Will & B's Blogspot: September 2009

Friday after work Will and I decided to meet at Canary Wharf for a movie - South African Neill Blomkamp's District 9.

Since the movie only started at 9, we had 2 hours to kill, so we opted to try out Jamie Oliver's new restaurant - Jamie's Italian. *WOW* It was like we were back on the continent! We had a fabulous Vegetable Antipasta Plank for starters with seasonal vegetables; Italian cheeses with pickled chillies and green and black olives. For mains I had Truffle Tagliatelle and Will had Ravioli Caramelle which was stuffed with pumpkin and ricotta cheese with breadcrumbs, parmesan and rosemary sauce.
But still we couldn't stop ourselves and also had espresso and tiramisu for afters!

The restaurant was really relaxed, the staff attentive, the food fabulously flavoured and the cost well within budget. Surprisingly unpretentious. We look forward to our next visit.

The movie was great too :)

http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/canary-wharf
http://www.district9movie.com/

Bodrum (Halikarnassos) - south east Türkiye, on the Aegean coast.

Just over a week ago we flew to Milas airport a few km from Bordrum in south east Turkey. Since Turkey is not yet part of the EU, visa application for a South African is easy - 10 euro at point of entry, no questions asked.

Our hotel (http://www.atriumbodrum.com/) was in Bodrum proper, 150 m from Bodrum beach and the promonade of shops and restaurants that line the water's edge.

September temperatures range from 26 (at night) to 32 degrees with a light onshore breeze on most days. We only had 1 afternoon of rain that turned into a torrential thunderstorm on Thursday night.

On Monday we took a boat trip to some of the bays surrounding Bodrum and snorkeled in their translucent warm waters.

12 euro per person - all day - includes lunch and tea. Seems impossible but true.

On Weds William and I hired a scooter, to explore some of the other beaches in the area. Gümbet beach is just 3 km west of Bodrum beach and although sandy it is very busy and not recommended. Further west are cleaner waters and quieter stretches like at Ortakent and Yahsi (Camel) beach.

We stopped for lunch here on day 1. I love the Turkish cold starters (mezes) - there is so much variety for vegetarians. We have tried: beyaz peynir (a crumbling white cheese - very delicious); ezme (hot pepper paste and crushed tomatoes with garlic and pomegranate juice); patlican salatasi (cold aubergine salad); cacik (thick yoghurt with cucumber or mint or spinach and garlic infused with olive oil); dolma (rice-stuffed vine leaves); fava (beans cooked and mashed mixed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice); Russian salad (mayo with peas, potatoes and carrots); Seaweed salad... all served with bread, local Efes beer and local white or rose wine.
We had this a few times, with the bill never exceeding a total of 30 turkish lira (TL) - about £12 !

On day 2 we traveled further to Turgutreis and Gümüslük (the site of the ancient city of Myndos) and were caught in a rainstorm on the way back to the hotel! I was not happy :(

The rest of the time we spent lazing on Bodrum beach or walking along the shop lined walkways of the town. There is no charge for using the umbrellas and beds on the beach like in Italy and France - as long as you buy a drink from the restaurant occupying that section of the beach. A no brainer :)

At sunset the umbrellas and beds are replaced with dinner tables and chairs for sundowners, nargile (a Turkish waterpipe) and dinner. Because this month is Ramadam, as the sun sets a cannon is fired and chanting is heard across the town from the local mosque. The same chant woke us every day at sunrise !

Bodrum beachfront is very touristic, but balanced against the more traditional town itself in the streets just above the beach. The streets are narrow and the houses are all white washed with splashes of bright purple bougainvillea. Stray cats and dogs sleep in the streets during the heat of the day. They are neutered and tagged by the government and put back on the streets where they are cared for by the locals.

One of Bodrum's famous landmarks is the Castle of St Peter built by the Knights Hospitaller starting in 1402. The castle came under attack with the rise of the Ottoman Empire, first after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and again in 1480 by sultan Mehmed II. The attacks were repelled by the Knights. In June 1522 the sultan attacked the Order's headquarters in Rhodes from the Bay of Marmaris with 200,000 soldiers. The castle of Rhodes fell in December 1522. The terms of surrender included the handing over of the Knights' fortresses in Kos and St Peter's Castle in Bodrum. After the surrender, the castle's chapel was turned into a mosque and a minaret was added. In 1962 the Turkish Government decided to turn the castle into a museum for the many underwater discoveries of ancient shipwrecks in the Aegean Sea. This has become the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, with a vast collection of amphoras, ancient glass, bronze, clay, iron items.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodrum_Castle

On the last 2 nights we had dinner in town. Both dinners were exceptional - followed by the most delicious desserts from a famous little pastry shop that we couldn't resist.
http://www.trancarestaurant.com/