Arrowtown book buyer Miranda Spary continues her regular column about her recommendations for a good read, and life as she sees it ...
What a week - honestly there's such a lot on, it's hard to remember what we've been up to. We had to come to Marmaris as our children were very keen to sample the delights of Bar St.
Think Queenstown's got a lot of bars?
Given this is a Muslim country, it's hard to believe Bar St exists here. It's longer than the Mall and only has bars and tattoo parlours.
Some of the bars are tiny but others are enormous (probably able to take over a thousand sunburnt partygoers swilling cocktails to make the pain of their sunburn and new tattoos go away) featuring every sort of sound and light effect, girls dancing on poles, men writhing on the bars, tiny sexy little bodies in cages as well as bouquets of balloons and giant fishbowls full of toxic looking potions.
So much colour and noise and excitement and cheap, nasty drinks makes me very tired and keen for bed. Not so our children. It's their idea of perfect entertainment.
We've been providing plenty of entertainment for other boats in the bay.
Our paddleboarding skills have been put to the test as the big hot winds from Africa whizz across the Med and stir up the sea in Marmaris. I thought I was pretty clever paddleboarding on the still, smooth waters we've been used to, but waves crashing over my board have sent me doing the same.
Our floating neighbours looked most disappointed when we gave up after our fourth or fifth splat. Annoyingly enough, our offspring think that's the perfect paddleboarding weather - so much more exciting.
The hot, windy weather - think 42degC and winds strong enough to blow over enormous cafe sun umbrellas, weighed down with huge plastic, water filled bricks (made by the charmingly named SNOT company) was driving us a bit nuts.
We watched Andy Murray sob and snivel at his Wimbledon loss and would have cheered but for the lethargy induced by the heat and wind and an afternoon of sitting in a bar drinking beer and raki. Monday looked like more of the same heat-fuelled stupor, until our friends suggested a trip to Izmir.
Within seconds, a van was ready and off we went.
Driving in Turkey is such an experience - the motorways are full of expensive German cars hurtling along, passing ancient tractors with mum, dad and the kids under an awning, and granny on the tray at the back in the full sun.
It looks so dangerous seeing young families stacked high on a motorbike - all helmetless of course - or the back of a ute full of naked children shrieking with delight as they pass us.
With Lucy Gain's lovely George driving, and our Fred navigating, it could have taken a long time getting to Izmir, but the boys excelled and in just a few hours we were in one of Turkey's prettiest cities.
It's got a beautiful waterfront called the Kordon, which goes for miles and is full of restaurants and shops and traders selling every single thing imaginable. Evenings see all the locals doing the promenade up and down in their best clothes, and we certainly did the NZ fashion industry no favours with our outfits.
The next day we decided to head home via Selcuk and Ephesus. If you only ever visit one lot of ruins, make it Ephesus.
This ancient Roman harbour city has streets of marble and exquisite buildings.
Once there were 250,000 inhabitants but the harbour silted up and the city was abandoned.
They've only excavated what they think is about 10% of the city, and in the four years since I last visited, all sorts of new treasures have surfaced.
I know that loads of you have visited Ephesus, thanks to your emails recommending it, and you're absolutely right.
It's utterly amazing - look it up online and see for yourself.
Be warned, it's very hot. Not like home - thanks so much for all the pics I've been sent.
I love the one of the Shotover frozen over and it makes me homesick not to be able to see it myself.
When I feel a little bit sad, I look at the New Zealand recipe books I have on board - Annabel Langbein's one is full of Otago deliciousness, and I love Al Brown's. Stoked with all the Wakatipu photos, especially the one of Cath Hanna.
I'm a bit sad Al wrote a special message in it for an English friend of mine, as I don't really want to give it away now.
I love hearing from everyone about what's happening at home, and was very sorry to miss the concert at Thomas Brown's - I hear the Remarkables Vocals choir was excellent and it's always fun enjoying yourself when you know you are helping raise money for something local you love, in this case the Memorial Hall. Don't forget the hall needs a lot of help.
If you've been forgetting things lately, you might be wise not to read Before I Go to Sleep - a first novel by S.J. Watson.
The poor heroine had an accident which makes her wake each day remembering nothing at all about her past since then.
It's been a huge hit all over the world and horribly readable.
It's creepy and crazy and will drive you nuts.
