Cave in the Taurus Mountains Leaving Konya, our bus immediately started climbing into the Taurus Mountains, where we encountered a snow-covered landscape, dramatically different from where we'd been. Along the way, we stopped to explore a mountain cave. This was a such a fun adventure and the inside of the cave was beautiful, with pools of clear water and even several waterfalls!
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This waterfall appeared out of the cave roof and fell over calcified rocks - spectacular!
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"Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!" - Dr. Seuss
After a lunch break and before we got back in the bus, I couldn't resist teasing Fred about his stretching exercises.
A good thing about our itinerary was that it always allowed for plenty of breaks as we traveled. 
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Traveling on to AntalyaThe outskirts of Antalya is full of apartments. This is a vacation destination for many Turkish people looking to find a little relaxation and time in the sun. Fred and I were interested in the unique way of installing water heaters on the roofs. |
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In Antalya, we stayed in a charming pension in the Old Town section of the city. After checking in, one of the first things we did was surprise Mert with a birthday cake!
We all got to celebrate Mert's birthday by sharing a big cake.
We enjoyed the chance to get to know Sharon and Victor, Sheila, Harold, and their son, Kevin, better while on tour.
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Here's the birthday boy! Decked out to lead us on a walk through Old Town Antalya and ready for his closeup.
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Picture perfect, even with a cat sitting on a windowsill.
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Much work ahead for this fixer-upper
In Antalya's Old Town, we saw that many of the Ottoman buildings have been restored, but there's still some on the waiting list.
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Old Town Antalya where the land meets the sea creates a dramatic setting. This area is called the 'Turkish Riviera' because it attracts sun-loving vacationers from the north. The sun setting behind these dark clouds made it beautiful. The stone building, we found out, dates back to the Romans and has been used as a lighthouse in the past. It seems a little short and too far inland for that, but..who knows? I'm not a seafaring expert.
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After our group orientation walk, the rest of the evening was free and Fred and I kept walking and exploring. Along the way, we ran into friends from our group, Gary and Georgene, who had the same idea. We ended the night having dinner together at this outdoor restaurant (with a cartoon theme)getting better acquainted and sharing travel stories. We learned that their daughter worked with a good friend of ours. Since they live in northern CA and we live in southern CA, this was another small-world story. These are the benefits of travel.
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