Fowl Wind
26 November 2021 | Didim, Turkey
Turkey
Thursday 25 November 2021
Crew observed American Thanksgiving today by officially moving to Turkey. We contemplated celebratory meal at Jack's Restaurant (must be good), which advertises a special on chicken - no turkey, but opted instead for lamb shank and steak at New Moon. By the way turkeys, common here though not indigenous, are not the fat, stupid, domesticated, white ones that are whacked to provide the traditional US T-Day meal (or pardoned by the President), but rather the good looking, wild ones Ben Franklin wanted to make our national bird. Bald eagles are majestic and all, but turkeys are way cool. Pelicans, my personal favorite, are even better. Canada's national bird is an unpretentious, gray jay. Should have been the more attractive and impressive loon (casting no loony aspersions) or the snowy owl. At least it's not the obstreperous and messy Canada goose. What were they thinking?
Since we now have Turkish residency, which supplies identification, Jan couriered, with massive trepidation, her passport to the embassy in Ankara. Canada expressly accepts no responsibility to not lose it or to issue the new one in a reasonable amount of time. They don't answer calls and won't reply to queries for at least ten days after receipt. Taxes to pay for reduced service have probably gone down too. Right?
Friday
With two friends distaff crew, who hates shopping, is currently in Izmir, a two hour drive, to shop. She's on a mission to find ticking (Lyme disease-free covering) for forward bunk mattress. This leaves rest of crew home alone contemplating risky business. This primarily comprises eating everything in the boat with fat and sugar, not exercising, becoming obese and having a heart attack. There will likely be insufficient time to accomplish last two details before Jan's return or massive indigestion intercedes.
Strong wind in the Aegean often comes from the north as a Meltemi. Today we're experiencing over twenty from the southeast. Southwest wind is called a Lodos, but apparently may back a bit then continue through the Dardanelles and Bosporus Strait. Siroccos also blow up southeast from North Africa. Mediterraneans have almost as many labels for wind (over thirty) as Inuit have for snow (forty or more). If it has a name, you probably don't want to sail in it.
Jack & Jan