We left the Ephesus Archaeological Museum with about two and a half hours of driving remaining to arrive in Bodrum. It may have taken longer, as a lot of the road goes straight through towns and we got stuck behind trucks or farm vehicles on occasion. On the final leg of the drive, the road winds between a mountain ridge and the coast and it's very pretty. But there were a lot of resorts under construction and soon this route will be commercial and crowded.

Manzara Hotel

It was early evening when we checked in to the Comca Manzara Boutique Hotel. We took only a couple wrong turns trying to find it. The hotel comprises series of buildings tiered across a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea. They are bright and clean, with stone tiling "streets" between. There are flower planters, tables and chairs, and balconies so you feel like you are in your own village. Farther down the hill are the office and bar, and below those, the pool and restaurant.

We had booked two rooms, and it turned out that our son's room was on the next row over, so we had a little walk in between. He was old enough to stay on his own, but families in other situations might want to ask for adjacent rooms. Also note that each room was like a little apartment, with a couch and sitting area at the door and a separate room for the bed and bath. It was nice to have the extra space.

I really enjoyed this hotel. I went for a swim each afternoon and nearly had the pool to myself. I sat at the bar and had a beer, and we all had breakfast there every morning (maybe it was included in the price, I don't recall). Some of the rooms probably had great views, but unfortunately, ours did not. If I were to stay again, I would inquire about that.

Engelsiz Beach

Right away we walked down to the waterfront. The hotel was just up the hill from Engelsiz Beach, a nice beach with plenty of activity like boating and restaurants. We were prowling for dinner, and we spotted a terrific looking doner. Then we took seats at a restaurant for a seafood dinner. Restaurants set up here right to the water's edge. At some places, an employee digs up the sand to make a level floor, and they maintain it through the evening or sometimes have to remove tables as the tide comes in to wash away their little wall.

We awoke to another gorgeous day and gathered at the hotel restaurant for breakfast. It was the same full Turkish breakfast spread we had had in Alaçatı, but even better. This one included a plate of cold cuts — turkey or chicken maybe, plus something like mortadella but beef instead of pork. The tea was particularly good as well, even though I am normally a coffee drinker (why not both??).

Bodrum Castle

After fueling up, we set out on foot to see the Bodrum Castle, just under a mile away. Construction was begun in 1402 in a joint effort between English, French, German and Italian forces. Materials included blocks from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Built in the 4th century BC, the mausoleum was identified as an ancient Wonder even as long ago as the 1st century BC. A series of earthquakes destroyed in the the 1200s. The castle was taken by the Ottomans in the early 16th century.

We had fun at the castle, navigating stairs, walking the parapet, going through ins and outs, and savoring the views of the port. The museum has good explanations of what the various structures were used for and how it evolved over time. There were also descriptions of the wily defenses built in. Many archaeological relics are displayed inside and out.

Museum of Underwater Archaeology

The castle also houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. This center uses excavated shipwrecks to tell the story of technology, trade, and culture of the Mediterranean peoples. The recoveries range from the 16th century BC to the 16th century AD.

A good street for shopping

Leaving the castle, we walked back toward the hotel but choose different streets than our navigation had indicated in the morning. We found ourselves on a street named for Dr. Alim Bey, a long-time practitioner at a time when Bodrum had little healthcare. He was noted for helping the local sponge divers recover from decompression sickness.

Today pedestrian segments of this street are filled with shops, both local and upscale. It is also a center for nightlife, but we didn't partake too much of that ourselves.

Instead, we grabbed some dinner on the beach then returned to the hotel to enjoy a bottle of wine by the pool. We were treated by the appearance of a singer who covered some local and some international songs with the help of a DJ (iirc). In between songs, we were serenaded by cicadas.

In the morning we had to get up a little early to meet our guide / host / teacher for what would be one of the highlights of this trip: a cooking class. Now, I do a fair amount of cooking already, so I think what really made the day was the way the class was organized and of course by the personable Asli Mutlu

Asli picked us up at the hotel in her minivan and let us know how the day was going to go. First, we would visit a bakery and get some bread. Then we would go to a farm and get the vegetables. And finally, to her kitchen to cook and eat.

