This year for Kurban Bayram we decided to take some time for ourselves.  Usually during the Bayrams Bülent and I normally do things with his family, but this year we decided to do something by ourselves.  We decided on driving down south and having a leisurely tour of the coast.  We headed out of Ankara and spent a night in Pamukkale, then drove to the coast and stayed in Fethiye.  The next day we drove to Kalkan, on the sea, and stayed with some friends at a gorgeous villa, and finally on to Antalya to have a visit with my amazing sister-in-law.  What is great about her is that if I had met her without being married to her brother—I would still hang out with her.

Bülent and I had an amazing time, we just meandered along from place to place, taking scenic back roads and stopping at any historical sight we passed along the way.

Pamukkale was amazing.  First, the pension we booked was adorable.  Family run, it was clean, restful and had an cozy restaurant out of which they served wonderful food and wine.

The travertines were amazing.  The thermal waters comes out of the ground and runs over the ridges.  The chemical reaction between the water and the air creates the calcium carbonate.  It was so lovely, on a cool fall day, to walk barefoot on the white terraces, our feet bathed in warm water.

The pools were a gorgeous shade of blue against the white travertines.  I had expected the terraces to be slippery because they are wet, but the composite of the floor was really solid and not slippery at all.    At the top of the hill there are the ancient ruins of Hierapolis, a city built in the 2nd century for its proximity to the hot springs for their healing properties.

We had a blast wading around and then exploring the ruins.

Next stop, Fethiye…