Life in Fethiye

We have random off-season days like that in Fethiye; a day when the electricity board declares there will be no power for the whole town until such-a-time on that day. Yesterday was one of those days. No electricity between 7:30 am and 3 pm due to upgrades. We don’t question. We just get on with it, as does the rest of Fethiye. Granted, a lot of people chunter and grumble…but what can you do on a day like that?

Well, the electricity-free days – meaning, the aaarrgh-no-internet and no tv days – actually thrust you back into a few moments of (what used to be) normality: conversation and activities other than sitting and staring at the laptop. Of course, we do get out and do other things but on days like yesterday, we have to think about it more. And so it started with some cleaning of the house and the sorting of winter clothes. But what we were really looking forward to, more so than usual, was our trip to Çalış market.

Cintar Mushrooms at Çalış Market

Oh, what abundance November brings. When we’re not munching our way though hamsi, we’re on the look out for these fabulous çintar mushrooms. Our trip to the market yesterday morning was rewarded with these specimens. We bought half a kilo, did our usual shopping and then went for gözleme. Well, we had time on our hands…

A bowl of mixed pickles (turşu)

We’re no strangers to turşu (pickled vegetables) so we asked for an empty bowl while we waited for our gözleme. We soon filled it with mixed pickles from the huge plastic tubs on the tables. It’s been a few weeks since we had gözleme. You can forgive us for being excited. No electricity needed here (remember, we were in a pre-arranged power cut), the ladies cook over gas.

Gözleme At Çalış Market

Our meat and potato (lots of meat yesterday) gözleme arrived, we sprinkled with ample salt, wrapped each piece around a pickle and munched our way through it while washing it down with çay and ayran. No electricity since 7:30 am, it’s lunchtime and all is well. We stroll home with our shopping and pack it all into our newly-defrosted fridge.

A bit more cleaning, but the weather is exceptionally pleasant and it’s Sunday. A walk along the harbour seems to be a good idea.

Fethiye harbour was a pleasant place to be yesterday

We’re right to take the stroll. The harbour’s full of strolling, fishing, promenading families – well, nobody has electricity, it’s Sunday, it’s a sunny day. What else are you going to do? The (without electricity) restaurants are packed with customers and the rumble of distant generators can be heard. We walk to Shaka and wonder if the beers will be cold…

A cold beer, despite lack of electricity

Cold enough for us, it looks like. We enjoy a beer by the sea and then at 3 pm – dead on – the music is suddenly heard through the speakers. Once we arrive home, life is as it was previously…laptops on, emails checked, procrastination on Facebook, photos uploaded, blog post. Life in Fethiye resumes.