“Every man has a lost paradise that he needs to remember of”
The Aegean sea, the sea that unites us, the same that separates us but only on the maps, never in the hearts..
It was in 2019 when we first visited Alaçatı & Vourla as a family. Well, that was it.. I fell in love at first sight ! My first impression was that some mistake had been made and we were on some Cycladic island with a strange name… And so it was, the settlement that had been built by Asia Minor Greeks in 1850-1890, was a “labyrinth” of stone houses with colored windows, “overwhelmed” in pink bougainvillea, geraniums, jasmines & lavenders that sprout in every alley. And the aromas – especially in the cool Aegean evenings – simply, intoxicating.. Among others, stone entrances with Greek coats of arms on top, external hanging wooden balconies, manicured courtyards, sophisticated art rooms, atmospheric antiques & beautiful boutique hotels. Ah, how did I forget the evil eyes ? Blue evil eyes everywhere, built between the joints of the sidewalks, hanged from tree branches, placed on walls, doors, shops & restaurants ! Damn, what a stunning place this is !
In such a “boutik otel” as they spell it in Turkey, our family has stayed as well ! And we have been really lucky since Deniz, the sweet owner, is the epitome of hospitality ! The rich breakfast (different every morning), the fresh cool lemonades & the experience of the “afternoon tea” with all kinds of goodies coming out of her warm oven, were the best moments of our staying ! But above all, that lavender essence that was all around us in her lovely garden and that cool Aegean breeze that blew sweetly, rocking the hammocks !
Ah, leave me here forever !
And so, 3 years later & after all the quarantines and the restrictions I returned, having the pleasure of sharing this experience with my friends & our children ! We all wandered together, laughed, wiped & felt nostalgic, listening to the well-known Asia Minor carol “Alatsatiani” (karsilamas rhythm). We reached the Church of “Virgin Mary” (a nowday’s mosque), with the wonderful marble iconostasis crafted by our greatest sculptor, Giannoulis Halepas, on the famous white marbles of Tinos ! We were surprised when we found it locked & we had to contact the municipal authorities to unlock it for us in order to admire the iconostasis ! That was when they informed us that they keep it locked after the visit of a group from Crete, which included two orthodox priests who during their visit began to sing the Divine Liturgy ! Hahahaaa.. the Cretans are “crazy”, only they would have thought it ! We were moved to learn that the lemon tree that stood behind the sanctuary, served as a means of “hidden messages” for the Greek community, with its fruits !
With the exchange of populations, the Greeks left Alaçatı and settled mainly in Crete, while correspondingly Turkish Cretans (but also Turks of Northern Greece like Kilkis, Kavala & Thessaloniki) moved to Alaçatı, starting a life from the beginning. Their ignorance to cultivate vines & fields in a milder, coastal climate in relation to that of North Greece (where most of them cultivated tobacco), made their livelihood difficult, so they moved to larger urban centers, such as Smyrna.
Life in Alaçatı returned around 2005 with the first surfers to flood it, since they considered the surrounding beaches -combined with the meltemia (seasonal winds of the Aegean sea), ideal for their practice ! Since then, Alaçatı has turned into the most cosmopolitan destination for Turks and not only them, of course !
But we must not miss to mention the wonderful settlement of Vourla, the birthplace of our great Nobel Prize-winning poet, Giorgos Seferis.
“We passed through many, many islands.
The sea that brings the other sea, seagulls and seals.
We arrived at shores full of scents at night with birds chirping,
waters that left in the hands the memory of a great happiness”
Giorgos Seferis
Vourla with its Skala neighborhood, where the fishing boats line up their precious cargo every morning, the center of the city where the Greek element prevails and repeats itself and finally the countryside of Vourla… with the many vineyards that create wonderful wines… should we blame our nostalgy, but we concluded that these were some of the best we have tasted in our life !
I left for the end our people… those who welcomed us with too much warmth, hosted us by giving their very best & bid us farewell with the promise to meet again soon, on the same or the opposite side of our beloved Aegean sea !
Our sweet Deniz who always makes our dreams come true, in her wonderful guesthouse !
Our kind Sema who made sure we didn’t miss anything !
Our multi-talented Dilek who makes the most beautiful margaritas we’ve had recently, made sure to prepare a wonderful setting in her yard for us and our children, she cooked wonderfully, she honored us by decorating her fantastic table with the colors of the Greek flag and finally let us further thank her for keeping the blue color on the internal staircase of her house, exactly as it had been painted by its Greek owners almost 100 years ago !
Our happy Murat who responded to everything that was asked of him and organized our very special meal at his Vourla estate !
Our friend Alihan & his family for organizing a perfect meal in the living room of the old Greek mansion where they live.
Our beloved Nevzade who for 3 days stood by us in everything we needed & stunned us with her knowledge, her kindness & her patience !
Our kind Murat, our guide, who never complained about anything and moved us so much at the time of saying goodbye at the port of Cesme, when he got anxious to read us the following translation in greek from his mobile phone :
“Kalo taksidi, efharisto yia ola & perimeno pali sto Izmir” !
(“Have a nice trip, thanks for everything & looking forward to see you again in Izmir”)
“Will be back for sure, Murat – be there, please” !
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