Bozcaada

Our family spent two nights on this lovely speck of an island. After our adventure in Troy, we drove to the Bozcaada ferryboat terminal and set out on a very stormy boat ride from the mainland to Bozcaada...I was certain our little Ford S-Max was doomed and would be joining other shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea. Close call! We wanted to kiss dry land when our boat docked! We found our little hotel (old schoolhouse turned into an inn) and set off on foot to explore the island. Bozcaada was so tiny you could easily walk from one end of the town to another...way preferable to car travel (have I mentioned our kids are not good road-trippers?)! We enjoyed walking through the plaza where schoolchildren were dancing and practicing for upcoming Childrens Day events, and walking along the waterfront where the ferry-boats dock. The kids loved climbing the waterfront rocks and running up and down the jetty. The island fortress was lovely to stroll around and take pics of, but unfortunately was not yet open for us to explore. The next morning the hotel served us a typical Turkish breakfast(cucumber, rosemary tomatoes, bread, hard boiled eggs), but what was not so typical were the preserves they brought us to eat with our bread. The island prides itself on it's wines and preserves. They brought us a tray of rose, fig, cherry, carrot, acacia, tomato and orange marmalades...and boy were they tastey! After breakfast the little girls and I enjoyed a morning at "the salon", a closet of a joint where 80's make-up & dust collecting hair product decorated the shelves. But the sisters there took good care of us; they washed, dried & styled our hair...and painted Josies nails a dazzling pink...so how could we complain? Especially for $15! That afternoon we enjoyed exploring the island some more. We drove through the lovely vineyards & walked along the waterfront. On the water we noticed a fisherman repairing his nets. This was a fascinating weaving process...the man showed Mia how to work his magic and she had a go at the mending process. At the same time, Josie enjoyed making friends with the island wildlife that littered the waterfront (stray cats & dogs, who were begging the fisherman for spare scraps/seconds). Last but not least, we managed to find ourself a little patch of beach so the kids could create some sand drippings. Nevermind the cool weather or the winters worth of trash collecting on the beach. If there is sand to be found, our kids will find it and enjoy it until the sun goes down!