It is May in UK and here in Shropshire more rain and even snow is forecast! We are looking forward to returning to Gocek next week, to put the finishing touches to the houses and garden after our work last month, and to welcome our first guests of what promises to be a busy season. April / May is a lovely time to visit Gocek especially if you want to do some walking / sightseeing. The gardens are fresh and fragrant and coming into bloom. The orange trees have borne their first fruits and the lemon trees are still heavily laden.

Bozborun in the morning

2012 is underway

Last year was our busiest one, welcoming many repeat guests who have become good friends, some returning year after year to this beautiful part of Turkey. New bookings were at a record high and some of those guests have already planned to return this year, bringing friends too!

We did not seem to get as much time to ourselves for sailing for various reasons, but it was great to have guests aboard on several occasions. We did however manage an exhilarating sailing week in June around the Datca, Bozborun area.

In Gocek life is much the same! The cherry season was one of the longest and best and Kirkpinar restaurant in the mountains above Gocek where cherries grow in abundance, provided a cool escape to enjoy a wonderful lunch with home produced produce and of course kilos of cherries to take home!

The end of the season saw the update of the main shower rooms which has made a welcome difference providing larger walk- in shower cubicles.

As we discuss plans to return early April to prepare the houses and 'Sevinc' for the coming season, temperatures here are sub zero and snow is on the way!

Spring approaches in Gocek. We have just been over for a working week - a last minute decision - lots of pre season jobs done and a chance to catch up with all our Turkish friends emerging from a restful 3 months post 2010 season and busy revamping and sprucing up their shops and restaurants for April opening. The trees are laden with citrus fruits - lemons, mandarins and pink grapefruit. The garden is bursting with life and the sun shines most days although we are grateful for the log fire in the evenings.

Begonvil in full bloom

February is here and bookings are well under way. Gocek remains a piece of paradise - a place to relax, enjoy some sun, delicious food and genuine hospitality. Somewhere to escape the doom and gloom that seems to be with us in the UK. We are off to Strasbourg this weekend to visit three of our French families who have stayed with us several times during the past few years - a real treat for us to be on the receiving end! We are really looking forward to catching up, seeing the sights and sampling good food, wine and champagne! On our return we will be counting the weeks until we return to Turkey mid April. We still have some vacancies in June and July for those who have not got around to thinking of holidays yet!

Back to UK - snow ice and freezing temperatures!

It has been a shock returning to UK - we arrived 3 weeks ago and have been thrown into WINTER! We had a very busy and enjoyable season with many new guests and old faces too! Our last sailing week in October was rather wet but our last two working weeks were beautiful and sunny. We were able to do a lot of cutting back in the garden and our yacht Sevinc is out of the water for the winter, awaitng routine work next spring. Bookings for next year have got off to a record start, with some key weeks already reserved. Gocek remains as lovely as ever and offers a relaxing holiday with genuine Turkish hospitality. Many of our guests having been five or six times, have become good friends, and we are looking forward to catching up with news in 2011.