Bureks for breakfast

Fresh bread goes into the fire and the table is filled with all sorts of good treats: freshly cooked eggs, honey, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, vine leaves and of course endless cups of thick Turkish coffee.  It’s enough to set you up for the day and if you have time to linger over breakfast  you could spend a couple of hours here quite easily, and not need to eat again til the evening.  Not for travel agents though – busy itinerary to get through and lots of Turkish villas to see. 

Another highlight was Turgutreis market on a Saturday with piles of almonds, spices, nuts and herbs alongside clothes, gorgeous tablecloths and everyday household items.  It’s a chance to mingle with the locals and barter with the best of them.  It’s all part of the fun and done in a very good natured way.   Yalikavak market on Thursday is also a brilliant market to go to.  If you fancy a snack try the freshly made bureks (and take some home for later as well!).

The beaches are amazing on the Bodrum Peninsula and even in the busiest months you can find a quiet spot if that is what you are looking for.  The hustle and bustle of Bitez beach may suit you with bars and restaurants filling the front; cafes set up with cushions for lounging on; lido style beach areas.  Gumusluk is also incredibly popular but in an understated way: the narrow beach on one side of the town is perfect for snorkelling off and the waters are crystal clear.  You can even go and explore Rabbit Island.  Generally speaking the north side of the peninsula is all shingle and the southern side is all sand, but you’re never more than half an hour’s drive from either side of the peninsula so the choice is yours!

Saturday 14 – Sunday 22 July 2012
Anghiari, Tuscany, Italy

Join Southbank Sinfonia in the beautiful Tuscan hill-town of Anghiari for a programme packed with orchestral, choral, chamber and children’s concerts. Our return to Anghiari this year will be something of a milestone as we mark not only the tenth year of the festival, but also the tenth anniversary of Southbank Sinfonia – a double cause for celebration!

The festival provides a full and varied programme, which is currently taking shape. Throughout the week our musicians will perform in stunning locations in and around Anghiari including the popular ‘Progressivo’; a mini-concert tour which winds its way through the picturesque backdrops the ancient town has to offer, as well as concerts featuring Italian cellist Umberto Clerici, Vox Musica and singers from Bury Court Opera. Members of Britain’s Parliament Choir will also join forces with local singers for a ‘Coro Maratona’. We end the week in style with a Gala concert on Saturday 21 July.

I spent a few days travelling in Tuscany and Umbria again looking at current Italian villas and some new ones too, and despite the constant rain I got to see some lovely places that I’d never seen before.  I also revisited some of our loveliest villas in Tuscany and Umbria just to check the standards were up to scratch – they were!  I was lucky enough to stay at two of our properties – Santa Maria (Tuscany) and Le Tre Cipresse (Umbria) – which were very different to each other but both charming.  Santa Maria is a restored farmhouse on the edges of Pistoia which makes it perfect for accessing the Tuscan cities and also Chianti.  Le Tre Cipresse is a newly built villa in the heart of Umbria – ideal for relaxing and not having to rush out on the tourist trail.  A perfect combination for a twin centre.

I had a beautiful lunch with the owners of Ai Rosmarini, which was absolutely divine.  It gave me a real chance to enjoy the house as well over a light lunch.  Such a great family villa with an enormous pool.  The views are incredible too!  The sun briefly came out in Baschi over coffee with the owners of Poggio della Fornace and I managed to get a few pictures in the sunshine.   It’s a lovely country house and very well looked after with a beautiful arched veranda for some valuable shade in summer.  The kids are safe here too with lovely grassy gardens and a fenced pool.  We have a few private villas in this area including Poggio delle Magnolie and Villa delle Vigne both of which were looking lovely too.  I splashed my way over to Arezzo too to see Il Vecchio Mulino which is in a beautiful spot, surrounded by sunflowers in the right season and had a good catch up with the housekeeper.  This house is one of my favourites – simple, spacious, bright and airy.  Lovely pool and garden.  Arezzo is one of those places too that many people overlook but is a fabulous Medieval town – well worth exploring.  The nearest town though is home to a lovely summer festival where the Southbank Sinfonia go and play concerts in the town squares. 

 I saw some beautiful new places too which we are in the process of uploading to the website but all in a similar style to what we feature already.  But essentially, the weather did nothing to dampen my spirits either.  The houses all looked lovely and Italy (much like the UK) was badly in need of several downpours. 

Omurja is a newly built house, set on a hillside, in a residential area with no passing traffic, not overlooked, south facing and with great outdoor areas and views over the town of Bodrum to the sea and the striking Castle of St. Peter situated in the centre of Bodrum’s two bays.

The interior style is quite contemporary: glossy floors and large picture windows throughout the open plan living areas which are furnished with stylish French painted furniture mixed with the odd antique and enlivening the neutral tones richly coloured accessories. Outside there is a sail strewn shady area to one side of the house, a dining terrace to the front of the house and plenty of pool side space with sun beds and bean bags.

Bodrum has its own beach and there are numerous boat trips leaving the harbour on a daily basis. Alternatively you can always hop on a dolmus and spend the day at one of the beach resorts around the peninsula. We think this is a property well suited to families with older children who may wish to take full advantage of Bodrum’s night life and will be able to return home easily.

Recommended Airport: Bodrum/Milas Airport is 25 minutes by car; Dalaman 2 hrs 30 mins

Jane Baxter 2010

Bodrum Market Street

An Italian view

The Italians have always had a live and let live idea of food and eating – good food is essential, good conversation makes the food taste better and a good wine to complement all the flavours is chosen with great care.  An espresso to finish off the meal?  Oh go on then!  Mountain food is rich and filling – stews, polenta, risotto alla parmigiana, bread with lard and honey.  The summer menu is lighter and equally delicious – pomodori, insalata caprese, a light pasta, risotto di verdura.

Each region has its own speciality, its own wine and its own olive oil.  I cannot recommend highly enough discovering each and every one of these delicacies.  It’s not something you can try at home – you need to have the sunshine, the smells, the sights and sounds.  Go to places without a menu and eat what they have cooked fresh that day!  It’s part of the experience…

The completely private villa is a single storey building with no near neighbours.  The living room has a beautiful beamed ceiling with a large open fireplace and is very tastefully furnished.  Each of the two bedrooms (one double and one twin) has its’ own en-suite bathroom, and the fully equipped kitchen has everything you will need.  A porch runs the length of the house, the glass sliding doors making it ideal for use all year.  The property has central heating making it ideal for that winter break.

Local distances:  The house is approached via a small country road, within walking distance (2km) of the small village of Ermita Nueva. This is still a simple agricultural community, olives and cherries being the main produce of the area, where pace of life is dictated by the seasons and the numerous fiesta days ! Within the village there is a small supermarket where you can buy fresh bread and two tapas bars. Water Trek provides the perfect location for visiting so many of the regions beautiful towns and cities. Apart from the many nearby pretty villages of the Poniente Granadino (the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain), Granada lies 40 km to the south, Cordoba 126 km to the north east and the town of Alcala la Real, dominated by a 15th century castle, is only 10 minutes away. Spectacular Montefrio, with one of the few circular churches in the world and yet another splendid castle, is 25 km away, whilst Guadix with its historic cave dwellings, is 100 km.

Recommended Airport: Malaga 155km