So, basically, we flew to Antalya in western Turkey through Istanbul from Sarajevo. When we touched down in Istanbul, there was some big problem with passport control that sticks in my mind. The passport agent was super rude and kind of staring at my passport and needling me with Turkish-English about "where are we going? Why are you here?" I'm thinking, huh? I'm saying "Why? What's the problem? We're traveling." (That's just like, your opinion, man). Turns out the US had issued a travel ban on Turkey over some brouhaha with American diplomats getting mistreated or killed, and Turkey had responded in retaliation by banning all travel to Turkey by Americans. That was lifted two or three days before we showed up. I hadn't been watching the news and had no clue. The guy let us pass through to board our flight for Antalya, but not until he checked Anya's passport and saw that we were traveling together. I dunno. I don't want to dissuade any one from visiting Turkey as it's beautiful and safe. It was just bad timing! And now, Antalya...
Hadrian's Gate in Kaleici, Old Town Antalya. It dates back to 130 AD and commemorates the visit to the then ancient city of Attalia by Roman Emperor Hadrian. Antalya was an important port city in the early Roman empire and saw massive changes in Byzantine and Ottoman rule up through modern day, where the harbor (to come) was rebuilt in the 1980s.
There are cats everywhere in Kaleici.
Dos gatos.
Soy capitán.
Y tu tambien!
Surprise.
Classic Turkish scene.
He's lapping up spilled milk. Cliche.
Honoring Roman history. I'll have to do some research to find the name of this statue. This is in the main square of Old Town (Kaleici). The square was bustling. Lots of tourists and locals all mixed together into zigging and zagging foot traffic.
Birds, and Turkish banks.
City Center (the main square).
The is a very old mosque. I am lazy tonight and don't want to run down all the references. It's old. And it's there.
Turkish street in Old Town Antalya.
Walking down the streets to the waterfront (not yet visible). Roman era landmark.
This clock tower is famous and like four billion years old. We met an English teacher from Canada who was whiling away the hours before his flight to Istanbul, and he was explaining the history of the clock tower. It is the last survivor of the eighty some towers that used to surround the old Roman city. So, it's about 2,000 years old. There wasn't a clock in it, of course. I believe that was engineered in the 18th or 19th century under Ottoman rule.
Anya. Engineered rather more recently.
The harbor.
Note the ancient ruins under restoration to the right.
The sailing ship for cruises.
This is actually back at the hotel. (Photo out of order.)
Ruins under restoration on the hill overlooking the harbor.
The harbor was just full of wooden sailing vessels.
Upper and lower decks for cruises.
The harbor was really beautiful. It was sunny but there was still mist out over the mountains in the water.
Other side of the harbor (from the ruins).
The old Roman walls of the city, looking up from the water.
As it got dark the clock tower lit up. We walked back to the hotel, which was many kilometres, so saw much of the city at night.
Note the Turkish flag.
Old town in the markets.
I come in peace.
This was our hotel room. (It wasn't.) This was one of the shops in Old Town.
By Hadrian's Gate. The stones were carved in Biblical times. It seems silly, but it's actually kind of an experience.
Turkish food. Delicious.
Der Hut! Und die Frauleine!
Anya lounging at hotel restaurant.
From our hotel room.
Der Hut! The hotel restaurant. It was a nice spot.
Maybe don't have that metallic piece of whatever in the view. The Mediterranean Sea.
Bye, bye Antalya. We were there about ten days.