, creating an eclectic village of varying styles of old Maramures wooden houses.

The land the complex-(or village,)-is on is a 1 hectare space, and it sits on a quick flowing stream that runs though the center, surrounded by fruit trees and the organic gardens.

Penelope, the women who owns a runs the place, gave us a cosy, 70 year old home which was perfectly adequate for three people. Inside, the homes are furnished like what they would have been like some hundred years ago, albeit with the added luxuries of central heating or log burners, fridges, electric and feather duvets!!!

Life in Maramures has changed very little, meaning some villagers don’t even have plumbing or electric even now. In the cottages the doorways are traditionally decorated, and there are fine decorations hanging above the windows.

In the houses kitchen, there is fresh milk, butter, eggs, bread and local fruit and vegetables provided so you can pretty much be self sufficient, with a spattering of pastas and rice provided, you don’t have to eat out but the evening dining experience in another house in the village, served by a friendly local name Veo is one not to be missed and you get to meet your travelling neighbours as you tramp up the hillside under a canopy of stars. Along with the organic goodies left for you in the cottages kitchen there is also a bottle of the local drink, a type of plum/apple brandy known as “horinca” in this area, which will certainly warm you up on a chilly autumn evening!

The hotel offers various ” experiences ” which should cater for anyone and everyone’s adventurous or even not adventurous streak. The evening shepherd experience for example involves a drive into the next village and a brisk hike into the mountains to the summer sheep station, where goats cheese can be toasted on the fire and the shepherdess serves up a rustic goulash as you wait for the spectacular sunset over the Carpathian Mountains and for the herd to come home. Accompanied by various breed and numbers of sheepdogs, shepherds and the donkey, it really is an experience of a lifetime.

The Village Hotel is open between April and the start of December. Obviously, if you want to get in contact with Penelope, you can contact her on the hotels website or its Facebook page to check availability for rooms, houses or trips.

Ottostop

 

A Screen Printing Workshop…

Mum and I are just back from a great morning being creative and getting messy with Leyla Temiz from Ottostop. In her own words Leyla describes Ottostop as an ” independent design & screen printing studio shaded by a large avocado tree in a jungle-like garden in southern Turkey. Inspired by nature, travel, local village life and traditional Turkish arts & crafts.”

She’s got that pretty much right!

“Ottostop” is a combination of the words Ottoman and Ottostop, which is Turkish for ” hitchhike” and immediately appealed to our bohemian, nomadic lifestyle.

We arrived the morning after the first huge electrical storm of the winter and both mum and Leyla were complaining about lack of sleep from the noise of the storm the previous night. The garden though, was glistening wet in the morning sunshine and looked all the more jungle like from its recent drenching.

Inside Leyla’s studio we were briefed very professionally about the methods and principles of screen printing and encouraged to practise a few times on gift cards and paper, until we were confident with the required technique – we were also encouraged to create our own inspirational designs to work with, if we wanted to, – but mum and I were happy to work with Leyla’s prepared screens……. for now….

Leyla was on hand permanently to cast an eye over our shoulders and pass on encouragement and also to humbly point out enormous mistakes ( such as still leaving the clear Perspex marker sheet down when you come to do your print ! Doh ! )

Even though some errors were made, we had loads of fun in Leyla’s studio, and in the end turned out some really great ad interesting pieces of artwork!

A delicious array of breads, olives, fruits and cheese were laid out on one block board unit in the corner of the studio, and between snacking and feasting upon these nibbles and matching colours for the most impact for each print we were attempting, the morning passed really quickly. Chattering the whole time, mum, Leyla and I were getting along like old friends, the teacher was most gracious and accommodating.

Ottostop workshops are offered all year round out in the hidden Yaniklar studio, they need to be booked with Leyla, obviously, and you can contact her through her website or her Facebook page to check availability and organise a session.

The workshops are a great way to get in touch with your creative demons, and even though I wasn’t immediately inspired to create an image from my own designs, since I have come away I have been brainstorming some concepts for a new heading for my blog…. An ” adventurer in training ” conceptual logo… the sketch pad is on the table and I think we will be visiting the Yaniklar jungle again really soon.

The Fethiye To Kayakoy Walk…

Since winter is slowly approaching, it is becoming much cooler for the dogs and ourselves, so now, we can take them out during the daytime on hikes.

 

Last weekend, mum and I decided we were going to walk from the marina to the nearby abandoned village of Kayakoy, a twenty minute drive from Fethiye, but an 8 kilometre forest hike.

We set off at eleven o’clock and walked with the dogs on the lead along the Karagozler waterfront road. On this road, we passed the Coast Guard station, Jandarmarie and some smaller marinas. There are shops along this road, so we bought some supplies from there before continuing. This road eventually reaches the large boatyard, which was once the main industry in Fethiye.

 

 

Even today the boatyard is in a constant active engagement of ship building and relaunching.

 

We continue along that road and before too long you reach signs pointing off in two directions. ( incidently, back before the boatyard is a yellow Way marker sign pointing to Kayakoy… DON’T take this turning, this one brings you all the way back along a parallel road to Karagozler, and you end up back where you started! )  The road to the right goes to the Letoonia beach club, and the left road goes to the Hillside beach club and Kuleli. Following the road to the left you will find that it bends back on itself on a gradual ascent.

For now, the route follows the tarmac road. This is the final time you’ll see civilisation before reaching the Kaya valley.

As the road continues through the woodlands you reach a cross road. Take the left road. It is now a dirt track, so if you are walking with dogs, they can now go of the lead. From here on, you stick to the track.

 

 

 

It’s nice on this walk for several reasons, one of which is the fact that there is no noise apart from the bird song and crickets, a big contrast compared to the constant grumble of car engines and city life.

