The day began with a road. We are driving south – to where the land itself goes into the sea. The narrow sand spit Kız-Kumu in the village of Orhaniye looks like an illusion: knee-deep water, sand underfoot, and all around – calm covered by morning haze. A beautiful legend is associated with this place: according to one version, a girl, escaping from pirates, poured sand from her hem to escape by sea, but there was not enough sand, and she died. According to another version, she was in a hurry to her lover, making a path through the water, but drowned when the sand ran out.

Next up is Turgut, where a waterfall cascades over rocks with lazy determination. There’s no point in talking here, it’s better to listen: to the water, the wind, the rustling of the trees. And then the city’s tension will disappear as naturally as the sun behind the mountains.

Lunch in Selimiye – at a table in the family winery Asarcık Bağları. This is a place where time doesn’t speed up, but rather flows. And it seems that everything is served this way here: wine, food, conversation. Without haste. With taste.

In the village of Bayyr, we drink tea with sage under a plane tree that is almost two thousand years old. A real ritual: not so much for the taste, but for a pause.

And then Osmaniye and a meeting with honey that smells of the sun. At the Honey House, a museum and laboratory of local beekeeping, honey is not tasted, but is kept alive.

The next day is already businesslike! The morning begins with an official visit to the Marmaris City Hall, where we are received by Mayor Acar Ünlü. The prospects for cultural exchange, the promotion of Marmaris as an international destination and the attractiveness of the region for British tourists are discussed. The speeches show a sincere interest in cooperation.

“We are trying to introduce Marmaris to a wider audience and tell the world about our attractions. Our goal is to make Marmaris an international city, a resort for people dreaming of an ideal holiday,” emphasizes Mayor Acar Ünnü.

And again adventures around Marmaris. Breakfast on the terrace of Cennet Restaurant, right by the water, like a scene from an old movie: white bread, meze, olives.

Boat rafting on the Kadın Azmağı River: below – algae under a crystal stream, above – the rustling of leaves, next to you – the breath of water.

And then there was the hay-smelling Padok, where the horses lazily nibbled the grass, and we, a little awkwardly, tried ourselves in the saddle.

By evening, we are on the road again. This time towards the marina in Orhaniye. We are going to a concert. The Mugla Municipality Symphony Orchestra is playing in the open air, against the backdrop of rocks and waves, like the final scene of a Greek myth, where all the heroes have already survived their tragedies, and only the music and the landscape remain.

These two days were the end of a short but eventful trip. We saw cities, villages and islands, sights and festivals. Resort life as a presentation – and the reality of daily work. There was a little formality – and a lot of simple human participation. Türkiye opened up not only as a place of rest, but as a country in which regions are developed and international relations are built.