Posts
 |
| Captain Ibrahim and friend |
As we left Captain Ibrahim's restaurant last week, the eponymous owner reminded us that he'd been born while Atatürk still drew breath and in historical terms, this restaurant keeps popping up in my time line. I will probably tell my not-yet-conceived grandchildren that I used to watch the Captain dress up as a pirate, (complete with black şalvar, eye patch and dodgy fake facial hair) and dance around the tables firing a pistol into the air. A minion would be positioned on the roof to throw down a dead bird. I'm not sure what the life expectancy of this job was but it appeared to be as dangerous as being a rear gunner in a Halifax in 1942. Incredulous foreign yachties would watch opened mouthed as the show continued, not entirely sure whether they should continue eating their meze, or run for the hills. We were regulars; crew on the lead boat of a flotilla. We'd moor up our 12 or so sloops, take part in a bit of showing off; being towed behind a speedboat on a windsurf board being one of the dafter activities, before donning our glad-rags (Yachttours t-shirt, very short shorts) and shepherding 50 guests ashore. Alcohol was so cheap and plentiful that we were reluctant to let guests try and make their own way back after a night out so we were ferried by restaurant tenders. In 1982 there wasn't much competition, everyone went to Captain Ibrahim's. These days, each restaurant in Çökertme sends a dinghy out to newly arriving yachts to entice them to tie up their jetty.
 |
| 1982 |
There has rarely been a year in the subsequent 33 that we haven't paid at least one visit to the Captain. There is no shooting anymore but the place hasn't changed much. Except for the immaculate showers and toilets, it could still be 1982.
 |
| 2015 with Simon, friend from 1975, on Captain Ibrahim's jetty. |
A great memory, Annie. Glad the captain is still alive and kicking. Life must seem a little more sedate these days!
ReplyDeleteThankfully, yes. His shooting days were a bit scary.
Delete. . in a world becoming ever more homogenised, finding endangered species that still thrive in their own niche is a delight!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd enjoy Capt Ibrahim's
DeleteB to B, Captain Ibrahim sounds like a real original character, born and bred before everyone learned how to be from TV! So is he baptizing that lamb in the photo, or teaching it how to swim?
ReplyDeleteI wondered if he was marinating it, but he said he was washing it. He's hand rearing it with a bottle.
Deletelove the sound of that man! long may he keep his style of hospitality.
ReplyDeleteNot too far from you
DeleteWhen I saw your post title I feared the worst.....glad he's still alive and very much kicking! When we were there last with you his grand-daughter seemed to have inherited his feisty spirits - happy memories xx
ReplyDeleteHe's still there. Just that bit larger then life.
DeleteWhat a lovely post, hope to visit Captain next time we're there, perhaps meet you there? :) Ozlem xx
ReplyDeleteA date!
DeleteAww, lovely story - and good to know he's still there, even if he's not quite so lively as in the past. That's one big improvement from when we first started to coming to Turkey - the obsession with immaculate toilets! :D Highly unamused these days if a restaurant's bathroom's not a showpiece. ;)
ReplyDeleteJust don't think back to the loos of old.
Delete