DARDENELLES & GALLİPOLİ

Friday 20th July
Setting out for the Dardanelles we soon found ourselves back in the strong Meltemi wind. There is a considerable flow of water South through the Dardanelles and as we drew nearer to the straits, our speed over the ground dropped off, sometimes to 2 knots and we were forced to keep the mainsail up to use a bit of the strong wind to help us along. The wind was gusting consistently over 30 knots and we had a wet ride Northwards towards Canakkale. After two days of hard sailing it was time for a change so we crossed over the Dardanelles by ferry for a tour of the ANZAC battlefields and war cemeteries. Half a million men, mostly in their early 20s died in the eight month Gallipoli campaign. The British allies attack was supposed to be a lightning strike, over in 11 days, but became the soldiers’ worst nightmare. The Turks commemorate the losses on both sides, despite their magnificent victory. War is clearly regretted and their feelings are well illustrated by a statue of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded ANZAC and in words written almost twenty years later by Attaturk, the first president of the new Turkey and a hero of Gallipoli. (SEE PHOTO)

On a lighter note, the tour clients were mostly young New Zealanders, about the same age as our children. The guide was a former Turkish navy captain who had excellent English. He addressed us as "captain" (unduly respectfully) and "admiral" (entirely appropriate) during the tour. We were somewhat taken aback in the afternoon, on the bus, when the guide referred to us as "the middle-aged couple on the back seat" but then, that is exactly what we are, so we will have to get used to it.