ANTALYA BY THE SEA.

We unloaded from our bus in Antalya and had to walk to our hotel because the Old Town streets are not big enough for a bus. The Main St. can accommodate  a taxi or van, which is how they got our luggage in.


The streets in Old Town are cobblestone and vendors take up part of the thoroughfare. A taxi can slip by.

Up the narrow side streets, it is a different story. Usla is wise to know we appreciate the quaintness of Old Town.


Our hotel is the Dogon.


Our room is a corner room and out one window we can see the beautiful courtyard where we will have our breakfasts and hotel dinners.


Out the other window is a dilapidated building for sale. We saw squatters with a child living there, or perhaps staying there temporarily.


Also making a home in the building, a pair of doves.


In Old Town, gypsy vendors sold merchandise from colorful carts.


Notice the huge God’s eye. I so regret not getting pictures of shops with huge collections of God’s eyes, of every conceivable decoration and size.


This vendor has a stand with his scarves and trinkets.


I didn’t mark the name of this main thoroughfare, but it is lined with old roman sculptures in modern poses. This one is holding his garment up to an ATM machine to catch the money when it falls out.


The street sweeper
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This fellow is using his cell phone. Usla calls them “the government’s sense of humor.”


A sign with the price of drinks in a bar. At one of our pit stops, I bought a whole bottle of Raki for two Turkish lira.


You see very little restrictive clothing in a modern city like Antalya. Usla identified this gown and turban wearing gent as a Syrian refuge. It is against the law to wear the Burka in Turkey. The government outlawed this form of restrictive religious dress in 1934 as Turkey became aware of its changing roll on the world stage. In fact, they gave women the right to vote in 1920.


This is a statue of a water tender who would fill his container with water and sell it on the street, providing a service so people didn’t have to go to the town well for a drink. The water tender is hooked up to a faucett, now.


We passed this street that reminded several of us of Fremont Street in Las Vegas.


Usla bought a bagel from a vendor for us to taste, but we had already had them at mini-marts and from street vendors. Unlike anything we know as a bagel, it is tender, delicious, covered in sesame seeds and addictive. Hmmm! Loved them.


We circled around and ended our walk and chat at the harbor. I swam in the pool in the afternoon while Owen and Usla, along with others took clothing to a laundry. The water was cold, but poolside was slippery marble and I decided it was a dangerous place to be wet. (Gina fell.)


We had happy hour both nights in a small courtyard near the rooms of Joyce, Judy, Gina, and Maria.


Since this was a dinner on our own, we found a nice nearby restaurant next to the water. We sat in an open air space looking down on a sandy beach. Usla said they charge 15 tl to use the beach. And, miracle of miracles, Owen ordered  calamari and a second entree of a fish casserole. Both were delicious.


The atmosphere at this hotel was so pleasant. We early birds are early to breakfast.


And packed for leaving the next day. I spotted this sign.


And this one just around the corner from the hotel that I somehow missed after passing it several times.


We had free time and crossed the main ave into town on what Usla described as “…where the locals shop, better prices.”  Joyce held up this button covered purse for me. (I have a button collection.)


Such pleasant weather; flowers everywhere.


Gyros is what we eat in the U.S. when we eat Greek. Well, that is, one of the things, depending on where you live.


I was delighted to run into this yarn covered tree, for two reasons. Jim’s mother was the type of person who knitted and crocheted steadily. Her niece told me if anything was left uncovered, she’d soon crochet or knit it a cove. And, I have pictures of a yarn covered elephant, a bus, a taxi and a picture of this tree. I had no idea the tree was growing on the streets of Antalya, Turkey. And, now I know what a God’s eye is.

Tourists line up to ride these horse pulled, decorated buckboard.


I’m sure there is more to see in this town of interest to tourists. But our time was enjoyable and tomorrow, we will leave the hotel, bags packed, and bus to one of the best museums in Turkey, according to Usla. The museum is about 2 miles from our hotel.

TIME OUT.

