By morning the wind had at last settled to tolerable sailing levels and we bid farewell to Cesme marina...it had been good to us but we were all keen to throw off the mooring lines. Having lost several days of our planned journey, the pace unfortunately had to be cranked up a little to see the places highest on the Turkey 'must do' list.
We motored and sailed to Foca, a wide port with several spots to anchor noted in the pilot book, but plenty of shallow water to be careful about. We approached the sea wall and picked up a mooring line, but some yelling from the shore got our attention and we were pointed away. Next idea was around the headland that we'd passed on the way in, but that turned out to be a military base and we got not one, but two horns, letting us know we were not to come any closer. Third option was to tuck in under the other harbour headland, where several day tripper boats were anchored, the families having a swim and enjoying the afternoon. We joined them in the water and cooled off after our long day. Before long the company departed and we relaxed in the calm of the evening light. A bride appeared on the beach in her very white tulle and there were also some beach BBQ's happening. This was Sunday night and it seemed the Turks are good at enjoying themselves in the summer warmth.
Next morning, a quick swim was enjoyed before another day of travel, this time to Alibey. In contrast to yesterday, we were welcomed into the sea wall by a nice old man of the sea, and we smoothly manoeuvred Trilogy into her berth. There was no indecision as to where we would eat that night, as there was a beautiful restaurant directly behind the stern.
John had developed an infection in his eye and needed to seek medical advice. The local taxi driver took matters into his own hands and took the whole saga very seriously. He drove some distance to the local hospital, insisted that John didn't join the waiting room crowd and, sure enough, he was promptly seen by a doctor. The prescription and other medications were filled at a rather hidden pharmacy and before long the taxi driver had been paid for his magnificent and much appreciated efforts. Meanwhile Sue and Ros explored the cobblestone streets to the top of the hill behind the township, where a beautiful old stone windmill had become a cafe. The view over the archipelago of islands was very special. One part of this waterway is referred to as the lake because it is almost completely encircled by land. As we headed back down the hill, we took in the lifestyle of the locals, women sitting in doorways, cats and dogs being thrown bread scraps, a beautiful boutique hotel that had a manicured inner courtyard and then a bunch of jewellery and other tourist stalls at the wharf.
Once we were all back on board, it was time for our usual routine of showers and GNT's before stepping ashore to our restaurant at 21:00. By now the waterfront was alive with locals out for a dinner or ice cream, and children were enjoying games with each other or riding bikes. We had a wonderful meal of mezzes of various flavours, selected from the cabinet inside. We chose five from the cabinet: eggplant salad, grilled holoumi cheese, stuffed mushrooms, fried mixed seafood wraps and cheese stuffed zucchini flowers to share. However, our gregarious waiter decided he wanted us to try many more of his dishes and they kept coming and they were truly delicious! We had no room for fish but the waiter insisted on providing a dessert, which was a soft mild cheese, covered in a berry sauce and sprinkled with nuts. We had intended to walk along the foreshore after dinner to an ice cream stall where the waffle cones were being cooked, but there was no room after our feast. Instead we just wandered with the locals, taking in this delightful vibrant setting. A cup of tea on Trilogy's cockpit, and we were very content to retire.
Trilogy got a wash down before departing and fresh bread, along with local savoury pastries were bought. Underway again, we planned to head for Assos via Poroslene, a beautiful bay in the archipelago where dolphins are reputed to be found. We enjoyed a refreshing swim to the beach but instead of dolphins we saw lots of happy little fish and lots of ugly rubbish on the shore. It was then off to the township of Assos, a site dating back 3000 years and set against a steep rocky cliff covered with trees. There were warnings in the pilot that the anchor may not hold well here, but our anchor held long enough for a relaxing afternoon of swimming. There were at least six restaurants, each with a sun baking platform built out over the water. We were so looking forward to our meal ashore but it wasn't to be! There was a shift of wind to the south, not predicted on any of the websites, and we were in need of a hasty retreat. The skipper had checked the anchor and calculated that we would be safe to stay, but he suddenly realised that Trilogy had swung dangerously close to a submerged ancient stone sea wall with the wind shift. We hastily got underway and put Trilogy out of harm's way while we contemplated where to safely spend the night. Fortunately, a calm protected anchorage wasn't too far away and so another day ended with a home cooked meal of salmon steaks, mashed potato and creamed spinach, accompanied by wine and a tipple of Bailey's.