But we love the winter too, albeit very different. This year the autumn weather has been incredibly kind to us but there is no denying that we are finally heading into a Turkish winter. So what does that mean for us?
Although it can be quite warm during the day time until well into January, it gets dark and cold in the evenings very quickly and it is all the more noticeable when it has been a warm day. Up in Uzumlu it is colder than down on the seafront (around 5 degrees) which is a blessing and a curse in the summer and winter respectively.
Like most ex pats we live in a villa rather than a traditional Turkish house and they are very much built for summer use and it can be a devil of a job trying to keep warm in the winter. We have installed a wood burner which runs a central heating system, but we still have problems with draughts from the windows and doors. During the winter we burn a lot of wood and good hard wood is not cheap to buy, so it is quite an expensive affair.
Sun loungers have all been taken away for winter storage |
In January this year we went up to Cadianda for a picnic and had a great day, we virtually had the place to ourselves and with the bonus that there is no charge in the winter months. February and March brings the worst weather with lots of rain and we do have some spectacular storms at any time during the winter.
Enjoying a picnic at Cadianda on 15th January this year |
A lot of the restaurants down at the coast shut up shop for the winter as do some of the shops. But Fethiye is a normal working town and other than along the harbour front and Paspatur which closes until spring, there really is not so much difference. In the village where we live pretty well everything remains the same all year round.
The restaurants that do stay open in the winter immediately drop their prices and many of them also do some incredibly good value set meals in an attempt to bump their trade. The market traders don't jump in with such ridiculous prices because they know that you probably live here. Some shops too are happier to negotiate prices because there are not so many buyers around which makes trading more competitive.
Eyna Restaurant Çalış preparing their specials board |
Oooh I love a rummage at the car boots |
One of the down sides of winter is for the street cats and dogs. During the summer there are a lot of holidaymakers who feed them and they have numerous restaurants to hang around to get food. A lot of these places are closed during the winter and suddenly their food source goes dry. Also some of the resort shops get puppies at the start of the season because they think they attract trade, then when they close their shops they just abandon them leaving them to their own devices. Most areas have animal aid groups who set up winter feeding programmes but the cost of this is enormous and they are of course reliant on donations to pay for it and willing volunteers to visit set areas every day to feed these hungry animals.
Of course a visit to any of the local beaches is wonderful at this time of year they are quiet and tranquil and so beautiful, and taking walks is so peaceful. It seems so strange to see the resort beaches with no sun-loungers, sun bathers or swimmers around. Just the odd dog walker, fisherman or street dogs having a frolic.
Street dogs enjoying a frolic on the quieter beach |