Paliocastro

Houses of Kastellorizo

Τα σπίτια του Καστελλορίζου χρειάζονται να βαφτούν μόνο μερικά χρώματα, κίτρινα, πράσινα, βλε, ροζ η κρέμα.  Αλλά ενδιαφέρον είναι ότι τις διαφορετικές απόχροσεις υπάρχουν ανάμεσα τα σπίτια.  Πριν βάφει ένα σπίτι, κ

 

Another swim

Ύστερα, έκανα δουλίες.  Κοίτζα το Τζιμ ενώ καθάριζε το πεζοδρόμιο από το σπίτι μου στην εκκλησία του Άγιου Γιοργίου κοντά.  Υπήρχε πολλά αγριόχορτα καλλιεργόντας πάνω αυτό.  Μετά πήγα για να κολυμπήσω στο είσοδο του λιμάνι.  Εκεί η θάλασσα ήταν καθαρή.  Φορούσαν προστατευτικά γυαλιά.  Είδα πολλά μικρά ψαριά.  Ευτυχώς δεν είδα ένα καρχαρία.  Γύρισα στο σπίτι μου για μεσημεριανό και μια ξεκούραση.

After I did some chores.  I watched over Jim while he cleaned the path from my house to the Church of St George nearby.  There were a lot of weeks growing on it.  Then I went for a swim at the entrance of the Harbour.  There the sea was clear.  I wore goggles.  I saw a lot of small fish.  Fortunately I didn't see a shark.  I returned home for a lunch and a rest.

The boardwalk

Μετά, περπατήσα πέρα απο τα εστιατόρια στο λιμάνι.  Όλοι καθάριζαν το πεζοδρόμιο και ετοίμαζαν τα εστιατόρια για την καινούργια μέρα.  Τις πελάτες μένουν αργότερα την νύχτα, αλλά οι ιδιόκτητες χρειάζονται να αρχίσουν να καθαρίσουν νωρίς.  Πήγα στο ραδιό καφέ για καφέδες και πρωινό.  Το καφενέιον υπάρχει δίπλα απο την θάλασσα.  Όταν καθόμουν εκεί, ο ψάρος γύρισε και έδεσε το πλοίο του δίπλα μου.    Πήρε την ψαριά του και τα δίχτυα απο το πλοίο στην προβλήτα δίπλα.  Ύστερα ο ψάρος πήρε τα ψάρια μέσα σ´ενα καρότσι γύρω απο το λιμάνι να τα πουλέσει.

After, I walked past the restaurants at the harboour.  All were cleaning the footpath and preparing the restaurants for the new day.  The customers stay very late at night but the owners need to start to clean early.  I went to Radio cafe for coffees and breakfast.  The cafe is next to the sea.  When I was sitting there, a fisherman returned and moored his boat beside me. He took his catch and nets from the boat to the adjacent wharf.  After the fisherman took the fish in a wheelbarrow around the Harbour to sell them.

On the way to breakfast

Το Περισότερρο νερό του νησιού φέρνεται απο την Ρόδο με το φέριμποτ. Λίγο μαζεύεται απο τον βροχή και κρατάει στις στέρνες.   Αλλά μερικές έχουν ένα κήπο που καλλιεργούν λουλούδια.  Δυστυχώς υπάρχουν πολλά κατσίκια στο νησί.  Δεν μένουν γύρω απο τα σπίτια, αλλά είναι κακιά.  Ξεγλιστράνε μέσα τους κίπους και τρώνε όλα.  Αυτά τα λουλούδια υπάρχουν ψιλίτερρα και τα κατσίκια δεν τα φτάνουν.

Most of the water of the island is brought from Rhodes by ferry boat.  Some is collected from the rain and kept in sternas (stone storage tanks).  But a few people have a garden where they grow flowers.  Unfortunately there are many goats on the island.  They don't live around the houses but they are naughty.  They sneak into the gardens and eat everything.  The flowers above are very high and the goats can't reach them.

Daily activities

Στο Καστελλόριζο έχει τίποτα να κάνει  και με όλη την μέρα να το κάνει!

Χτες, στις έξι σηκώθηκα, και περπάτησα απο το σπίτι μου γύρο απο το βουνού.  Μετά μια και μισή ώρα γύρισα στο σπίτι.  Κολύμπησα μέσα στην θάλασσα στο λιμάνι κοντά.  Το νερό δεν ήταν κρύο.  Ήμουν μόνη μου. Δεν υπήρχε κανένας κοντά.  Γύρο ήταν πολυ ήσυχα.  

On Kastellorizo one has nothing to do and all day to do it in!

Yesterday I got up at six and walked from my house around the mountain.  After an hour and a half I returned to the house.  I went for a swim in the we in the harbour nearby.  The water was not cold.  I was alone.  There wasn't anyone about.  It was very quiet around.

Farms on the mountain.

Σήμερα παρατηρήσω ότι μερικές φάρμες  είχαν ανακαινιστεί από τότε ήμουν εκεί. Υπάρχουν πολλές αρχαίες φάρμες στο νησί άλλα οι τοίχοι και τα αγροτόσπιτια των αυτών   γκρεμίστηκαν.  Στο παρελθόν υπάρχουν πολλές φάρμες με σταφύλια και ελιές.  Το Καστελλόριζο κατασκεύαζε διάσημο κρασί πριν πολλά χρόνια.  Τώρα δεν υπάρχουν κανένα κλήματα.  Μόνο μερικά αρχάια δένδρα ελιών ερίζουν.  Πολλά κατσίκια μένουν στο νησί και τρώνε όλα τα νέα φυτά.  Οι καινούργιοι τοίχοι θα προστατέψουν τα φύτα από τα ζώα.  Η ανακαίνιση των σπιτίων θα αφήσει οι ιδιόκτητες να μείνουν στις φάρμες ξανά.

