Anyway, let’s get back to this lovely spring weather. The temperatures are picking up, we’re seeing blue sky on a regular basis, the blossom is out and the wildflowers have kicked into action, giving us a vibrant splash of colour against the greens and blues of the pine trees and the Mediterranean. This is the sort of weather that you want to be out wandering in for no other purpose than just to relish in the change of season.
Because it’s so long since we’ve been for a good wander, we decided to walk from home, making it a decent 12-mile leg stretch. We’ve written about the route of the hike around Fethiye peninsula in the past, if you want to take in the views for yourself, sometime. The road follows the contours of the hill known as Oyuktepe – and the views…well, every time we walk around here, we stop and sigh at the beauty of the views.
While fresh new shoots of greenery herald spring, it’s got to be blossom that gives us that happy feeling inside. We have mimosa trees in front of our house and they’re just starting to get their blossom buds on them now. Around the peninsula last week, though, the trees were bulging with sunburst yellow blossom. Views of Fethiye we’ve seen so many times before were, all of a sudden, vistas through the plumage.
Yes, we’re walking along a tarmac road when we skirt around this hill in Fethiye but the climbs and the drops with the constant view of the Mediterranean and the gulf of Fethiye…the tarmac is easily forgiven. We stopped for a few seconds just to watch the guy in this boat. He was enjoying his springtime afternoon in tranquillity, and who can blame him?
Such a pleasant sunny day, not too much of a breeze…we were all getting a little bit sunkissed.
Ahhh, and more springtime blooms. These wildflowers are prolific around Fethiye at this time of year, and, again, this is a view back over to Çalış that we know so well…but don’t the spring blooms just add a pleasing aspect to what is already a perfect scene? These flowers won’t be here again in a few weeks, but it doesn’t matter. Spring and new beginnings are what it’s all about…and we’ll be well into the new season the next time we’re here to enjoy the scenery. It’ll still be just as beautiful…just different.
There was only a bit of traffic that passed us as we walked – mostly young couples in cars or on scooters, looking for the best vantage point to stop and take in the scenery while whacking their music up to full volume.We had quite a variety of music on that day. All lovely to see though; they were there for the same reason we were. It’s spring and we’re all loving it.
…but also because you’re so high up. Your legs are aching. Even if you started at the Marina Vista Hotel, you’ve walked nearly 8 miles by now and you could do with a little rest. It’s all downhill from here, winding steeply down the road, the view of Fethiye keeps you going, the sounds of the boatyard become louder…and when you get to the bottom a few minutes later, you can jump on the dolmuş to take you back to town.
We’re still right at the beginning of the clues of springtime in Fethiye. Last month, it was the beautiful almond blossom in our front garden. This month, we’ve seen a creeping rise in temperatures and the first mimosa blossom…and in just a few weeks, we’ll be enjoying these floral scenes of Kayaköy in springtime. As usual; lots to look forward to. A life without seasons…it just wouldn’t be the same, would it?
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