Kleopatra Beach

(The east end of Kleopatra Beach, seen from Alanya Castle)

Yesterday I realized one of my principal objectives for the Alanya experience, persuading the Hoyas to join me in a vigorous afternoon of volleyball on Kleopatra Beach. We played a rousing, extended game, rarely keeping score, improving as we went along until we all drooped in the heat and ran for the waves. I thus succeeded in bringing together my gratitude at being here with my fond thoughts of the volleyball scene at good old Rock Creek Pool, tying together the two ends of fading summer. (Fading back there in Maryland, perhaps, as here it remains hot enough to fry a gözleme on the sidewalk between 10am and 3pm.)

We'll be back for more volleyball, on Fridays we are in town. More than that may be impossible, as we are in class 9am to 6pm Monday-Thursday, and although we each have breaks throughout the day, they are scattered enough that it would be impossible to draw a quorum. Academic life takes precedence!

Kleopatra Beach lived up to its high reputation. Mary and I took turns at the volleyball while the boys splashed in the waves. The beach is more gravel than sand, which means the water is very clear. And the shelf drops sharply away from the shoreline, so you can dive right in from the water's edge and come up butterflying into the sunset. 

As we left the beach, an elderly gent in a sleeveless t-shirt was practicing arabesque vocal music on a park bench, intoning melismatic flourishes simultaneously grave and celebratory. You don't get that everywhere.