Winter fun

So what’s winter like in Alanya? I have heard that question many times, as I am sure you have too if you live here. Tourist who visit Alanya in the summer always wonder what it would be like without the heat, the beach, the pool and the night life. 

Well, let me assure you that winter is a lot of fun here. We may not have snow in town, though there is a lot in the mountains surrounding Alanya, and neither a traditional Christmas but that doesn’t stop anyone from getting into the holiday spirit nonetheless. Shops get decorated with Christmas trees and smaller Christmas themed social and cultural gatherings take place throughout the month. There is a big Christmas market going on mid month at the harbor with lots of beautiful crafts and delicious treats and children choir. 

But there is more things that make winter a special season in Alanya. There is long beach walks in the fresh air and breathtaking sunsets. There is locals and expats at cafes everywhere, for once choosing a table in the sun over one in the shade. It’s the season for Ashure pudding and a hot cup of Salep with cinnamon. And for Hamsi, tiny fried fish, freshly delivered from the black sea every week. There is still a lot of sunshine, but occasional we get treated with heavy tropical thunderstorms.  And when it rains it pours. The cold air in the evening is filled with the smell of burning fire places inside the homes everywhere. And the smell still lingers on in the diffuse morning light, when the sun comes up from behind the big mountains, flooding the town with warm sun rays again. Street vendors are selling little bags of hot chestnuts now. And people love to spend half a day at small cozy places hidden away in the hills for a proper Turkish breakfast or some çay and gözleme. 

Sure, noting is perfect all the time. We need to deal with high electricity bills and cold rooms at home because of poor isolation and no central heating system and there are the occasional power cuts, though it’s not as bad as it used to be anymore. But that doesn’t spoil the fun and the fact that people are so relax around this time of the year, taking a real long break from the touristic season. They say that happiness lies in enjoying the little things. That is absolutely true. And it seems to be something that most people here know how to do.

But no matter where you are during this month and what your December looks like, one thing is the same all over the world. It’s the year’s grand finale. The ‘weekend’ month of the year. And a time of reflection, evaluation and new resolutions for the future. Whatever it is that you struggle with at the moment, or that you hope to archive, improve or change in the new year, I hope that you will find plenty of ways to enjoy the little things in life as well. I hope that you will be able to single out the special moments in your daily life and celebrate them. I hope that you will feel loved, safe, grateful and happy a lot in the new year. I’m going to hug you and leave you with a quote from Tyler Knott Gregson that I picked up online a while ago which sums it all up so well: “Promise me that you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim”. 

Promise. Happy 2016 to all of you.