Marmaris (Turkey) November 2010

Hotel: The Grand Ideal, Marmaris, Turkey

 Clare and I started our relationship in January 2010, and booked our holiday to Turkey pretty early on. Clare had always had the travel bug, and convinced me that a week abroad would test our relationship and see if we could put up with each other for over a week, sharing each others company for 24 hours a day.

Just a few days after Clare's Dad's wedding our bags were packed and off we went.

I had been told that you have to try three things whilst you are in Turkey.  A Turkish Delight (sweet), a Turkish Shave and a Turkish Bath.  As soon as we arrived at the Grand Ideal, there were sweets waiting for us on the reception desk, number 1 ticked!

We had opted to go all inclusive, so on our first night we ventured to the buffet restaurant for our meal.  The usual variety of Turkish meats, delicacies and treats welcome us as well as the great aroma of the cuisine.  As we sat down with our starter, a fellow English man ventured across to us with a pate full of chips.  He complained that this would be all he would eat for the week as the food was crap, it was all foreign stuff.  Keeping to his word, for the rest of the week, every meal he was munching on a plate of chips.

The entertainment in the hotel was hilarious, and not in a good way.  The compare was over the top and our highlight had to be the Race Night, to which we left half way through and watched TV back in the room. Good job we took cards!

Obviously one other thing that Turkey is well known for is the knock off watches and haggling.  I came back with a Ralf Lauren watch that was obviously the genuine article.  We also purchased a $3500 Breitling watch for my dad for a little under a fiver.  He has never taken it off since.

I had two Turkish shaves whilst at the Ideal, and being bereft of hair on top of my head, I opted for the full face shave.  Believe me, this is an experience I can recommend to all males on the planet - I have never felt so smooth

The Turkish Bath however was a completely different experience.  Being abused, battered and flushed with cold water whilst wearing nothing but a nappy was not a gentle relaxing time, but I did come back very refreshed and ready to soak up the Turkish sunshine.

A few days into our holiday, Clare and I went on a little excursion to the Suplhur Pools, mud baths and Turtle beach which was fantastic.  The pools smelled awful, but were lovely warm, the mud was disgusting but we felt rejuvenated and the Turtle Beach was a relaxing hide away.

I can happily say that the "Relationship Test Holiday" was a roaring success and Clare and I had a lot more destinations to visit together