We set off after breakfast, picked up bikes at the nearby rental store, and bought a little picnic (a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery and some cheese). The bike rental store only had one comfortable add-on saddle filled up with gel, which John was kind enough to leave to me (I think that it did make a difference by the end of the day).
We crossed the Old Town and tried to stay away from the main roads as much as possible. After a few minutes we arrived on the cycle path, which led us along the coast to a beach resort, about 13km away. For the first 15 minutes the view was unfortunately blocked by hotel resorts, which presumably owned the land in front of the cliff. Finally the hotels faded into the distance and we were able to cycle along the cliffs while enjoying the beautiful view.
Leaving Antalya behind
Cycling along the cliffs
We were quite surprised to see several tour buses by a green park so far from the city centre. We then saw the beautiful waterfall nearby, as well as the restaurants lined up for tours. We decided to stop off on the way back, hoping for a lull between tour buses.
Standing on top of the waterfall
We kept going for another 30 minutes or so and found a quiet spot by a military base, offering a great view over the bay. We saw a couple of fishermen on the docks and the entrance gate was open, so we did not feel like we were intruding. One of the soldiers was snorkelling in a camouflage wet suit; the only give away was his flashy blue flippers. He did not seem bothered by us so we sat on the rocks for a little break.
Quiet spot for a break
John in front of the Gulf of Antalya (Bey mountains and waterfall in the background)
We had a look further down the road, but the coast was lined up with beach resorts, which did not look so appealing so we headed back to the waterfall for lunch. We found a bench right in front of the waterfall and had our little picnic. Our quiet spot was however soon invaded by tour groups, who had probably just left the restaurant. Watching the herds go by was actually quite entertaining.
View of the waterfall from our bench
View of the coast
We then cycled back to Antalya and headed for the Archaeological museum, a bit outside of the centre. Finding a safe road on which to cycle proved slightly more challenging, so for the most part we used the pavement.
Cycle path to the museum for the last few hundred metres
The museum's first couple of rooms displayed a large collection of Bronze Age artefacts and tools. The central showcase was dedicated to an impressive collection of fine objects in silver, bronze, and ivory dating from the 6th and 7th centuries BC. Another feature of the museum was the Roman marble statues found around the site of Perga and other nearby ruins.
Marble statues dating from 2nd century AD, found in Perga
Statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
The hall dedicated to Perga theatre displayed finely carved friezes with scenes of the Gigantomachia (fight between Gods and Giants). They were found in the theatre of Perga, along with an impressive statue of Hermes, and dated from the 2nd century AD.
Scene from the Gigantomachia
Statue of Hermes, 2nd century AD
Part of the decoration of the Perga theatre
In the next room several finely carved sarcophagi were exposed, and we found the one depicting the 12 labours of Hercules particularly interesting.
Statue of Hercules, finally complete after a US museum returned the top half to Turkey
Outside again, we cycled back to the rental shop, dropped off our bikes, and sat down by the harbour to enjoy the warm late afternoon sun.
Evening by the harbour, a place to canoodle apparently ...
... or share a few beers ...
... or fish (he was careful enough not to hook anybody)
In the evening we had a nice dinner in a hotel nearby, where we tasted a delicious pomegranate syrup, which livened up the salad greatly. If we don't forget, we will bring some back.
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