Don Curry and Santa Claus

Don Curry is aware that he is traveling through extremely historic regions. The most diverse peoples and civilizations have settled in Asia Minor, fought each other, and perished over the course of millennia. At the same time, this region has produced numerous famous personalities, be they rulers and politicians, philosophers, or artists. Today, Don Curry should follow in the footsteps of a man who may not fit into any of the aforementioned categories, but who is known to every child worldwide.

But before that, Don Curry was able to take his first steps into the breakfast buffet at the Belinda Hotel. This hotel had chosen a different approach to dealing with the corona pandemic: instead of shouting or pointing options to serve themselves at the buffet, a medical corona mask was available directly next to the plate and cutlery. Equipped like this, self-service was no longer hindered. And there was plenty to choose from: in addition to various types of cheese, herbs, and vegetable slices, there was also plenty of fruit on offer; vegetable-potato scrambled eggs, fried sausages, cakes, and various jams were also available. Don Curry was pleased that he would be able to try all the things he couldn't manage today in the coming days. The slices of watermelon and honeydew melon were particularly delicious, not only because of their unusual sweetness, but also because of their aroma.

The rest of the morning, Don Curry wanted to dedicate to exploring Kaş. Because even this tourist resort today can look back on a millennia-old history. For example, from the time of the Lycians comes a four-meter-high tomb adorned with lions, which stands in the middle of the pedestrian zone of the city. From the ancient city of Antiphellum, a well-preserved theater has survived the passage of time; Don Curry discovered it on the outskirts of Kaş. He knew that there should also be an unusual 'Doric grave' nearby, so he followed the footpaths through abandoned olive groves up a hill. But even from there, he could not see any tomb monument. So he followed further paths back towards the city and suddenly found himself in front of the carved stone grave after a bend in the road. The thermometer already showed 29°C at 10:30 a.m., but the temperature felt much higher to Don Curry. Sweating, he returned to the hotel and inwardly cursed that he had chosen an elevated accommodation.

By car, he headed east to the next coastal town, Demre. However, since the coast is extremely rugged and road construction would be incredibly costly, the connecting road between the towns is high up in the mountains: winding up, winding down. The sight of Demre initially shocked Don Curry. The place seemed to be one single collection of white plastic sheeting greenhouses. They shimmered in the sun as a large colorless area. However, Don Curry had a different destination in mind, namely the ancient predecessor city of Demre: the old Myra.

As he approached the well-signposted ruins of the city, a young man waved him energetically into a parking lot. Don Curry had just read the unusual signs: 'Parking free'. As a rule, every Turkish parking lot has an official guardian who collects at least 10 lira, regardless of how long you park - but everything is regulated by the state and comes with a receipt. The young man had a different strategy: parking was free, but he engaged the parkers so sympathetically that afterwards they gladly ordered a coffee or something similar at his café in the parking lot. Don Curry found it business-savvy, especially when he realized that the official parking lot was also free. With a museum pass, he quickly gained access to the very manageable site of the city of Myra. Essentially, it offered two sights: a magnificent well-preserved theater from Roman times and a whole row of imaginatively decorated Lycian rock tombs in the cliff next to and above it. For several years, these tombs had been closed to tourists. Don Curry also saw no way that even with rudimentary safety precautions, visitors could be given access to the tombs located high up in the cliffside without completely destroying the picturesque view of the entire complex. So it was better this way, especially since the interiors of the tombs are mostly uninteresting. When he returned to the parking lot, he ordered a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and a tea from the friendly café operator. When Don Curry asked for the bill after enjoying both drinks, the young man said something like 'Ten - Five', sat on a motorcycle, and disappeared. So Don Curry put the equivalent of 1.50 € under the tea glass, got into the car, and drove away as well.

