July 12. We took the minibus to the bus station in Fethiye and a tout snagged us before we even set foot in the station. We got on a small bus that was supposed to be the fast direct bus. Well, I don’t know about fast, since it stopped at all sorts of teensy weensy “towns” (or intersections) but this was a blessing in disguise. We did take the shorter inland route, the roads were great, and we got to see some different scenery since up until now we had been on the coast and this route went through the mountains. There were huge quarries that had giant blocks of marble-like rock cut out of the sides. And we got to see the real people -- Granny and Gramps hugging grand-kids that were travelling alone to see them, the goat market, and the local small-town Sunday market. We had one pleasant rest stop where we stocked up on snacks for the remainder of the trip.

From the impressive bus terminal in Antalya (it looked more like an airport!) the Ant Ray tram took us to the edge of the historic district, known as Kaleici, where our next lodging, the Hotel Hadrianus, was located. The hotel front desk person told us to call him when we arrived at the clock tower as the old town roads are very twisty and difficult to navigate, but Mark’s map stood us in good stead. We walked through Hadrian’s Gate(!) into the old town and found our place in minutes.

Did the usual routine -- dropped the packs, and went exploring. The lunch spot we were looking for had disappeared, so we ended up at a very funky restaurant called LeMan Kultur. However, it was most appealing because of the array of misting fans that were arranged around the garden patio. So pleasant! We split a delicious steak salad called the “Angelina Jolie”and discovered that while ayran is good, ayran with mint is even better!!

We had just enough time left in the afternoon to head to the Antalya Museum. We took the old tram that runs every half hour or every hour, depending on who you ask. We waited a mere minute and it showed up – how convenient! Now, I am not a lover of museums, but Mark believes we need some culture once in a while, so we end up at them a lot. I usually take half the time so bring a book. But THIS museum was fantastic! We got the audio tour to go with it, and basically stayed until closing time. So many beautiful Roman sculptures, it was truly excellent. Once we pretty much got kicked out of the museum, we headed back to the tram, and it showed up 5 minutes later – lucky us! We gained some karma by purchasing tram tickets for a Danish family of four that only traveled with Euros. Apparently their travel agent said Euros would work every bit as well as Turkish Lira – ooops!

Earlier in the day we made reservations at a highly recommended restaurant called Vanilla. We showered, enjoyed some crisp white wine left over from the boat, and headed out. So yummy, but I think I might have had a bit more wine than was necessary. Oh well, that’s what vacations are for! I had catch of the day with an arugula salad, but don’t ask me what the catch was – I can’t remember. I remember it was local and delicious. Mark thoroughly enjoyed his duck confit with a glass (or two) of red wine. Finished with brownies and ice cream and a stroll home – fun was had by all!