After one glorious day in Pamukkale, it was time to move on. We had to catch an 8am dolmus back to the Denizli bus station, so our guesthouse owners made us an early breakfast. We were expecting bread, jam, fruit, and tea...and that is what we got. Over the next twenty minutes, however, Mom brought us spinach pies, menemen (a boiling hotpot of vegetables and cheese in a tomato sauce, with a raw egg cooking in the boil...this is the BEST THING EVER), plus cheeses, meats, and breads. I wasn't quite expecting such a feast, and I had to roll myself out of there before cramming ourselves and our full bellies into a crowded dolmus.

We had a choice of three different bus companies to take us the three hours eastward to Antalya, and luckily we chose the one that was thirty minutes late, and staffed by a driver who really enjoyed a good long cigarette break mid-drive. So instead of 12pm, we rolled into Antalya at 1:30pm. Despite the massive breakfast, and having done nothing so far today but sit on our asses, we were both starving. So  upon arrival in Antalya, we ordered doner kebabs and people watched in the Old Town. Today is May Day, which apparently is a holiday here in Turkey, and most of the tourist crowds are locals- which is a huge change from the mainly Asian tour groups we've seen so far in Turkey.

After checking into possibly the cutest, most gorgeous guesthouse we've ever stayed in (White Garden Pension, thanks Expedia!!), we took a walking tour through Old Town Antalya. This is one of Turkey's biggest cities, and the gateway to the Turkish Riveria. In the recent past, this was where package Turkey beach tourism would drop its loads of large white people, who would then proceed to slowly burn to a crisp in an all-inclusive resort somewhere far outside Old Town.  But only recently has Antalya rediscovered its deep Roman historical roots- Holy Roman Emperor Hadrian (he of that wall, again) visited here in 130 AD.  The Old Town's historic Ottoman buildings are just now being refurbished and redeveloped into small local shops and guesthouses; Antalya's fortress walls have been repurposed into a small beach, and the formerly powerful Roman harbor from the 2nd century is now a pleasure boat marina with a lovely promenade. The cliffs overlooking the marina and the Old Town are now possibly the prettiest public park I've ever seen, covered in hibiscus flowers and decorative stone. It's an absolutely gorgeous city, and I am glad we have a few nights here to explore.

Given that we got such a late start in Antalya today, we didn't do much beyond explore the (literally) Byzantine Old Town, and enjoy a cup of tea in a tiny garden cafe. 

We are still in the process of deciding how to spend our next few days in Antalya, and the possibilities include a day trip on a gulet (wooden sailboat) to explore the nearby islands; a visit to the nearby Roman ruins of Aspendos; or subjecting ourselves to the pummeling and soaping of a Turkish hamam (bath). For now, I am busy sampling the finer flavors of Turkish beers. It's important work.