Club Med Palmiye

Hello from Turkey! (I found an internet connection!)

Our trip has been awesome so far. The resort is perfection, with stunning views, the most amazing food, and drinks at every corner. We are staying at Club Med Palmiye, which is in Antalya, on the southern coast of Turkey along the Mediterranean Sea.

The hotel is on the left in the picture above, but we're staying in a bungalow in the villagio, just behind the smaller white buildings on the right.

There are plenty of things to do here (water skiing, kayaking, wind surfing, etc), but we've pretty much stuck to lounging around one of the many pools or swimming in the sea. Not that I'm complaining.

We did go on a little snorkeling trip, which proved to be much fun. I couldn't get over the views. The layers of mountains just kill me!

(Surf shirts with SPF 50 built-in are a fair-skinned girl's best friend in the Mediterranean.)

As I mentioned, the food is fantastic. For some reason I assumed food on buffets couldn't be very good, but they know how to do it right. I've been eating eggs with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and olives for breakfast every morning, and don't plan to stop once I get home.

We also have fresh espresso at our disposal, which is a dangerous and glorious thing. For lunch I usually make myself a big salad of couscous or bulgur topped with fresh veggies and the most delicious minted yogurt I've ever tasted.

Pool snacks involve more olives, cheese, bread, fruit, and fresh mint tea.

Dinners have more of a regional theme, and they've been varying between French, Italian (amazing homemade pasta), Chinese, Mexican, and Turkish (by far my favorite!)

And then there's dessert. Miles and miles of dessert. These also vary by day, so we've been treated to an enormous variety of cakes, pastries, custards, cookies, ice cream, baklava(!!), and tiramisu.

I used to worry that all-inclusive resorts would be somewhat of a rip-off for me. I don't eat the most expensive foods (meat) or drink much of the most expensive drinks (alcohol.) But I must say that it has been quite a treat. I love feeling like I can try new foods without worrying that I'd choose something I don't like. I like grabbing a cocktail in the afternoon without stressing about our tab adding up. And I LOVE not having to worry about having cash on us...no tipping allowed!

This vacation has just been the best. It's hard to think about leaving such a beautiful place. However, Istanbul is up next, so there are still many adventures ahead!