Sunday was devoted to travel. It is not actually that far from Malmo to the Mahmutlar of Alanya, but the nature of the actual travel made for a long day.
Step One - Drive from Malmo to Copenhagen Airport
This involved finding a gas station, figuring out how to pay for the gas, filling the rental car, dropping the rental car off, figuring out where to get the transit bus of death (see arrival in Copenhagen post) , and getting to the airport departure terminal.
Step Two - Getting to Our First Flight
Required going to the Terminal research said Turkish Airlines departed from, finding out the actual check in for Turkish is in the other terminal, schlepping to said other terminal, checking in, going through security and passport control, realizing the actual departure gate is in the terminal you originally went to, schlepping to said gate, gulping down a meal at airline lounge rushing to board and then boarding said flight.
Step Three - Transferring to Second Flight
Now in Istanbul, we must go by bus from the plane to the arrival area, clear passport control and security again, find the domestic airline lounge, figure out the special system for getting from the domestic lounge to the plane, taking the next plane to the Alanya airport.
Step Four - Getting to Our Airbnb
Wait for luggage which doesn't come out. Are found by airport personnel who let us know that as we came in on an out-of-country flight, our bags must still clear customs. Finally get into our transfer. Our actually met by our Airbnb host as the transfer arrives. Are helped registering which involves a fingerprint scan for entering the building, and finally get to the apartment. It was a good 21 hours before we finally got to sit down in the apartment and start getting settled.
We slept very late on Monday. It was 11:30 before we were out trying to find a supermarket as we had no food. There are two that are literally just outside the entrance to the building. Unfortunately Google Maps seemed to imply they were much further away so we did a bunch of unnecessary walking. By 1pm I was whipping up an egg and veggie scramble for brunch after which we collapsed again.
It is quite hot here and we decided to not go out until after 6pm to look for something for dinner, get a few other items, and walk down to the water. The waterfront is about 3/4 of a mile from the apartment. We ate our first Donner Kebap for dinner, did a small amount of walking along the waterfront then returned to the apartment for collapse 3.0.
Morning View from the apartment
Later view from same
My first experience with genuine Turkish style tea making apparatus. The apartment had left in it a HUGE bag of loose tea.
You make the mother tea above very strong and add hot water to reduce the strength to taste.
I don't drink tea in general, but truly love Turkish Çay (pronounced Chai).
Enjoying Çay in traditional glass on apartment deck
Leaving the apartment to look for dinner
Outside a traditional Parrot Kebap house
(That's not true. This is a pet store)
First Doner Kebap of the trip
Lamb Hutay style with spicy tomato-pepper sauce
Chicken German style with salad inside
Walking the waterfront at nightfall
Arriving at home sweet home for the next three weeks
