The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Beautiful Bodrum

There is a chance of rain tomorrow so we thought this would be a good day to make the short trek south to see Bodrum. The town of Bodrum is built on the site of Helicarnassus, one of the most famous ancient cities in the world dating back to around 700 BC.

It was the site of the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The building was a tomb for, and a monument to, Mausolus, an early king of Caria. The structure rose the equivalent of twenty stories -- definitely a wonder in 350 BC! It stood for 1700 years before being destroyed in an earthquake.

The main feature of Bodrum today is Bodrum Castle, resting on a rocky peninsula between two harbors. Crusader Knights arrived around 1400 and used the remains of the Mausoleum as a quarry to build the still impressively standing Bodrum Castle (Castle of Saint Peter), a well-preserved example of the late Crusader architecture in the east Mediterranean. The castle and its town became known as Petronium, from which the modern name Bodrum is derived.

Today Bodrum is a hot spot on the Aegean coast, Turkey's answer to Cannes, with a vibrant boating culture, endless restaurants and an active nightlife.

Bodrum Castle dominates the waterfront. There you find ferries to several of the nearby Greek islands, a base for gulet (wooden sailing ship) cruises along the coast, and numerous pleasure and fishing boats. Some fisherman even sell their catch right next to their boats. The feel along the waterfront did not seem uniquely Turkish to me. Once you discount the language on the signs and the ubiquitous Turkish flags, it didn't take much to imagine it as one of many places along the French Riviera or Hangzhou in China. Don't get me wrong -- Bodrum is a lovely resort area with a lot to see and do ... but I still like the small town, exotic feeling of Gulluk.

I thought this was cool. Along the waterfront, attached to a playground for the children was a playground for adults with exercise machines and free weights, all done in a whimsical plastic sort of way.

Bodrum Castle struck us as a must-see, although there was a lot of climbing involved. The day was really perfect weather-wise -- mid 70s and sunny with a slight breeze -- but the climbing raised my body temperature to a point where we cut the visit short to escape back to our air conditioned car.

The castle grounds include the Museum of Underwater Archeology and there are several displays of artifacts that have been collected from the sea floor in the area. The glass pieces date from the 2nd to 4th centuries, the amphoras (jars) were the shipping containers of choice in the ancient world, carrying everything from olive oil and wine to grain and tools.

We went a little farther up the food chain for lunch, stopping along the waterfront at Restaurant Korfez, reputed to be the oldest eatery in Bodrum (1927). The beer was cold, the view was pleasant, the meze tasty ... and the calamari perhaps the most tender and flavorful I have ever eaten. Margene opted for a shrimp salad and raved about the freshness of the shrimp. I guess to last for 85 years you must really have your food act together!

Finally, a few shots to clear out the camera. The pizzeria had a fleet of about six of these delivery scooters. Given the compact nature of the town, the narrow streets and heavy traffic, they made perfect sense. And, of course, day ended as it always seems to here, with a kiss goodnight from God.

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