Living in Cesme, Turkey
Life has a way of throwing up new challenges unexpectedly and when we applied and were accepted to look after two furries for two months in Turkey, we said YES of course. Trusted House Sitters is a great way of experiencing different cultures in different countries on a budget. The added bonus is the furries and in this case Pip ( Hungarian Vizsla) and Pamuk (cat). And you just gotta pinch yourself every now and then to make sure this is all real 😂. Living in Cesme, Turkey
The Trip to Cesme
When we accepted the Cesme housesit we were just finishing one in Northern Italy for Carlos and Sarah. The time frame was a little tight to get from Italy to Turkey but these are challenging times and we all love a challenge. From our posts, you can see that we visited Milan, and Venice before catching a ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa where we spent a glorious week at Camping Kalami. With only a couple of days up our sleeve, we dropped Australia of in Thessaloniki for some repairs and headed on to Cesme. Two real thrillers on the way down the Turk coast were a stop at Anzac Cove followed by the Ancient City of Troy.
Cesme Township
The first blast when you first walk into town is Cesme Castle. The history of the castle is a little clouded as we know that the Greeks and Romans roamed the area before the Ottomans. It is said that the castle was strengthened and extended by Bayezid II in the 15th century but not sure who is responsible for the initial build. Living in Cesme, Turkey
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha.
The statue outside the castle is that of Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha. He is known to be brought up as a Georgian slave in eastern Turkey by a Turk merchant who raised him. He considered him on par with his own sons.
Hasan Pasha had a colourful career in the Ottoman military and was involved with the Barbary Coast Pirates. He rose to the rank of Fleet Commander during the battle of Cesme.
Hasan was praised for his accomplishments and promoted first to, chief of staff and later to the Grand Vizier. He also commanded an Ottoman army to Egypt to drive out the Mamluk Emirs, who had become de facto rulers of the province. He remained in Egypt and became the Ottoman Governor himself.
Hasan Pasha
His final campaign was the Russo-Turkish wars of 1787-1792. Unfortunately, he died during this campaign in March 1790 from an illness or poisoning, which is not known for sure. His statue today can be seen outside the castle gates with the lion that he domesticated while in Africa and took along with him everywhere.
So after a bit of history, we got hungry. The best place to eat in Cesme is Tokmak Hasan’nin Yeri. You will find it easily as all the locals eat there and it’s right beside the castle. I would describe the local food as comfort food and there is lots of it.
It is mostly all precooked but the turnover is so strong it doesn’t have time to spoil. And the tastes are all Turk and some so surprising. We visited this place a number of times and it never cost us any more than 15-18 Euros for both of us. Living in Cesme, Turkey
And on to the beach for a swim. Tekke Plaj is a short walk along the waterfront from the castle. it is quite shallow so a great safe place for families. It is just at the back of the old town so parking can be a problem. Fabian and I would come down here during the week when it is very quiet.
We would bring a couple of chairs, have a swim and relax for an hour or so before heading back to check on Pip and Pamuk. As with most of Europe Cesme was very quiet during these worrying pandemic times. Cesme is usually very busy this time of year with local and international tourists. Living in Cesme, Turkey
Cesme is approximately 70kms from the state capital Izmir. So a lot of successful local business people have holiday homes in Cesme and come down at the weekend to relax and have fun. You only have to look in the Marina to see that lots of Turks are quite affluent.
A walk through the old town is a must if you need something to drape over yourself. The clothes here are all made well and locally and priced to sell. I think we are long past the “I must buy the latest fashion thingy”. Now we are just looking for comfort wear, trackies, shorts, and tee shirts, and yes something warm for the cooler months.
The old town has it all. Surprisingly what you think is a small shop suddenly opens up into a mega store. After you have bought up big and spent a whole 20 euros you can head for the many restaurants again.
Ilıca Beach
Did you know that IIica beach in Cesme is one of the most popular places for windsurfing in the world and host many international events every year? the constant wind and flat water create the perfect conditions not only for professionals but for beginners.
If you want to learn to windsurf this is the place to be. The day we visited it was certainly very windy. There are also lots of little protected coves and bays which give some shelter from the winds.
Alacati
Alacati is about a 20-minute drive from Cesme and an old town with cobblestone streets and an old-world charm. We went looking for a post office one day and ended up in the middle of it. It runs in a “T” shape and is filled with lovely little specialty shops where you can buy some of the strangest things.
It mainly comes alive at night which we didn’t get to see cos it was just past our bedtime, and of course, wouldn’t be kind to Pip and Pamuk.
Pip and Pamuk
Every morning Pip would be jumping a good three or four feet into the air when I lifted his head and put on my cap and running shoes. It was so funny to watch as he got so excited. We would run along (maybe shuffles a better word for me… not for Pip) Sokak 1112 to the end and back, about three or four km.
Streets in Turkey have numbers, not names. At the end of 1112, there is a house called “Wall aquariums Home” which is a bit of a local tourist stop.
I just loved my time with Pip. He had such an affectionate happy inquisitive nature. The name of the breed “Vizsla” means “searcher’ or “tracker” in Hungarian. And Pip was certainly that, never still a moment.
The Vizsla is a natural hunter endowed with an excellent nose, (Pip could sniff out a stale crust near the bins from a hundred metres away) and outstanding trainability. It was bred to work in fields, forests, and bodies of water.
In the evenings it was Fabian’s turn to take Pip for a walk and most surprisingly Pamuk insisted that she came as well. Very surprisingly as cats don’t usually tag along. The neighbours were amazed and entertained by the sight of both Pip and Pamuk out for a walk.
Finally the Sunsets
There were so many amazing sunsets that I just didn’t know which ones to post. Most nights we would sit out on the balcony with our glass of wine and just were totally blown away by the constant change of colour. Here are just a couple of our favourites.
Reflection:
We like to finish a post with some reflection from a spiritual Author, today it’s a Buddhist Monk.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, and founder of the Plum Village Tradition — a school of Buddhism in France. At the age of 16, Thich Nhat Hanh started his journey to become a monk in Vietnam. Throughout his lifetime, the 92-year-old “Zen Master” has published over 100 books in English.
The accomplished author also studied comparative religion at Princeton University and was eventually appointed to be a lecturer of Buddhism at Columbia University. Nowadays, the spiritual leader spends his time living at the Từ Hiếu Temple in Vietnam. All of this is to say that although he has been quite successful, one thing that’s never wavered is his message of mindfulness and peace.
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything — anger, anxiety, or possessions — we cannot be free.”
Book Recommendation:
Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha
Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from 24 Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha’s life slowly and gently over the course of 80 years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself.
Old Path White Clouds is destined to become a classic of religious literature. I have not avoided including the various difficulties the Buddha encountered, both from his own disciples and in relation to the wider society. If the Buddha appears in this book as a man close to us, it is partly due to recounting such difficulties. – from the author’s Afterword.
Some of our favorite pages: Touring Campania Italy, The Italian Riviera