To reach our first stop, we left Bodrum along the same road we had arrived on. After about 25 minutes, we reached the bakery, and it seemed as expected — a counter where you walk up and ask for bread, and they bring it and you pay. This was also part of the reason for the early start. If you wait too long, it will be sold out.

Another 15 minute drive and we come to where we would buy fresh vegetables. I thought we would be coming to a farm stand, but no, they handed us baskets and sent us out into the plot to pick what we would cook. The garden was thick and lush and full of beautiful things. We picked beans and peppers and bought a few other things like eggplants and tomatoes that were already harvested. The morning already felt hot and humid to us so we were glad to be there somewhat early in the day.

Ten more minutes in the van and we arrive at the cooking class. Here another little, and very pleasant, surprise: it's our teacher's home. She lived up on a little ridge with a view and a breeze and a little kitten skittering around. The large covered patio housed a commercial kitchen and the table where we would visit while we prepped and ate lunch.

This experience was so relaxing and homey, in contrast to the bustle of the towns and cities we had experienced so far. It was an opportunity to talk to someone about everyday life, and I suppose we couldn't help but veer into politics a bit as well.

The dishes I remember making include:

• manti, the little meat filled dumplings
• börek, a dish of ground meat and potatoes topped with crispy filo pastry
• another dish using filo cut into strips folded over a cooked ground beef filling then rolling into pinwheels and baked
• romano flat green beans with the edges trimmed then simmered in a pot with grated tomato, olive oil and a little sugar.
• eggplant sliced and layered in a pot atop thick sliced onions. The onions will scorch a bit, giving flavor and protecting the eggplant.

I feel like the class's website used to have more recipes, but you could probably find most of these online if you searched. It does have a recipe for menemen (with onions) and you should certainly give this a try.

I don't have pictures without people or identifying landmarks, so you will have to enjoy the kitten instead.

Traditionally, the community women would gather to cook. During the trimming of the beans, we were told that this task was a bit of a test for prospective daughters-in-law. It would be noted how quickly they could do the work, but conversely, how much bean was wasted in haste. Before we even started trimming beans, I had stemmed my pile of them as we chatted. I don't know if I was judged for it, but they did turn out to be much easier to trim when the stems were still on.

Karnas Vineyards

Of course during our luncheon we talked about olive oil and about wine. And we were in great luck, because our host had a hand in both: orchards in Bergama and the nearby Karnas Vineyards. We talked Asli into taking us over there for a tasting, which we thoroughly enjoyed (well, except for our son who doesn't like wine).

Our host is a partner in the winery and is the chef for their dining experiences. I see from the website that they have achieved a Michelin listing for 2026. We bought a few bottles of wine, and a tin of olive oil which we carried home with us. Asli arranged for a cab to take us back to our hotel at the end of the outing.

A Sunset Cruise

Awaiting us in Bodrum was another highlight of our stay - a sunset sail with dinner aboard. I think I booked this the day before, by calling a number I had seen on a sign down at the waterfront. It was a pretty good price for an excursion that would be just the three of us. I do remember I had to walk back down to pay or at least make a deposit. There was some confusion about where he had told me to do this. The signage didn't match, so I wouldn't pay until I called back and he confirmed this was the right place. I tend to be a little skeptical of things when I travel. I could totally see a case of someone walking up to pay money, they might take it whether I was in the right place or not.

At any rate, we found our boat at the appointed time, boarded, and headed out for a sail around the harbor. Actually, I am not sure that we sailed, perhaps just motored. We got to see the town and castle from the water side, then our captain moved to a spot where we could watch the sun dip down behind the hills. We jumped off the boat for a swim. The water hadn't looked so choppy, but after swimming a lap around the boat I was exhausted and a little motion sick. We climbed back aboard to find dinner being prepared — whole fish on a little grill. I don't recall what we had to go along with it but it was so tasty!

As the sun set, we were sad that our tour was coming to an end. This was the biggest vacation we had ever taken and it was wonderful. It felt especially liberating as we continued to recover from the stress of the covid-19 pandemic and so much time spent at home. We were really not looking forward to a return to work and routine.