9-7 Walking Around Mahmutlar

 After our long day yesterday, I slept until 9:30 this morning.  We had no food in the apartment, so after I showered we headed out to find the Carrrefour Grocery store nearby.  It was small and did not have a good alcohol selection. So we set out for the Migros store.  Google maps sent us all over the place.  Turns out it is closer than the carrefour and right on our block.  

The Migros had everything we needed except for zip-lock bags.  They had plenty of bags - but nothing to close them with.  And that's a weird thing I noticed.  People seem to take what they need out of a package and leave the rest.  So many of the boxes with plastic bags were opened and then left on the shelf.  Did people steal a single plastic bag?  Or did they take it to the register and pay for 1 out of a box of 20?  Michael got a package of squash that only had two left in it - it looked like it must of held at least 5 or 6.  Did we end up paying for 2 squash or all of them?  Who knows!  We haven't quite figured out the system here yet.

It is dam hot out there - and it must be quite humid as I am sweating a lot and I don't so much at home with the dry heat in the high 90's which is what it is here.  We went back to our apartment minus the zip lock bags to have our first meal of the day - breakfast - at noon.  We had last eaten around 5 pm the day before and then ended up going to bed around 1:30am - so we were very hungry.  

After cleaning up the kitchen, I took a long nap.  I wanted to go back to sleep, but hey I was wasting the day away.  We stayed inside for the afternoon - it would only be hotter outside.  I worked on blogs and accounting.  Michael had some Ghana or work calls.  So it wasn't until around 6a:30 or later that we went out.  

It's still hot!  We went back to the Carrefour thinking it might have the zip lock bags.  We also needed dish washing liquid and a dish cloth.  The Carrefour came through on all these things.  So next - before we get too hangry - we need to find the Doner restaurant Michael has picked out.  We  passed a lot of restaurants - and like Europe - some of the waiters were waiting around and would try to sell you on their food as being the best.  

This parrot looks like he has pants on!  He announces a pet store.

Miscellaneous street scene.

We did find the restaurant that Michael had chosen - Yaprak Tantuni Doner.

I tried their German version - which had a creamy yogurt sauce.  Those peppers on the right were deadly.  The bottom one had great flavor if you just ate a tiny piece of it.

It was already dark by then.  We strolled along the beach walkway.

Sort of a food truck - selling coconut or other beverages.

Michael climbing the hill towards the opening to the level of our apartment. The decorations on the left are for a Burger King.

Heading towards our apartment building entrance on the left just before the Gloria Jean's coffee is a big D for our entrance.  This time my fingerprint didn't work.  But Michael's did.  Take the elevator up to the 7th floor and we're good.  

9/7 Our Mahmutlar Alanya Apartment

 The area of Alanya we are in is called Mahmutlar.  It is a very large subburb of Alanya and has its own city vibe.  Our apartment is on the 7th floor and does have some nice views.  But it is crazy hot here!

Views from our living room balcony.

A view back up the street to what looks to be a swimming pool with slide.

The best views are from the side of the balcony and the living room window (no balcony there).  The glass on our balcony seems to give off a blue hue.

Kitchen and table to hold everything that doesn't fit on the counter.

Living room with regular table that is our office's on right and left sides and eating area facing the window.

Hall from living room to all other rooms.  Door to outside is on far left (not in photo) next is bathroom. followed by master bedroom with bath and door to right is second bedroom.

Master bedroom.  The sheets and pillow cases are really strange.  They both have plastic/rubber little dots all over them.  Luckily the dots are on the top of the sheet.  The pillow cases are on top.  But if I turn over the pillows - there are no dots.  Makes for much better sleep.  I don't want to wake up with dimples all over my face!

Master bath - we lucked out on both showers - they are very nice.

2nd bedroom.

Hall bathroom - also very nice.

Have you noticed a unique decorative touch in all of the rooms?  Trump would say it is a poor man's White House.  Don't we all want gold gilding all over our homes!

9/7 Travel Day to Alanya Turkey

 Sunday Sept 6 was a very very long travel day.  We woke up early to have time to drive to the Copenhagen airport, find something to eat and catch our first flight to Istanbul.  We flew on Turkish Air which is a partner with United.  So our status on United let us go to the Turkish lounge in the Copenhagen airport and scrounge breakfast for free.  We were surprised to be fed a second breakfast on the flight to Istanbul.  I couldn't eat much - but it made the time go faster.  And again, I was reminded of a food problem I have in Turkey.  All meals come with tomatoes in many dishes.  You cannot escape tomatoes!  We had a long layover in Istanbul - again able to visit another lounge for those hours.  This is the first time we have flown domestically in Turkey - so we had a few surprises.

