Final Day in Izmir and Back to Chios

This has certainly been a whirlwind tour of Izmir. Later this afternoon we need to be at the meeting place on Pevzi Pasa Boulevard. Ali had told us that once we’d checked out of our hotel we could take our luggage to a leather shop close to the entrance of the Kemeralti Bazaar. After a hearty breakfast at Hotel Marla that’s exactly what we do and it’s all within easy walking distance.

Once our luggage is dropped we head into the vibrant and atmospheric Kemeralti Bazaar where we soak up the sights, sounds and smells of this busy market place. Whatever you want you will find here. I know I said that I’m not much of a shopper but I’m afraid that Izmir is an absolute paradise when it comes to grabbing a bargain. Peter and I each bag ourselves a pair of fake Birkenstocks for the equivalent of £13 each. TBH I can’t tell any difference between these and the originals that I usually buy. I wish I’d bought more!

We managed to pull ourselves away from further temptation and head out of the bazaar. In a back street on the periphery of the bazaar, there is a street that seems to be the hub of the ‘rag trade’. Through the open doorways of several small factories, I can hear a mechanical ‘whir’ as men sit beavering away at their sewing machines. Up and down the street there is signage from all of the big sewing machine brands such as Bernina, Husqvarna and Singer. From one shop three rails of clothing wrapped in plastic are pulled across the street in tandem towards the busy shopping centre. This explains why clothing is so cheap here – they go straight from the factory to the shop.

Although not much remains of old Smyrna, there is still an ethereal presence in the old houses of Alsancak and in the churches and hidden corners that survived the great fire. Is it enough to give a sense of the place to those Greeks who come to pay homage to the place of their ancestors? I hope that they find enough here to be able to feel that part of their history.

To summarise, we have loved our stay here in Izmir. Although it’s a modern city, there is enough beautiful old architecture and a traditional way of life to make it feel authentic. We could have stayed longer and I would like to come back one day, though definitely not on May 1st!

Later that afternoon we rendezvous with Ali and the bus to make the return journey to Cesme. We head back to Chios on the San Nicolas. The boat is now packed to the rafters with bulging shopping bags and boxes full of sweet treats in preparation for Easter. Today is Good Friday and we are very much looking forward to observing the Easter celebrations.