I didn't do anything yesterday but swim, read, paint and eat. I wanted to go to a polo game in Indio, but Jim wasn't up to driving anywhere so we just stayed home. The above sculpture I thought of naming Back Pain, or  Writers Block, and then decided on Constipated as in our activities were constipated yesterday. (This sculpture is in a Reno arts gallery.)

This unusual bench came from the same gallery. The first word of the bench spells Inhale.

And, again from that gallery, this is a water "dish". Rain collects in a circular trough near the center and holds water for birds or other small critters. Their "rock" collection is unusual.
Since my bike was stolen, I've been think a lot about bikes and this painting is one I liked really well but I've forgotten where this painting hangs.

I'm a fan of Rene Wiley and she recently did a series of paintings on bikes that I liked so I'll post a few of them. Her gallery is in Galveston, Texas on Post Office Street.

Her paintings are for sale on-line, as well.  This is Green Cruiser.

Colorful Cruiser.

Blue Cruiser.

I think I'll try to paint bikes, though yesterday I started with palm trees. The only problem is, I have yet to get another brush. Maybe today.
I'm hoping to do the Walking Off Pounds program again today at 9:00. The snacks I ate yesterday should disappear today, right?

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA?

Bemidji, Minnesota is an Ojibwa Indian name. Kudo’s to the city that actually honored Native Americans with a plaque. A first in my book. Resting in the gardens surrounding the Bemidji Visitor Center when you cross over the bridge and enter the town.

The gardens are a native plant preserve and snuggle up next to small Lake Bemidji. Giant trout, yellow perch, walleyed pike, and whitefish reward the persistent fisherman. This guy says he fishes three days a week and the fish have their “seasons”.

The lake water forms a river that runs south. This is considered the birth place of the Mighty Mississippi River.
Cattails are prolific here and a survival food for humans and animals. (That comes from my days of trying to camp out with my kids and eat straight from the land.)  It was fun but left us starving. The roots make a flour and the tails when green are a vegetable similar to very skinny corn on the cob. (I had just read Stalking The Wild Asparagas, by Euel Gibbons.)  They are a beautiful pond plant anyway. It always amazes me what long forgotten memories come out of the depths when I write.

The Center has a sculpture garden that we enjoyed.

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People line up to have their picture taken with Babe the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyan. I grew up on Paul Bunyan stories and poems, and now I think they are kinda hokey. The visitor center is located in the arts district of Bemidji and the sculpture installations went right on into the first four blocks of town.

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If you are going to have a bike rack, why not make it an artistic bike rack.

Same for a bench. I’m not sure you could actually sit on this one though. It was Labor Day Weekend and most of the businesses were closed, the streets nearly barren of traffic.

Don’t know where my fascination for rusty stuff comes from. Maybe my farm background?

This section of town was artsy in other ways, too.

Interesting signage, fun shops, like comics, baseball cards, cool threads, used stuff, fabric, sewing machines, consignment stores, fun restaurants, (few of them open), two brew pubs, (both closed)  one pub, Keg and Cork was open, but we passed.

We are getting close to our picture upload limit but since I am on a borrowed signal where we are staying at the Elks, I get to splurge.

A flying pig situated near Bene Tutto, an upscale Italian Restaurant (closed) with a pig as part of its logo.

Also within walking distance of the visitors center, a county historical museum. It, too was closed but a veterans memorial was in the museum side yard. Untypical of this memorial was a salute to the Merchant Marines. Merchant sailors had to sign war papers and lost more men by percentage than any other branch of service. They finally got veterans recognition in 1988.


Also unique, recognizing the services of the Coast Guard.  (I’ve noticed that several of my vertical pictures are not loading properly, but if you click on them they come up.)

And, not only women, but women and men of color. I think I like this town.

We spent the night at the Eagles where Amazing Angela, the friendliest singing bartender we ever met holds sway. We supported their fundraiser, spaghetti dinner,  for a child born with multiple problems, surgeries and huge medical bills. Now, if we can overcome the pervasive Koch brothers disinformation campaign about Obamacare, kids like this little boy won’t put his parents in the poor house.