In between working at school and report writing at night, we have a couple of hours to unwind. Our hotel is in the historical district of Konak, the original part of the city before it expanded into the metropolis it is today. “Konak” means governor’s house and refers to the residence of the governors of the province. Living in one of the only two double landlocked countries in the world, I immediately head to the promenade along the Aegean Sea to soak in the smells and sights of the sea. There are lots of people enjoying the sunset but it is not crowded. One day I ran east to the port, which was quite busy. There are over 60,000 businesses registered in Konak exporting billions of dollars of products and materials. There are always lots of container ships in the bay.
Izmir is known for its laid-back atmosphere and like many cities on the Mediterranean, it is easy to relax after work with the beautiful views of the water. As a Turkish colleague at the school said, when I get home from work, I look out at the sea and forget the work day. Yesterday I walked west along the shore and the trail goes on for a long time. I passed the Konak Pier, a building that used to be the customs house and was designed by Gustav Eifel, the same guy who built the famous tower in Paris. Today it is full of restaurants and shops and is popular with the locals. The bike and walking trails kept going and I wonder how far one can go along the bay.
The school is south and inland from the bay. The bus takes about 40 minutes from the hotel to the school’s gates. There is a lot of traffic and stoplights, but it is not too crazy. I liked the idea of the strip of lights on the intersection poles (below). It makes for better visibility, and I think more cities should consider doing it.
We have a bit more time today so I hope to do a little bit of shopping and sightseeing before I leave on Friday.
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