Turkish scenes; ten years’ sailing in the Mediterranean
Published
Topic
Travel
written aboard Stroemhella, while at anchor in south Turkey
Spring’s here —
The days are patchwork, changing continually,
Our boat is bobbing softly, wedged between friendly live-aboards.
A peaceful spot, between high mountains topped with snow,
flanked by a narrow coast road, once walked by Saint Paul,
twisting and turning
up hill and down again to the sea.
We make long bike rides following the coastline
or zig-zagging up seemingly endless hills ...
Above, the trees, bare and shining in pale light.
We climb to an ancient city, Termessos, once home to thousands
now empty and silent in the sunlight.
Our feet crunch crisp leaves and crackle broken twigs;
breathless, we rest upon huge broken stones
staring into space, range upon range
purpling and hazing into the distance
and no bird sings.
Then, a robin redbreast hops onto a branch
Beside my shoulder...
(Termessos, Antalya)