Being a beautiful Spring day and a Saturday, we decided that a nice slow stroll to the Saturday Market was the perfect way to spend our morning yesterday and it was also lovely to see the flowers starting to bloom, including the vines that hang over the canal bridges. Hearing a lawnmower, followed by the smell of cut grass was something our senses had completely forgotten about, however, having not encountered this since leaving Australia; grass / lawns are “mowed” using a weed trimmer in SE Asia, which we always thought was rather odd.

On this visit to the market, we browsed the clothing area first in search of some warmer, comfy clothes for Roy to wear onboard, then, besides some fruit and vegetables, we broaden our selection to include some dried fruit, roasted nuts; roasted while you wait creating the most divine aroma, and some Turkish sausage called “sucuk”; a semi-dried beef-based sausage made by a dry-curing process. We’re not altogether sure we’ll like it, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

After completing our purchases at the market, which always seems to be more than we planned on, we stopped at Café de Valencia for a coffee. However, en route we stumbled upon what looked like a wrestling competition. Research later revealed that it was the traditional Turkish sport of “Oil Wrestling”, also called “Grease Wrestling”, where the oiling makes it harder for the participants to grab each other and the sport, therefore, requires great strength and mastery. While this sport still takes place today, it is believed to have been performed by ancient communities 4,500 years ago.

Although we were supposed to meet Kay and Lane, off Mai Tai, at the market, we missed each other, but bumped into them on our walk back to the marina. With plans to see them later in the afternoon, we returned to Paw Paw.

We’d barely unpacked and sanitised our purchases, though, when Angela and Reto, off She San, came over to say hello; they’d eventually completed their Red Sea passage and got through the Suez Canal, arriving yesterday morning in Setur Finike Marina. We’d last seen them in Djibouti, where they had anchored next to us. It was lovely to catch up and hear of their Red Sea experience; one that was not dissimilar to our own and everyone else who has transited this year. Congratulations to them on completing their circumnavigation having crossed their wake in Turkey.

We also heard from Zehra and Hasan, off Kandiba, who had arrived safely back home in Antalya to a fabulous celebratory welcome, having also completed their circumnavigation. Our congratulations go to them too. Great achievement!

After catching up with She San, Mai Tai arrived for “Afternoon Tea” as arranged. It was the first time since we’d all arrived in Setur Finike Marina that we’d had a chance to actually sit down and chat without having to dash off somewhere. Over hot drinks and delicious baklava, the afternoon was over before we knew it.

Although it was Easter Sunday today, it was a dull, overcast, miserable day; such a stark contrast to yesterday and, although Elaine only surfaced closed to 0900, while Roy waited patiently for her to wake up, she still prepared poached eggs on salmon for breakfast, in lieu of Easter eggs, following which she “attended” a Easter Sunday Service broadcast out of the Parish of St Bernadette in Port Elizabeth, South Africa; that too in lieu of a nearby church.

Then, to while away our day, Elaine continued work on our latest video, while Roy prepared our contributions to the Easter Sunday barbecue, where we enjoyed a very pleasant late afternoon / early evening in the company of other cruisers in the marina.

When the temperature started to drop as the sun dipped behind the mountain, that was our cue to return to Paw Paw and the warmth of our bed to watch a movie.

PS - Roy is still doing as little as possible, aside from taking a daily walk to the bakery to buy fresh bread.