Mosaic making vacation in Turkey

Planet

To protect the environment we:
- Reduce as much waste as possible, avoid buying styrofoam or plastics and use recyclable products whenever possible
- Have a compost bin for kitchen & garden waste and use coffee grinds in fertiliser
- Most of the food is seasonal, very fresh, locally grown and organic - also some fruit (lemons, oranges, bananas) and herbs (rosemary, basil, mint, bay leaves) in the garden
- Have solar panels to produce hot water
- Have a chlorinator for the pool which dispenses automatically and uses less chlorine
- The garden has no lawn; it has natural stone pebbles and an automated water drip system for the shrubs and flowers which saves a lot of water. Sadly, we can’t collect rainwater because it doesn’t rain from May until October
- Garden lights are installed by section so they don't operate all at once - some are solar powered
- Ask guests to use the ceiling fans rather than the aircon and to make sure to turn them off when leaving the room
- Ask guests to consider the environment and water waste when using towels and bed linen
- Mattresses are made from bamboo or aloe vera fibres
- Use environmental-friendly products: dishwasher tablets, soap, shower gel, shampoo...
- The village center is car-free and most of us get around by electric bike. For longer distances we use a taxi or public transport
- Participate in beach and forest clean-ups with volunteers in the area
- Campaign to neuter/spay street dogs and cats and support the local dog shelter
- Regularly donate to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary on Iztuzu Beach (Dalyan) and several times a year we help release recovered sea turtles back into the sea
and last but not least:
- Mosaic is one of the oldest and most sustainable art forms in the world

People

To support the community we:
- Employ local cleaners and no longer own a car = we use local taxi drivers
- Buy fresh food from local people, who grow their produce in their gardens
- Buy meat from the local butcher, fish from the local fishmonger (freshly caught in the morning - we never eat farmed fish) and honey directly from the beekeeper
- Help harvesting the olives with the local people, take them to the local press and then buy our freshly pressed olive oil
- visit local restaurants where we know the owners. Gocek is small and most businesses are owned by local families - everyone knows everyone

All these people need to support their families or top up their small pensions as their average income is very low.

I strongly believe that when living in another country it is imperative to learn the language and integrate into the population. Turkish people are very appreciative and honoured that as a foreigner you want to become part of their community. They welcome you and enjoy sharing their homes and their lives with you. I do not socialise with so-called “ex-pats”. All my friends and neighbours are Turkish. From weddings to funerals, social and religious events – I have been part of them.
I share this experience with my guests so that they feel part of it too.

During winter, the village council gives us a meeting room where local women meet twice a week to make local crafts; mainly knitting & crochet. Some of them also come to my home to make mosaics. My plan is that later this year we all create a large mosaic together that will be sponsored by local businesses and installed in the main village square. A lasting and beautiful memory to all of us and donations will go to a local cause.