No Pictures, Only Words
With the sole purpose of this trip to Turkey being house-hunting I thought I should share a bit about that experience. Read on if you're curious.
The first two days of this journey were fully scheduled. Meet with the administrators of the International school, meet our relocation agent and tour all the homes available for lease in Izmir and the surrounding areas. Well, the school appointment had to be rescheduled due to the luggage situation and there are not an abundance of available houses in Izmir. No worries though there was plenty to take in and see.
On Friday and Saturday we headed out with our English speaking relocation agent. What a welcome relief that was. We drove into the country side. Citrus, olive and fig groves surrounded the area and local produce stands littered the streets. Let me take a moment to describe the streets to you. Some were paved, others not. Some were wide enough for a single car to pass through yet two or three attempted the way almost always. Horn honking is a language unto itself. That should be a course for drivers ed here. Not sure they even have those classes.
The homes are different. Most are in compounds. Which are similar to gated communities in the states. Those that are not in a compound and are considered "private" still have heavily fenced yards, most with barbed wire and sliding steel doors and gates that surround the home. Washers and dryers are not the norm around here. Clothes lines hanging around the yards are common. Some homes have air conditioners, others don't. Some have floor heating and their own wells. Others don't. Each house is unique. We visited one home with full maids quarters, including its own kitchen with a "caddy" that sent the food up to the main kitchen where the family would be. Bizarre. No thank you.
And then we drove along the coast and into what once was a hillside olive grove. Hence the name Olive Park. There was a Dutch architecture company that partnered with a Turkish company and built 30 homes, all of different design in this compound. Most had their own pools and there was a recreation center within that contained tennis courts, basketball and football courts and even mini golf. It was beautiful. It was quiet. It is only 30 minutes from Cesme, the beach city. The house itself felt like home, if anything could this came the closest. It wasn't extravagant or showy. Simple design and enough space for four Things and their Dad and Mom. This might be the one.
While that was the one that caught our attention there were others on Saturday that were equally intriguing. One with its own orange groves and garden. The owner called it a garden but it was far from it. I would be afraid of losing the Things. There were rows and rows of citrus and jasmine trees. The fragrance intoxicating. And while I found myself loving the thought of living outdoors there the inside house was not as appealing. At least not for me. There again was an indoor pool and maids quarters and formal living space that just doesn't suit our lifestyle. But the garden, oh how I loved that garden. And it was only minutes from the water. Not a swimming or beach area but the water nonetheless.
So now for decision making. And yes I will have photos to share soon I just don't have the capability to do so while here in Turkey. I will when I return to the states.
My descriptions do no justice for the breathtaking views and the tantalizing sea that have captured my heart and continue to beckon me to call this place home.
The first two days of this journey were fully scheduled. Meet with the administrators of the International school, meet our relocation agent and tour all the homes available for lease in Izmir and the surrounding areas. Well, the school appointment had to be rescheduled due to the luggage situation and there are not an abundance of available houses in Izmir. No worries though there was plenty to take in and see.
On Friday and Saturday we headed out with our English speaking relocation agent. What a welcome relief that was. We drove into the country side. Citrus, olive and fig groves surrounded the area and local produce stands littered the streets. Let me take a moment to describe the streets to you. Some were paved, others not. Some were wide enough for a single car to pass through yet two or three attempted the way almost always. Horn honking is a language unto itself. That should be a course for drivers ed here. Not sure they even have those classes.
The homes are different. Most are in compounds. Which are similar to gated communities in the states. Those that are not in a compound and are considered "private" still have heavily fenced yards, most with barbed wire and sliding steel doors and gates that surround the home. Washers and dryers are not the norm around here. Clothes lines hanging around the yards are common. Some homes have air conditioners, others don't. Some have floor heating and their own wells. Others don't. Each house is unique. We visited one home with full maids quarters, including its own kitchen with a "caddy" that sent the food up to the main kitchen where the family would be. Bizarre. No thank you.
And then we drove along the coast and into what once was a hillside olive grove. Hence the name Olive Park. There was a Dutch architecture company that partnered with a Turkish company and built 30 homes, all of different design in this compound. Most had their own pools and there was a recreation center within that contained tennis courts, basketball and football courts and even mini golf. It was beautiful. It was quiet. It is only 30 minutes from Cesme, the beach city. The house itself felt like home, if anything could this came the closest. It wasn't extravagant or showy. Simple design and enough space for four Things and their Dad and Mom. This might be the one.
While that was the one that caught our attention there were others on Saturday that were equally intriguing. One with its own orange groves and garden. The owner called it a garden but it was far from it. I would be afraid of losing the Things. There were rows and rows of citrus and jasmine trees. The fragrance intoxicating. And while I found myself loving the thought of living outdoors there the inside house was not as appealing. At least not for me. There again was an indoor pool and maids quarters and formal living space that just doesn't suit our lifestyle. But the garden, oh how I loved that garden. And it was only minutes from the water. Not a swimming or beach area but the water nonetheless.
So now for decision making. And yes I will have photos to share soon I just don't have the capability to do so while here in Turkey. I will when I return to the states.
My descriptions do no justice for the breathtaking views and the tantalizing sea that have captured my heart and continue to beckon me to call this place home.
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