Ancient city of TLOS

During our short trip to Kalkan, we had the chance to visit the ancient city of Tlos, a very favorite but recently very much neglected hobby for hubby and me. We have covered most of the ancient cities on the Aegean coast of Turkey but the ones on the Mediterranean coast ( Lycian area in the past) are rather new to us.

Tlos has a historical past dating back to 2000 years BC. Once it was the home of Romans, Byzantians and as well as Ottomans. Rock tombs which are rather fine samples of the Lycian culture has a very dominating view over the city. And as always the tradition there is a very nice theatre.

As hubby is still recuperating from his illnes, I made all the climbing and he gave me the tactics from the base camp. It was a beautiful day..

Kalkan

This past week we took a short trip to Kalkan to spent some time with the British side of the family (hubby's twin brother and his family), who are vacationing there.

Kalkan is a beautiful small and romantic town on the Mediterranean coast. Until 1920's mostly the Greek families were living here and the place named as Kalamaki during that time. After the population exchange between Turkey and Greece most old residence of this town moved to near Athens and established a new town there with the very same name.

 As it is located on a hill side, it is possible to get great view from all over the place

while hubby was catching up with his brother, I had great time reading under the shades of the bougainvilleas, while my little one enjoy the sunshine and the pool side. ( not the pool, because she hates water..)

Curtains

If you have a beach house in Turkey, you have to have curtains with hand made doilies....As my mom is getting ready to move to her new beach house, her friends and her daughter are quite busy with their hands. These will be our gifts to her..I still have to do another meter but I have to say its a very relaxing thing to do them....

Chasing Aivazovski...

Here is another one of  my never ending Crimea Posts..but promise this is the last one..

I LOVE art, and definitely dont mind making extra miles to see a great one. Same thing happened in Crimea. When I learned that a great portion of Armenian Russian painter Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky's paintings are at a museum at his home town Feodosia, it was a must for us to go and see them instead of a leisurly day at Yalta.

In order to reach Feodosia we have covered almost half of the coastline of Crimea, and on the way did not hesitate to stop at Sudak to see this grand castle built by Genoese at the 14th century. 

Aivazovsky( 1817-1900) is famous with its seasecapes and considered as one of the best among the seascape painters of all time.It is also possible to see some of the great paintings of him in Turkey as he served as the court painter during the Ottoman time. Later he returned to his hometown and opened an art school here.

Museum is located in his own house as well as some adjacent buildings. It was really such a pleasurable experience to see a lot of his paintings, especially the wall size ones, and its also a nice surprise for us to see a large size painting of İstanbul in this corner of the world.

  

Best Scenic Road in Turkey...

Last week one of the largest national newspapers of Turkey selected the top 10 scenic roads in Turkey. The 70 km.s long road from Datca to Marmaris hit the top of the list. It is the road going thru our small peninsula,which we are using to reach the outer world.

I think I am using this road close to 20 years and have to admit that never get bored from the amazing views offered by Mediterranean and Aegean.

One of the many small bays on the Mediterranean side..

Still Summer...

We have returned to our summer place last week, and although it is September, summer is still here. After dreadful days at the hospital I am enjoying the calm Mediterranean, excellent weather and empty beaches. Best time of the year..

Summer Residence of the Last Tsar

I keep showing you pictures from our beach house at Turquoise Diaries, but today how about the beach house of the last Tsar of the Russia, Nicholos II. and his family. Among them you probably know most about the beautiful Grand Duchess Anastasia, thanks to Hollywood...

If you are a bit interested with history, you can meet lots of ghosts in this palace. Here at this hall in the first floor, the world has been reshared, reshaped among the victors of the second world war.You could almost smell the big cigars of Winston Churchill. Yalta Conference held in this room in February 1945. Its been told that, Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill were seated at the round table at the end of the room.

Livadia Palace also served as the residence of Roosevelt and the American delegation during the Conference due to its convenience.

If you are tired of the 1945 politics, move along the corridors of the first floor, and while you are at the souvenier shop, you might hear the murmurs of the Tsarevich Alexei and his teachers, as this rather large room served as the study of the next Tsar.. It should be very difficult for him to learn the necessary lessons to rule a large empire while hearing the happy sounds and laughs of  his four elder sisters Grand Duchesses Olga, Maria, Anastasia and Tatiana, from the upper floor.

While the first floor designed in a rather formal way to serve the daily needs of an emperor's summer residence, the second floor looks like a cozy family home.
The first family of Russia moved to this palace in 1911 after its completion but only spent four happy summers before the Russian Revolution which led to their murder.

Unfortunately almost all of the items used by the family lost after the Revolution, but thanks to photography hobby shared by all the members of the family, its possible to see the life in Livadia Palace.