Arrived at the Bonjour to see a very familiar face - just not one of the ones we were expecting. It was Omar, formerly at the Holiday Restaurant, who remembered us well. The rest of the staff at the Bonjour were, as always, great - Fonzy, Josh and so on can't do enough for you. The hotel itself was just as good as when daughter and I stayed in October, and the food was delicious, from the various breakfasts to the evening meals we sampled, including the leg of lamb. I would recommend the Bonjour to anyone without hesitation.
This time, as it was just the two of us, we had resolved to try some "new" eating places, but as we were quite tired on our first night there, we only ventured across the road to Harry's Steakhouse, where we both had an excellent meal as always. Harry's steaks are, as far as I'm concerned, the best in Icmeler, and I'm really fussy about how I like my steak cooked.
Apart from Harry's, we also ate at the Bonjour itself, the Holiday (where we had to pop in to see Mehmet and sample the best pancakes in Icmeler). Prices may have gone up in some places, but the Holiday has kept their prices the same as last year and really does offer excellent value set meals ranging from around 18TL to 23TL and for that, you get the usual mezes, your choice of main courses and either pancake or ice cream for dessert.
We also found Ozzy's this time and just happened to venture in there on a Sunday, so of course, we got roped into joining in with the quiz night. Not a great deal of success there, but the food was lovely and the place was buzzing.
The real find of our holiday, however, was the Lal restaurant. Traditional Ottoman in style, what a lovely setting with a canopy and live Turkish musician, you have got to try this place. The food was absolutely gorgeous, and we felt it was very reasonable too - certainly no more expensive than many others, but in a class of its own (and no chips!) To me, this is exactly the kind of place Icmeler could do with - lovely authentic food and traditional atmosphere, the perfect place to relax and enjoy a lovely meal without loud music, etc. The staff were also excellent. Do try it - I don't think you will be disappointed. We ate here twice because it was just so nice - we couldn't fault anything about it.
Each day, we tended to have breakfast and go for a wander, so we explored most of the old village this time, which was a pleasant change for us. We also walked into Marmaris one morning- it's a really nice walk although Marmaris itself is not to our liking. We got the taxi boat back as it was getting really hot by that time. In the afternoons, we tended to go to the beach and did see a few changes here. A lot of the beachfront cafes are still there - but with decking now. Coco Beach was our favourite - delicious chicken doner wraps with chips and salad for just 6TL.
The only downside to the beach was the hassle from the lads wanting you to take sunbeds. You could only take a few steps without being bothered by them. We've got quite friendly with one of the sunbed guys, so make a point of visiting his part of the beach, and it did get to be a nuisance having to negotiate all the others every time. There seemed to be more sunbeds this year too - our friend told us the numbers had increased quite considerably.
Apart from that, the changes we saw all seemed quite positive. The fountains, etc, in the small square down from the former Taj Mahal, are nice. There did, however, seem to be quite a few empty shops - especially jewellers - but virtually no hassle from bar owners, etc. Even the hairdressers weren't as bad this year as last.
Met the famous John from ICR this time, so were able to put a face to the name at the end of the emails, and got roped into joining the infamous "Walk to the Flag". Hubby did the actual walk itself, but I chickened out as I didn't have any long trousers or suitable footwear, but walked up to Tommy's bar with the others, where Elaine, wife of Rab (travellingscot) and I sat with John as he filmed the climb. We reckoned we had the hardest part - putting up with John's moaning!
Seriously though, all credit to the nine brave footsoldiers who successfully completed the climb to the flag in the blistering heat, not to forget Pancho the dog, who was absolutely knackered by the time they all got back! Well done to each and every one of you! It was also nice to meet some fellow "forumites" and put faces to the names.Anyway, sorry for rambling on. All too soon, it was time for our transfer back to Dalaman and flight back to Edinburgh. That was the only downside to our holiday - it was just too short! Ten days would have been ideal, but work circumstances dictated that a week was all we could manage right now. We're already planning our next visit though - September or October, hopefully - when both daughter and son hope to join us as well.
Icmeler has lost none of its charm as far as we are concerned. The changes apppear, in the main, to be for the good, and the thing which makes it so special - the warmth and friendliness of its people - is still in abundance. How they remember you when you've perhaps only been in their bar once, for example, is beyond me, but it's something special.
We always said we'd never return to the same place on holiday, but that was before we discovered Icmeler, and it keeps drawing us back time and time again. That first glimpse of the bay as you come down the hill from Marmaris is simply magical - and long may I keep seeing it again, and again, and again.....
