18. Antalya Türkiye

 


The view from our apartment in Antalya was spectacular. This pic was taken in the early morning and the combination of palm trees, the mediterranean sea and snow-capped mountains was mesmerising.

The flight from Istanbul took less than an hour at a cost of under $130 for both of us. And suddenly having cabin luggage only made a huge difference. 

We got a taxi from the airport to our apartment for about $18. We had chosen this particular apartment (not the one the above pic came from) because it was in the middle of the old city and had a high rating on Air B&B. We had it booked for a week. A perfect combination.  Or so we thought. 

When we got there, we found out there was no hot water in the kitchen or the bathroom sink. When testing the shower, it was an 'Instagas' system that kept fluctuating temperature from absolute freezing to scalding hot. Then water started gushing out of the electric heating element section. 😟 And so, with as much politeness as we could muster, we contacted the host and negotiated a refund for the remaining six of the 7 nights. 

We stayed the one night at  the Antalya 'Fawlty Towers' spending a few hours looking for accommodation. We booked a place for only two nights from the following day as we were a bit apprehensive of the so-called high ratings on Air B&B. It ended up being wonderful, with the above view and just around the corner.  All for a few dollars extra per night.  Decent hot water and what a view! When we tried to extend the booking, not surprisingly, we missed out.  Max contacted the owner and negotiated a cash deal for the unit directly below our apartment with the same layout and (slightly lower) view. We just had to find a place for two nights until the apartment was available.

We walked the streets and found a lovely hotel to fill the gap. It's called 'Ruin Adalia'. More on that later. You can get some good rates walking in off the streets. We were happy to pay for a standard room but ended up with a deluxe room with a buffet breakfast thrown in for the same money.

The city of Antalya has a lovely vibe to it and is a beautiful city. Granted it is touristy, but at this time of the year, there are just enough people to give it an atmosphere without the crowds.

We didn't have to go far for our first history lesson. Just across the road from us is 'Hadrian's Gate'. See pics below. 

Hadrian's Gate was built in 130 AD to commemorate the visit of Emperor Hadrian in Attaleia, as Antalya was known in that period. It was incorporated into the walls surrounding the city and has become a major gateway to the city. Remnants of the walls appear along the main road.


We wandered the back streets finding interesting shops, architecture and restaurants a plenty. Buying wine was a bit of a challenge since Türkiye is mainly Islamic. Good 'ol Google maps helped us out. 'Wine shops near me' works every time! You can get a decent red for about $15.



Five minutes up the road and the streets opened up to the harbour, an sight extremely pleasing sight. More exploring to do there!



More on Antalya to come later! Stay tuned. 



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