He didn't have to drive far, just to the center of Demre. There lay his next destination, which is also related to the city of Myra. Here stands a relatively well-preserved Byzantine church, which dates back to the 8th century and is dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, of course. For centuries, it had sunk into the mud of the nearby river Demre until the mid-19th century when the Russian czar acquired the land and commissioned its restoration. The current appearance may seem strange at first with its modern roof and the extensive fabric banners above the church entrances, but ultimately these structures serve to protect the numerous frescoes inside from the strong sunlight. Don Curry also enjoyed the shade inside and around the church, discovered not only wall paintings but also intricately designed floors and several sarcophagi, one of which once contained the bones of St. Nicholas until Italian merchants stole them and took them to Bari in the 11th century. Nevertheless, Myra remains the city of St. Nicholas to this day and attracts not only tourists but also - especially Russian - pilgrims, as Don Curry could tell from the huge selection of St. Nicholas icons in the souvenir shops around the church. Demre itself also seemed proud of its former resident: several statues of the Saint and even more stores, restaurants, and hotels named after Santa Claus made St. Nicholas very present. But Don Curry somehow found it difficult to associate St. Nicholas with an outside temperature of 30°C...

Meanwhile, the sun gained even more strength, and the thermometer showed 32°C when Don Curry reached the small coastal village of Üçağiz, the starting point for numerous boat tours in the picturesque and island-rich surroundings. Don Curry first headed to the remains of the city of Theimussa. Since parking in Üçağiz proved to be extremely difficult despite large capacities, Don Curry simply parked his car in front of a souvenir shop on the harbor square and walked all the way to the eastern end of the village. Here, a small path labeled 'To the Tombs' began. Literally over sticks and stones, Don Curry trudged through a very rough landscape right by the sea until he finally found a collection of very special chamber graves in the Lycian style that stood around photogenically in the area.

Despite the unbearable heat, he felt a slight hunger and a pronounced thirst. Two men were sitting in front of a guesthouse by the harbor, eating something. So Don Curry chose a table there and waited. Only after the men had finished eating did one of them address him 'Welcome to my little paradise. What can we do for you?' The eaters revealed themselves to be the owner and the cook of the guesthouse. Don Curry explained that he only wanted to eat something light, to which the owner recommended 'Pancakes'. However, these Turkish Gözleme have very little to do with our typical pancakes. They are made from the puff pastry-like yufka dough and can contain various fillings. Don Curry got his with a delicious mixture of cream cheese and various fresh herbs. Together with a total of 1 liter of water, he paid 4 € in this tourist paradise and was more than satisfied. When he returned to his car, it turned out that others were less happy with his parking space in front of the souvenir shop. Not only were the windshield wipers raised, but someone had placed a warning cylinder on the hood of his car, which was used to prevent parking. Don Curry understood the message, put his car back into a driveable condition, and left before more trouble could ensue.

He returned to the hotel shortly after 4 p.m. and was glad that he didn't have to do anything else in this heat. The originally planned boat tour in Üçağiz fell victim to both the unbearable temperatures and the high tourist prices (starting at €60 per person). Instead, Don Curry treated himself to a late siesta...

At around 7 p.m., he felt ready for new culinary adventures. After yesterday's rather international meal, he was looking forward to a restaurant with excellent Turkish cuisine called 'Bahçe' (Garden), and just like a small narrow garden, the restaurant was also located - wedged between a carpet shop and another inn. The 'Bahçe' is particularly known for its rich selection of mezze, with over 30 variations on the menu or directly available from the mezze display. Don Curry opted for grilled eggplants and green peppers in yogurt-tomato sauce, a rich paste made from crushed walnuts, and an extremely delicious hummus. Sufficient bread and water were provided free of charge; Don Curry also ordered a small bottle (0.375 l) of Lykian white wine from Patara. His main course was supposed to be swordfish in paper, but the waiter regretted that there was no fresh swordfish today, so Don Curry switched to the Seafood Casserole - a hot pan full of mussels and shrimp on a bell pepper-onion vegetable. Yes, that's how Turkish cuisine tastes, thought Don Curry. Some things could have been a bit spicier, but overall, this meal catapulted itself to the top of his culinary experiences. With a double Tekirdag Raki and the rest of the hummus (Raki without food is unimaginable for Turks!), this event in the garden ended, but it cost him a total of €29.

But it was worth it, Don Curry found, and thought back to a wonderful day when he got very close to Santa Claus.