 

Every now and then, you can see the Fethiye bay and the town and boatyard through the pine forest, however, it soon becomes shrouded in too many trees and shrubbery. Eventually, you will come out into a clearing, where there is a momentary flat walk along  track, most welcome as it’s quite a steep, continuous climb this far.

This stretch is quite a favorite for families with barbecues enjoying the forest life and scenery.

 

Another few twists and turns and you come to another clearing, this time at the top of of a hill. There are two tracks, one going up and another track heading down hill. The latter is which you take.

 

 

Stay on this track past the fenced area and 16th century Ottoman cistern, and from here you can finally see the nestled ghost village of Kayakoy tucked into the hillside opposite.

 

Eventually, you are back on tarmac roads, and passing modest buildings with grand gardens, which look out over the valley with small fenced goat and chicken enclosures.

Walking through the village is when the navigation becomes a little more difficult. Mum and I managed to get lost, but only a few times!

 

The only reason we actually managed to get to the abandoned village was because every now and then through the trees and between the village houses we would glimpse the broken silhouettes of the rugged, dejected buildings on the hillside.
Even though we’ve only done it once, we all enjoyed  the Kayakoy walk because it’s great for the dogs to be off the lead with out worrying about roads and traffic. We also love it because it’s a nice contrast from the usual marina life and city noise.

 

 

 

Christmas Day In Goreme

Quads And Balloons

Day 24

24th December 2016

Quad Biking….An exhilarating sport, perfect for exploring Cappadocia’s fascinating and wonderful scenery.  Despite Cappadocia being visited yearly by tourists from around the globe, the enchanting landscape is difficult to explore.  Even though the area is perfect for walkers, many of the rock formations and churches cut into the rocks are far apart from each other.  So, we decided we would have ago at Quad biking.

This great way of exploring the Cappadocian landscape is a fun, safe and excellent way of seeing the finer details of the Cappadocia region.

The route would take us from Goreme to Sword valley, then to the Ladies Monastery, which is cut into a hard and dangerous cliff face rock. The trip would continue to Rose valley and Red valley, before seeing the abandoned ghost village of Causvin.  the last  place would be  Love valley, where we’d watch the afternoon Balloons lift gently into the air.  The whole tour would take 2 hours.

So, at one o’clock, we set off on our adventure.  The first stop was Sword valley. The reason for its name is because the rock formations look like swords.

There is much to do, like explore the rock formations, take photos, and the area is brilliant for a picnic, but we only stopped at each sight for ten minutes to take photos.  we then carried on to the Ladies monastery.

There are multiple locations in Cappadocia where you can find these cave churches.  First the largest collection in a small area is the Goreme Open Air Museum, which has around sixty chapels/churches.  Other Churches, like the El Nazar and Yusuf Koc Church, are hidden away from tourism.  However, I believe the most isolated church/monastery in the area is the Ladies monastery, which is carved into the bottom of a large, towering rock face.  Inside, there is a kitchen which also served as a stable, seperate rooms, and even a small balcony over looking the beautiful landscape.

After looking around the monastery, we jumped back onto the Quads, and continued to the Rose valley and Red valley. Red and Rose valleys are the most popular valleys in Goreme. They are easy to access, easy to walk and offer spectacular landscapes, with rock formations including many Fairy Chimneys.  The valley is large and sweeping, and is notourious amongst walkers and hikers, who love to explore the scenery of the area.  Even though the weather was quite foggy,  we could still admire the stunning  cliffs and hidden churches. Interestingly, we observed a change of rock colours from white to beige-ish – pink-ish indicating the transition from Red to Rose valley.

After a cup of tea, we continued to the village of Cavusin, wich was built into a large, towering rock formation.

One of the oldest settlements in the area, Cavusin is separated into 2 parts; the new town and the old Greek village. A small winding path led its way to the top of the hill, where the 5th century church of Saint John the Baptist, situated in the old village part is.  Because of its age, it makes it the oldest church in Cappadocia.  In the church, there are many routes passing through the ancient rock, and each lead to a higher level.  One even go’s to a balcony, which looks over the valleys.

The next part of the tour was to go and see Love valley.

This next valley is the most famous valley of all Cappadocia : Love Valley!  From the top of Love valley, there is a good viewing point of the Hot air balloons lifting into the air. After our tour, we went back to the atv place, before going back to the hotel for an early nights rest, ready for the Hot air ballon ride in the morning, so watch this space!

Day 25

25th December 2016

Our alarm went of at six o’clock.   With rapid speed, Summmer and I got dressed and went downt o the office, to wait for Mum and Geoff, aswell as the bus…..

With five minutes to spare, the balloon company arrived, we boarded the bus and drove it to the valleys to where the Hot Air Balloons are launched from. The company we were flying with was Turkiye Balloons, the newest and most successful company in the area.  The balloons they use are  Lindstrand Balloons, which are made in England.  The balloon we were in carried 20 people, but many carry some 27 people.  Despite it being winter, the basket was full, but thankfully, we were not cramped or squashed.  After a while standing in the basket, we were up in the air…slowly rising high into the air.

Soon, we were over two hundred metres high, and there was a beautiful view over the area.  Many Fairy Chimneys were visible, as well as Rose valley, Red valley and Love valley.

The different colours of the diversified landscape left us breathless, and the fact it was Christmas and snowing,  made the whole thing much more exiting.  Although we had only gone for half an hour, mum was already scared, and whilst huddling behind Summer and I, she was too traumitized to  take any photos!  Eventually, she started to look over the edge, because we had started to descend and fall down to the level of the Fairy Chimneys and Trees.  We then started to rise back up, causing mum to hide once again.

After a one hour ride, it had finished, and since we were having a christmas party at the resturant Fat Boys, the rest of the day was spent there.  Merry Christmas everyone!  Keep watching this space.