Since the flight we were to take from Istanbul to Alanya was late - and they only put up your gate number 20-30 minutes before your flight in a normal situation, They only assigned the gate a few minutes before we needed to catch a bus.  This was the confusing part. In the lounge, most all flights had two gates listed - gate 1-7 and another like you would normally expect E34 or G22.  It turns out there are special buses that take people who are in the lounge to their airplane.  This was the nicest bus I have ever been on.  Plush leather seats enough for lots to sit down.  And there were only 4 of us on the bus.  We got to the plane early and boarded.   Everyone else has to go to the regular listed gate, then catch a crowed bus to the plane and board later.  

It was already dark when we got to the airport.  It was very small -1 luggage carousel.  But our luggage did not show up.  I was still waiting in line for the one toilet for women in the luggage area.  We are then told that our luggage must have come early and we would have to go back into the terminal to find it.  Someone has to hold the glass door open for the few of us whose luggage did not arrive.  As normally you would not be allowed back into the terminal after you have been in the luggage area.  Yes - there is our luggage -it has to go through customs before we can actually leave the airport.  Our ATM  Transfer driver is waiting and we have a  swift journey to our Airbnb location.  I can't get an idea of the area in the pitch blackness.

Our first stop after greeting our hosts is to the security office of the building complex.  Here they take copies of your passports and take our fingerprints.  Entrance into our building is by fingerprint only!  It seems like most of the world is heading toward fingerprint as identification.  The European Union insisted that we had to register for their "global entry" type of program.  So we had to be photographed ad finger printed -  index finger, 4 fingers, and then thumb.  But we have not actually been able to use it.  I have been photographed and fingerprinted to death on this trip!

Next we are guided to our 7th floor apartment.  I take note of what stores - buildings are around us.  It sort of feels like Hong Kong.  There are outdoor escalators and elevators to take you to the different levels of buildings.  And walkways across roads to get from one side of the road to the other.  Our hosts seem in a hurry to leave (I think they are boyfriend/girlfriend), so we quickly ask questions about things in the apartment.  Soon they leave.

We settle in, checking out the kitchen, the balcony and our rooms.  It is late, but we are wired from a day of fighting off sleep - then trying to nap on the plane - but not being able to because it is so cramped.  The funeral for my brother is at 5pm today Ohio time.  I thought it was 11pm here - but no that is in Swedish time zone.  Here it is at midnight.  I am torn - If I stay up and watch it will I be able to sleep?

I decide to stay up and watch the funeral as it is streamed.  Michael stays up in support.  They have chosen a Unitarian minister as the officiant.  There must have been a printed order of service as part of the service calls for the audience to reads lines together.  There is no music.  The minister reads the words Renee Michelle has written to describe her father's life.  It is nice - soothing - not too emotional.

Then the minister announces it is time for the audience to participate.  She starts it out by reading the eulogy I had sent to RM.  Then invitees others to the stage.  Gwen and Todd both have prepared stories to share.  Two friends of Gerry share stories.  The minister closes by saying she hopes many others will share stories during the reception and then it is over.  I don't know if any other siblings showed up.

By then I am very tired.  I read for 30 minutes and turn out the lights at 1:30am.  A very long day!

9/5 Malmo Waterfront

 The last few days have been spent with family.  Daughter Alexis had to go to a two day work overnight event and the granddaughters had school.  So we got to spend time with our son-in-law - that was our Helsingborg day trip.  We spent the next two days doing next to nothing to try to let our bodies rest.  

Saturday, today, we spent all together touring the Malmo waterfront before having a late 2pm lunch in celebration of Rob and Alexis' wedding anniversary. 

The flour factory

Crossing the new bridge to more of the waterfront.  This area was all industrial until just the last year or two ago.  Per Heald family - Google maps still shows the old industrial buildings not the new and improved tourist attracting area.

They have kept a lot of the cranes and waterfront stuff for effect.

Twisted torso in the background.

Fun photos!

Granddaughter L

Daughter A and granddaughter N doing the jump!

The lighthouse.

Reflections of ships.

I think these boats have been retrofitted to be resteraunts.

Walking back to the flour factory.

And on towards the restaurant - Kajen 11 Bistro in Malmo.

After lunch, walking back to the parking garage.  It is such a lovely day.

                                                 

Then home, so we can pack as we leave for Turkey tomorrow morning.  Alexis is busy baking and making ice cream as Lia is celebrating her 15th birthday tomorrow.