Idyllic is a word hardly ever associated with being at a marina. Many cruisers try to minimize their time at marinas, heading in only when absolutely necessary to conduct repairs, wash down the boat or top off the tanks. But the Marti Marina, located in a small bay near the SE corner of Hisaronu Koyu (Bay) is an an exception to the rule and IS an idyllic place to visit.

Set at the base of a steep, pine-clad hill, the marina is smaller and more intimate than most. The facilities are situated in the enchanting Gulf of Hisaronu, the mythological home of the Goddess Hemithea, whose powers of healing and beautification were believed to prolong the lives of the local inhabitants.

The Legend of Hemithea goes like this: Molpadia and Parthenos, the daughters of Staphylus, King of Rhodes, were charged with safeguarding the sacred wine. One day the sisters nodded off and woke up to find all of the vessels of wine had tipped over. When the girls saw what had happened they were so terrified of their father's reaction that they threw themselves off a cliff. At the last moment, they were saved by Apollo, who brought Molpadia to Pazarccik, near Hisaronu. Believing that Molpadia healed people in their sleep, the locals renamed her Hemithea, the "goddess of healing" and erected a temple in her honor. Perhaps there is truth to this legend: Christine has been dealing with what she thinks was a pinched nerve in her back for the past several days, causing considerable discomfort. But during our stay in the Gulf of Hisaronu, her situation improved markedly. Tonight we will offer a toast to Hemithea, just in case she had a role in this...

We spent Saturday afternoon and evening at the marina before leaving yesterday and anchoring in a tranquil bay just across the way from the marina. This morning we woke early and were underway by 830 am, motoring slowly along 19 miles of Turkish coastline to our present location, anchored just outside the town of Bozborun. We're heading ashore shortly and will share more details after we've had a bit of time to explore...

By the way, I've posted a side link to a NYT article about sailing in Turkey that I stumbled across yesterday. Real or wannabe cruising friends may want to check it out.