Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Sunday February 08, 2026

It was one of those days that my aunt from England would have described as “neither chalk nor cheese”. It would rain for five minutes and the sun would come out for fifteen, then more rain. So we decided to make the hour long trek to Marmaris, another port city on the Aegean/Mediterranean coast. It’s a popular tourist destination and is considered part of the Turkish Riviera. Thus there is an immense marina with a forest of expensive sailboats and other watercraft all moored together for safety from the winter storms. The scenery en route was amazing and at one point we stopped where I found a collection of honey bee colonies. I couldn’t figure out what their source of pollen would be in a pine forest. It turns out it’s the pine tree pollen and Datça is famous for its pine honey. Yes, I bought some later.

The name comes from the Greek and Turkish words for marble referring to the deposits of white marble in the area. The roots of the city go as far back as the 6th century BC when it was known as Physcus. Currently, with a population of close to 100,000, it’s a bustling town even in the off-season.

The Marmaris Castle was constructed in the 17th century by the order of Sultan Suliman I before his expedition to Rhodes. Part of it was destroyed during WWI by French bombardment. What we see today was opened as a museum in 1991.

It’s easy to see why this spot was chosen as a site of fortification given the fantastic views it provides of the area.

The museum artefacts come from archeological sites in the area and give a glimpse into the life and times of people that lived several millennia ago. The detail of the jewelry, sculpture and tools is fascinating.

The Stele of Datça

This stone and grave are those of Charikles who once having pulled ashore the net with skillful hands exchanged inexpensive fish for Bacchus’ lovely drinks; he completed his life in happiness.
The sea has given you back alife.
So when you died on land (let it be known to you) there is no such thing as a city of the immortal.

But enough of the past! It’s time to experience some more of the city – the rain has stopped.

We were headed in the direction of the marina where there is a shopping mall dedicated to marine traffic.

Something to remember when looking with envy at expensive yachts and sailboats: they’re just big holes in the water someone is putting money into.

We stumbled upon a small park dedicated to some ancient ruins.

Not only was it an outdoor museum, it was an oasis for cats and a turtle.

Anyone for an Air On A G String?

We took our leave of Marmaris and began the return trip to Datça – there’s sunset somewhere everyday!

We found, quite by accident, the hot springs of Datça as we explored more of the waterfront.

The hot springs form a warm pond of water before they flow into the ocean. The view above is looking across the pond with the waterfall on the far side with the sea beyond the palm tree.

And that, dear readers, brings me to the end of this blog. Thank you so much for participating. Until next time.