As I said, this day was for catching up on work and reading. Not too stressful, as I find reading by the hillside pool to be, well, exquisite. Oh, that view!
By evening, I hadn’t moved more than ten yards from the side of my deck chair. In the water, then out again, slobbering in the sun screen, turning (wet now) pages . The air here is hot and very windy – torrents of it blowing at you, keeping you from feeling oppressed by the temps.
Lunch? Delivered to my chair. Here, it looked like this:
grilled calamari on arugula
sour cherry ice cream
Decadent, right? I admit it.
Finally, by evening I work up the motivation to go down and get ready to eat. Dinner is at the other end of town and the walk is along a busy road. Hugely uninteresting. I mean, in places that sport one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, you’re not going to be impressed when you pass by a random amphitheater from around 400 BC.
The restaurant, by the way, is wonderful and it, too, has the view of the harbor and castle -- from the other side of town.
But I feel I cheated here as the owners are Turkish, but full-time residents of Paris. I mean, should I praise the sauces (SO French) or the fresh ingredients, brushed lovingly with olive oil (SO Turkish)?
The Ancient Wonder (Mausoleum of Halicarnassus) will be around tomorrow. I hope. I understand it’s so damaged (earthquakes, terrible excavations, etc) as to be unrecognizable. Still, so close… Must get to it. Tomorrow.
