After many days aboard the fine yacht Necessity, how do you summarize your adventure and highlight the most magical moments? After all aren’t we having the time of our lives? Sailing, Touring, Shopping, Food and Wine and of course Customs come to mind.
Sailing started with a coastal tour of southern Turkey from Antalya to Side to Alanya. A 25 hour overnight sail took us from Alanya Turkey to Limassol Cyprus. Time and weather gave us the opportunity to visit the southeast coast of Cyprus with stops in Limassol, Larnaca, Fig Tree Bay and Konnos Bay. Beautiful sails surpassing seven knots on a few trips. With the guidance from the weather website Predict Wind we had all safe journeys with no drama. Anchoring and Med mooring presented challenges for the crew but we overcame. I just wonder why the anchor has to break free in the early morning hours.
Each port had unique touring adventures. Viewing thousand year old structures, ruins, unique landscapes or just people watching filled our days. Our day in Cyprus with Tony was very memorable. We spent time with his family and saw first hand how the Turkish invasion of Cyprus (1974) affected his family… very emotional to experience this family story.
Shopping in Turkey is a “knock off” heaven. Purses, shoes, scarves, jackets, shirts and hats, you name it and you can buy it from the shops and markets proudly displaying their merchandise. Of course we purchased our share.
The food and wine available to us was wonderful. Fresh fish, grilled meats, cheeses, salads were abundant at restaurants and markets. We never missed a meal or happy hour for sure. Wine in Turkey is very expensive, about twenty five dollars for a run of the mill brand, as it is heavily taxed. We were happy to arrive in Cyprus where affordable wine was available.
Cyprus customs and police presented another challenge for us when they took and kept our passports. They gave us landing permits. Because we did not have passports we were unable to travel to the Turkish section of Cyprus. Upon arrival back in Larnaca we retrieved our passports. Travelling between countries is a challenge and our captain has this mastered now always clearing Necessity and crew.
A special “Thank You” to Dean and crew for giving us another trip of a lifetime with more memorable moments to treasure. We also have all the photos to view and re live this wonderful experience… we can even share them with you!