Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Winter Warmth in Bodrum


Why do I like living in Bodrum? Because on the 15th January in what by any calendar is the middle of winter,  Spring is in the air.  For the past 3 days we have had glorious sunshine and temperatures around 16 degrees C.  Heavy coats have been abandoned for sleeveless jackets and every roof has flapping laundry.  The puddles left by the heavy rain on Friday night have almost dried up and the bedding plants that looked almost certainly  frozen then drowned along the harbour front, might just survive.  This is what I missed in my 12 winters in England - these little mini respites from the relentless winter weather.  We've just taken an late walk around the town and the south wind is blowing a pleasantly warm breeze landwards.  This southerly lodos is the harbinger of rain so we will probably say goodbye to the sun for a few days, but after the cold spell last week, it was lovely to have a mini summer for a few days.
Spring flowers are starting to appear. I brought a bunch of narcissus home from the market on Friday and they are still filling the room with their heady scent.  One sniff of these delicate flowers takes me back to Bitez 30 odd years ago.  In what is now an urban mass of hotels, houses, roads and shops, there were water logged fields that would fill with nergis, narcissus in the winter.  I wonder if any still appear in the gardens of the new houses and hotels. I'd like to think that a few bulbs survived the bulldozers.

27 comments:

  1. Hello:
    This all sounds to be rather appealing particularly as we have snow and, for the days ahead, or so we are reliably informed, the temperature will remain well below zero with a rather alarming wind chill in addition.

    It is so sad to read of all those spring flowers which have been covered by developments. Horrid. Horrid.

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  2. We have also had lovely weather these past few days. Very springlike. Though, whilst out walking today, we did see snow on the distant mountains.
    It's been so lovely to get out and about after the homebound cold and wet.

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    Replies
    1. Sun is trying to get through the cloud today

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  3. Narcissus in the garden would be too amazing. They would wilt before they unfurled their petals here in our heat. A bit of winter sounds rather nice to me right now!

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  4. Beautiful weather! Enjoy! We've been lucky to enjoy sunny 11-12 C yesterday and today, so I'm going to head outdoors for awhile. :-)

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    1. I walked and walked while it was sunny to make up for the rainy days to come.

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  5. We too get a few days here and there that banish the winter chill and gloom. Today's not one of them! It would be lovely if a few bulbs had survived and managed to poke up through the soil in a show of survival and defiance, wouldn't it?
    I couldn't get out quickly enough for a walk with Darwin yesterday - today, I'm sitting close to the fire and he and I are looking very baleful..he at me, me at the weather. Enjoy your mini-spring. Axxx

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    1. I'm afraid my mini Spring ended today - but forecast to return in 4 days

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  6. B to B, We're enjoying the same respite today - lodos which brought much warmer winds - and another nice thing is that for those of us who are slaves of habit, we've noticed that it's begun to be visibly lighter in the morning when we arrive home from our walk at 6:45. Yea! It can only get better now.

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    1. Having spent the last 16 years getting up at 6am I'm enjoying not knowing what goes on before 8am, but I like the lighter evenings.

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  7. There is such a difference between Bodrum and Istanbul! Not at all springlike here :(

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  8. This was such a nice post to read....you sure have great weather. We are at -5 Cel....here BRRRRR. I feel like a popsicle.
    Our Narcissus a Daffodil type... doesn't start to bloom till April, last year it was warm that it started like a month before, then got cold and wilted away. This Spring I'll be in Izmir so will miss them blooming here.....but I'm sure now the Raccoons will stomp all over them since nobody here to chase them off in the backyard....
    Take care and enjoy your fabulous weather.

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    1. How far South will you venture when you come to Izmir?

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    2. Most of my time will be spent in Izmir, b/c I have to visit Ephesus and investigate around the ruins, just can't get enough of the area. Everybody will say 'not again' b/c I've been there quite a few times. Then I'm going to Bergama for more ruins....then my daughter wants to go to Cappadocia and so do I. I might see them filming Yer Gok Ask (I watch it regularly)also will drive around looking for more ruins....then some time in Istanbul looking around and of course the Bazaar......and I mentioned to my husband I want to go to Bodrum and see Ayak and you, if you ladies would come out.....would be nice.
      Have to tell you before Turkey we will be in Paris and Brussels for 1 week...then on the way home will spend a week in Rome....sorry for the long thread.

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    3. If you don't get to Bodrum, maybe Ayak and I could drive up and meet you in Selçuk after your trip around Ephesus.

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    4. Ok...that sounds great.....would be very nice. As time gets closer I'll send you my number, not sure what cells we are taking or my husband just said he's going to buy a cell and new number there. :-)

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  9. The narcissus in the garden in France won't be making an appearance for weeks yet....

    I do remember the pleasure of a respite in relentlessly foul winter weather...not that there were many of them!

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    1. I'm going for a country walk to see if I can spy any wild narcissus.

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  10. Pity poor Liam driving down the frozen country lanes, avoiding the black ice and ice dance by the cars around him! It looks lovely from this side of the window pane. Thinking of you all with that spring in your step and wishing we could be there.

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    1. I find driving in snow and ice very scary. I feel for Liam. Get his some chains. ( for the car!)

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  11. Award for you on http://asurfeitofpalfreys.wordpress.com/

    No need to do anything...just appreciation of a blog I enjoy very much.

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  12. Such lovely flowers and I too hope some of the bulbs have survived the relentless development. Nothing springlike here in Mid-Wales as I watch the snow cover slowly increase with yet another spell of light snow. We're forecast heavy snow for tomorrow, so all our bulbs will be well hidden for a while.

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  13. I read in the Uk papers today that you are all supposed to stay at home on Friday because a large freeze is expected.

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