Getting a Beach Fix At Çeşme and Alaçati

 Our weekend in the Izmir area continued and we were able to see some amazing parts of Turkey. We drove to Çeşme which is only about an hour drive along the coast away from Izmir. Çeşme is a seaside town with all the charm of seaside towns around the world. The pristine blue water was so inviting. Even Lucky Dragon wanted to shed his coat and go swimming. He is our little boy for sure.

We walked around and met the warm, friendly people that lived there. As we were leaving we decided that we should use the bathroom one more time and found a pay-as-you-go bathroom that are common in Europe. The man that was there was eating a new bag of cookies and literally gave Tau’aho half of the stack. I know better, from past experience, than to refuse when people try to give him something. They view it as offensive. So we said ‘thank you’ and Lucky boy was SO happy with his new treasures. I had to laugh that we paid 1 lira (.50 cents USD) for the bathroom and he probably gave us 3 lira worth of cookies! Not many places you have that strength of kindness.

Daddy won't let me go swimming...

This couple holds hands for eternity looking at the sea

Cookies from the bathroom attendant

We also made it to Alaçati. Alaçati is a quaint beach side town that has preserved the old stone Turkish style of homes and even the new homes are designed to match. It was Saturday so we found the Saturday market and wandered the streets enjoying the chaos of the people. We stopped to eat at a cute little restaurant and it was amazingly designed and offered amazing food. We made friends with the family that owned it and as we left, they too gave us gifts. There are always reminders that good, loving people exist in the world.

We enjoyed the sunshine, we enjoyed the people, we enjoyed seeing the beach. It was worth the trip. It is just too bad it was not a bit warmer so we could go swim.

Back in Izmir after a trip from the beautiful coast

Our happy little traveler