Virtual exercise. A walk in the Bodrum Hills.

I read somewhere this year that thinking about exercise was healthy, so as you prepare to stuff yourselves over the next 24 hours, I shall take you on a virtual hike into the hills above Bodrum to help you burn off all those extra calories.

We are starting on the main dual carriageway that used to run behind Bodrum, and now finds itself in places almost centrally dissecting the town.  Crossing this road is fun as the traffic lights get you to follow the green man as far as the central reservation and then abandon you to make your own way after that. We are taking the road leading up to the State Hospital,  a trip I hope none of us ever makes accompanied by flashing blue lights. At the top we turn left and walk through the hospital car park and continue the climb upwards. The view from here isn't too impressive as the eye focusses on all the  satellite dishes, water tanks and criss-crossing telephone and electricity wires that blight every Turkish town.   We keep on the path until faced with a padlocked gate, following the fence to the left there is an open gate, and after a scramble over some rubble we turn and are rewarded with the classic view of Bodrum castle.  This path is on the Carian Trail so every few 100 meters, we pass the red and white marks on rocks and trees.  We aren't the only ones enjoying the view, we pass a jolly chap in a bright red jumper, who has brought along a bottle of beer and is merrily telephoning his friends and telling them where he is enjoying his drink.  At the top of this hill we come to a fork, take the left and then almost immediate a right for some serious climbing up a 45 degree fire-break.  Hard on the knees but worth the effort for the panoramic view of Bodrum, Gümbet, Konacık and Kos.  If we had another few hours to spare we could carry on to Pedasa, but we are content to sit and drink coffee, watching Bodrum from its most photogenic angle.  It's taken 75 minutes to get up here, and the walk back will be another hour as steep slopes are almost as difficult to get down as up.  If it ever snows properly, we'll be up here with our skis.  

Our coffee break was taken somewhere on the top of the hill on the right. 

Wishing you all festive cheer this week, regardless of the pretext you are using to eat, drink and be merry.