Touring through a country and seeing new things is very rewarding but can also be somewhat exhausting. It was no different in Turkey, but we were prepared for it and made sure that we had the right place, and the right amount of time set aside for some rest and relaxation – Antalya!
Antalya is located in the south-west of Turkey on the mediterranean coast, and is one of Turkey’s most popular tourist destination – well-known for it’s lovely beaches and climate. We were not interested in the beaches and therefore picked the Old City part as our destinations. This proved to be an excellent decision and we had a marvellous time. The old city reminded us a bit of Venice (minus the canals) with it’s narrow streets and alleys, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and all sorts of interesting places.
View over the bay at Antalya with one of many tourist ships in the background.
We kept a very low profile for five glorious days and restricted our activities to exploring the old city, sleeping, reading, wining and dining 🙂
Lovely seafood.
Excellent espresso.
Our favourite waiter at our most-frequented Italian-style restaurant.
Antalya turned out to be a very friendly place and we struck up many a conversation with waiters, shop owners, and passers-by. The general atmosphere was very laid-back and relaxed – exactly what we wanted to experience.
Steet-side merchants – they were quite happy to have their photograph taken. Notice the cat sleeping on the bottom shelve of the table 🙂
A good-humoured shop owner taking a break.
These two gentlemen were enjoying a cup of apple tea and looked so relaxed that I could not help but stop for a quick photograph.
Whatever souvenir you’re looking for, you will find it here!
Antalya is also clearly an extremely popular place for weddings and wedding photography. We must’ve witnessed at least 15 different wedding processions and shoots during our short stay, and even got invited to shoot some photographs of the happy couples at some of these – quite amazing really!
One of the couples of which we took some shots. The bride invited to us to shoot some pics, and we were only too happy to oblige!
Walking around the old city, day or night, Â was quite an interesting experience. The laid-back atmosphere was clearly palpable.
The streets are quite narrow!
This guy is ready to polish your shoes at a moments notice.
Bicycles are welcome too.
Every now and then you will come across old ramshackle buildings, which makes for interesting images.
Quiet street at night. I had to wait quite a while to get the opportunity of shooting this street while there was no movement at all.
The harbour is a short walking distance away and quite a popular tourist attraction, offering short excursions at sea.
Tourist ship entering the harbour.
Jaunine captured this night-time view over the harbour, with a laser-light playing over the beach.
A half-hour long horse-drawn coach trip is just the thing to see a bit more of the city. Jaunine had an excellent view while sitting next to the driver.
Don’t be surprised if a stranger offers you a rose !
Our five days of R&R passed only to quickly and we were somewhat reluctant to pack our bags for our return flight. It was the thought that we will definitely return back here for more of the same that somehow consoled us.
It was lovely being here !
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