Far From the Madding Crowd

SIRINCE

Far above the busy town of Selcuk nestled in the hills is the tiny town of Sirince and Nisanyan Inn whose logo is that of a snail. Perhaps an indication of the pace of life, the slow crawl up the one lane dirt road that it takes to get here, or the slow travel concept taken to a new level, or that snails come when it rains? From where I am at this moment, across the valley you can hear the donkeys along with the workers on the hillside picking olives, the hens, rooster and chickens clucking and chirping, the crabby geese squawking every time someone walks by them, the flowing water from the hillside, the frogs at night and so on.

pink cottage

our cottage entrance

doorway to the cottages

the perch overlooking the valley

daily breakfast is served!

tomato and cucumber, staples in every Turkish breakfast.

great breakfast made by Arzu

additional outdoor dining for the cottages

Arzu had been hard at work preparing breakfast

The ambience is unmatched, quiet though full of life. The staff take great care in their work in preparing incredible breakfasts of little plates of green and black olives, compote of fresh fruit spreads from quince, mandarin and Ginger to peach, apricot apple, flavorful cheese curds seasoned with olives oil and herbs, sheep's milk and feta cheeses, red pepper paste, chopped cucumber and tomatoes honey and fresh baked breads.

Arzu with fresh picked vegetables from the garden.

shy Amalia slowly but surely made her way to us...

eventually Amalia and I chatted in german at dinner

Details and conveniences are presented in a wonderful outdoor setting under a grapevine covered area, warm woolen ponchos for when the breeze kick up, chessboards and backgammon for game enthusiasts, and Turkish style seating for reading, visiting or enjoying the panoramic view.

The Inn has a lovely rustically appointed dining area both inside and out, with a limited menu with funny translations: stew like mommy made or salad with warm stuff. But don't let this fool you. Their food is brilliantly prepared!

dining room

steps to the dining room

outdoor dining

courtyard entrance

The daily meze, sort of a daily antipasto selection varied from rice stuffed aubergine or peppers, sauteed leeks with vegetables, green beans, roasted red peppers with yogurt and so on. But wait, I forgot about the bread starter grilled with butter and olive and seasoned with herbs. Decadent! Everything garden fresh and bellissima!

Mezze: stewed okra, sauteed green beans,
potatoes, canellini beans and beets with yogurt.

More mezze: roasted red pepper with yogurt, mixed vegetables
and sauteed lemony green beans

Salad with warm stuff:  sauteed vegetables with walnuts and apricots.

Stew like Mommy made!

The first day here was spent in complete relaxation starting with a leisurely breakfast, followed by reading or writing on the terrace area, which graduated to more reading by the pool nestled below the pathway and surrounded by trees and picturesque vistas and finally an invigorating plunge into chilly waters! Great way to start the stay in Sirince.

a day at the pool

relaxation