Today I noticed that a few farms had been renovated since I was last there.  There were many ancient farms on the and but the walls and farmhouses of them had fallen down.  In the past there were many farms with grapes and olives.  Kastellorizo created famous wine many years ago.  Now there are no vines.  Only a few ancient Olive trees grow.  Many goats live on the island and eat all the new plants.  The new walls will protect the plants from the animals.  The renovation of the houses will allow the owners to live on the farms again.

Kastellorizo in the morning.

Κάθε μέρα πολύ πρωί πάω για μια βόλτα γύρω από το βουνό. Όλα είναι ήσυχα. Βλέπω τον ήλιο ανεβαίνει πάτω από την θάλασσα. Οι περισσότερροι κοιμούνται.  Μερικοί δουλεύουν γύρω από το λιμάνι.  Ακόμα κι τα κατσίκια κοιμούνται.  Η θάλασσα είναι γαλήνη και η Τουρκία φαίνεται να είναι πολύ κοντά.
Every morning I go for a walk around the mountain.  All is quiet.  I see the sun rise over the sea.  Most are sleeping.  A few are working around the Harbour.  Even the goats sleep.  The sea is peaceful and Turkey appears even closer.

Evening walk

After my rest I went for a big walk over the mountain. I came back to the bay in the warm evening light. The church for the wedding ceremony and our house are in the bottom left corner.  Turkey is looming in the background.

Kastellorizo

A close up of our house and the church where the wedding is to be held.

My herbs

Kastellorizo

Arrived on Kastellorizo around eleven. It was degrees cooler on the island than Kas. Nothing seemed to have changed. I couldn't see many buildings going up. It seemed quiet with very few boats moored on the limani. Everyone was so welcoming and everyone knew about the wedding. I had a coffee with Vangelis and Elma, the went to the house to settle in. It was all ready for me with the chairs out the front. The new plants had survived the summer and a pot of herbs was flourishing. After the big unpack I wandered up to the hotel for a wonderful swim, followed by a big siesta.

Breakfast in Kas

After a walk around the sleeping town and an early morning dip, I had a traditional
Turkish breakfast on the terrace of the Ferah hotel overlooking the ocean. Kastellorizo was beconning in the distance.

Beauganvillia

The brilliant blue sky is so welcome after the cold weather in Perth - although we still havent had such a lot of wet days.

Kas early morning.

A opulent asleep on the lounges after a big night. Behind them two girls putting out their towels to claim the best seats for the coming day. On the ocean a yacht and behind in the distance Kastellorizo.

Antalya in the early morning

I settled into my room in the old town inAntalya after my rather traumatic time at the airport.  The other passengers who did not have their luggage were not as gentle and polite as me and there was a lot of shouting and gesticulating at an airport employee who was totally overwhelmed.  I wandered the streets of the old town around 8.30 and it was very quiet.  Everything closing, and yet it was too early for the evening customers to be filling the restaurants and cafes.  On the waterfront the dusk cruises were returning with music pumping.  

The next morning I woke about 4.30 to the familiar call to prayer.  I couldn't see anyone outside actually responding to this although they may have leapt out of bed in their own homes and said a short prayer.  Around seven I wandered through the old town.  It was very quiet.  My only companions were the noisy rubbish collectors and a few fishermen outside the Harbour .  Oh and a large group of Japanese tourists complete with a flag bearer - or is it a juggernaut of Japanese?

The costline of Antalya was spectacular with the mountains falling into the sea.  Blue skies from horizon to horizon.  It must be around 30 degrees at 7am with a pleasant warm breeze.  The Harbour was full of tourist boats - mostly for day and dinner cruises.

 Back to the hotel for breakfast.

First night Antalya

First day of the big wedding trip.  Excitement mounting.  I wrote lists and crossed things off until there was nothing left to do.  Had I covered everything, Im not sure but I certainly covered everything I could think of....that was until I arrived in Antalya.

Good flights through Dubai with an upgrade to Istanbul.  Made the tight connection in Istanbul and it was when I arrived in Antalya that the wheels fell off:

For some strange reason the luggage of the people who had flown to Antalya via a connecting flight was put on a very small conveyor belt hemmed in by a glass screen.  There were 100 Turkish people with 100 luggage trolleys jammed into this tiny space.  They all needed to stand almost on the belt so no-one behind could see what was on the belt.  Then the luggage came out.  Apart from cases every person had a huge container of water.  Strange I thought, but I  then worked out that they must have been to Mecca and that this was holy water.  The women wore white headscarves and the men white caps.  There was none of the biblical (or Koranic) romanticism of water carried in clay on the back of a donkey, no this was a commercial water container, plastic wrapped and couriered by plane!

This slowed down the luggage collection somewhat.  At the end when the conveyor belt stopped, there were dirty pools of water all about, three weary passengers and no new red suitcase.

But the good news is that in my carry on bag I have a mother of the bride dresses, a bridesmaid dress, two pairs of matching shoes, the stefana, ribbons and my IPad.  I don't have sunscreen, hat and the other 100 indies pensive items that I packed after my endless lists.  

But there is always hope.