Holiday Finished

                By our last full day, we were ready to go home.  We went back into the old city after breakfast (opting for great coffee over great food) and I made my first personal purchase of the trip- a dress I had been eyeing for three days and desperately wanted.  Fortunately they took credit card (or else I would have been very sad) and even took 20TL off the price (reluctantly, as someone had apparently quoted me the wrong price the day before, but I suppose she could tell by my hesitation that although I would pay the extra 20, I would be very unhappy about it) and then Joe went back to the hotel room and I wandered out into the mist to spend the last of my non-travel cash on a Turkish Bath.  It was a very strange experience- I was the only one there, and after taking my wrap, the old woman led me into a room where I poured hot water on myself for twenty minutes.  Then she came back with a glove, lay me down, and proceeded to scrub all the dead skin off my body.  I rinsed off, and she lathered soap and washed me, and then washed my hair, and then gave me a massage.  Although it is  little strange to have a complete stranger scrub you as though you are a small child, it was also thoroughly relaxing, and I left feeling immensely cleaner than I had an hour earlier.

snow on the mountains

                Joe was waiting for me and we watched a film before going for our last dinner down in the marina.  We had a lovely meal, and the surprise of a free fruit platter for dessert, and then roamed the streets of the old city one last time.  The sun was out, the water was calm and the mountains were visible on our last morning.  We found a new location for breakfast (excellent view, decent food, decent coffee) and then packed and decided to head to the airport early, as there was not much else to do.  I asked four different people how to get to the airport by bus, and was given four different answers.  The last one seemed the most reliable, so we headed in that direction and then asked a taxi driver when we arrived.  It was an easy journey, followed by a long wait.  I watched a film, Joe read and eventually it was time to check in.  We found a pub, drank our last beer for awhile, then I bought a Turkish grammar book (my last credit card purchase) and we boarded.  It was a quick hop to Istanbul, a quick wait, and then another short hop over to Malatya.  We caught the bus with ease, and made it home by about 10:30pm to many bills stuck to our door, and only a little time to get ready for work the following morning.

The last breakfast.

Antalya Clock Tower