A Walk Around Old Datca, Turkey

The little chapel on the island at Agia Marina at the entrance to Pedi Bay, Symi - beautifully maintained by her wardens and a popular venue for wedding blessings.

A tiny neglected and defaced Greek chapel near the shore in a small bay near Datca, Turkey.  It is now used a a cattle byre.  A very different story to the brightly whitewashed chapel on Agia Marina, Symi.

A restoredl 19th century neo-classical house in Old Datca, (Eski Datca), Turkey.  While the architecture echoes that of Symi and the original residents were undoubtedly Greek a huge difference between Symi and Datca is the bountiful supplies of water on the Datca peninsular.  Even this late in the season streams and rivers criss cross the landscape and this mansion has a splendid garden with ponds and fountains.

Another view of the same garden, looking towards an adjoining property.

As we strolled around Old Datca and spotted this ginger tom, mewing at a kitchen window.  

More Old Datca houses that have been restored but without the painstaking attention to detail that is characteristic of Symi.

The mosque in Eski Datca.

Where Symi is famous for its delicate ochre and terracotta palette and decorative plaster work,  Eski Datca is predominantly unplastered, showing off the local stone.

This was the only door we saw that had the details typical of the 19th century carpentry of Symi and there is very little of it left.  Most of the elaborate trim has long since disappeared.

Everywhere is very green and lush due to the abundant water supply.  While the houses of Symi have little outside space and are often joined to their neighbours on the cliffsides, the Greek community that lived here would have been very comfortable, with big gardens and plenty of privacy.

One of the few plastered houses we saw and the only one we spotted with a decorate metal grille in the bull's eye on the pediment.

Regular visitors to Symi from many years ago, particularly those who used to read our newspaper, the Symi Visitor, may remember the name Nihat Akkaraca.  He was a local historian in Datca and played a large role, not just in restoring Eski Datca, but also in fostering links between the communities of Symi and Datca.  He sadly passed away a few years ago but this small square in Eski Datca is named after him.

I went to Datca, Symi's Turkish neighbour, for the weekend, and I thought you might be interested to see the architecture of the old village, a little way inland from the modern seaside resort town of Datca.  It is amazing what a difference a plentiful water supply makes! I imagine that in the old days of the Ottoman empire when there was no international boundary between the two, Greek families sent barrels of water by caique across from verdant Datca to their parched cousins on Symi.

I am switching to winter hours this week so I will only be in the Symi Visitor Accommodation office three mornings a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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From the Kali Strata, Symi to the Datca Street Market in Turkey

An imposing door to a neglected mansion on the Kali Strata.

The municipal whitewashing marathon is now working its way down the Kali Stata. This is the section from the view corner up to the square with its tavernas and kafeneions.  The Symi Dream shop and the Olive Tree are on this stretch.

A municipal employee weeding and sweeping the Kali Strata in anticipation of the painter who is working his way down from the top.  No rogue lettuce or stray dandelions will stand a chance.

Cartoon carpets airing on the Kali Strata.

The new organic ethnic food shop that has opened in Yialos, near our Symi Visitor Accommodation office.

A butcher's shop in Datca, Turkey.  No one in Turkey is squeamish about window displays in this part of the world and butchers in both Greece and Turkey have no problems with displaying carcasses in the window or in the display cases.  The red colour of the sausages comes from generous quantities of sweet paprika and tomato.

The fresh produce market in Datca.  Shopping bags on wheels are standard kit for street market shoppers, whether in Datca or at the Laiki (popular street markets) in Rhodes and Athens.

Another view of the street market in Datca.  As the rainfall is higher there, they are able to grow all sorts of things in their sheltered valleys.  You can find anything you want as long as it is locally grown and in season.

Bling and some rather formidable foundation garments on the right.

Time for the shop assistants to take a tea break before packing up at the end of the day.

I went to Datca, Turkey,  for the weekend to help friends bring their boat back.  We had a little time in the street market on Saturday afternoon before it was all packed away.  This market goes all round the region and is set up in the back lanes of Datca town every Saturday.  It sells everything from fresh produce and artisanal cheeses to designer knock-offs, jolly plastic housewares and agricultural implements. There is even a fellow who fixes new handles on saucepans and hoses on vacuum cleaners.  Although there is no longer an official weekly excursion to Datca from Symi as the legislation became too onerous and expensive, there is none the less still a lot of traffic between the two ports.  It was interesting to observe that a lot of the larger and more glamourous boats that we see coming into Symi, flying the US flag and registered in Wilmington, Delaware, are actually Turkish owned and this is simply a flag of convenience.

On Sunday morning a succession of fat rain clouds drifted across Datca and poured rain upon us.  We had quite a bumpy trip back across in the early afternoon in a brisk south-westerly wind and big thunderclouds hovered, growling purple over the Turkish coast. Symi remained determinedly dry and only had the benefit of the special effects.  According to the long range forecast, however, there is the possibility of more thunderstorms and squally weather later this week so we may yet have another downpour like the showers we enjoyed last week.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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