Calis is not busy at the moment. Restaurant and prom last night at 9.30pm where vey quiet. We were in Bella Mamas at 9.30pm and there were only 3 tables of people. At 10.30pm shops where closing. However it is early in the season. Hopefully it wil pick up when the kids are on holiday. We have spoken to a few restaurant owners who told us that even though the planes are full, they are not all coming to Calis. One owner told us that the Jiva Beach IS. full and the vistors walk passed his restaurant, when he tell them to look at the menu they show him their wrist bands.
We spoke to Edi from the Silver Shop. He said business is not good and was bad last year too. We suggested it could get better as the season had just started. He told us he had to find £8.000 a year rent.
I was really disappointed to see that clothes shop just up from the Meeting Point had gone. They always used to put a block colour of dresses outside. One day blue, one day pink etc., It was a lovely shop. I bought a few things in there. I was planning to buy more this year.
Adem is still around, again, he said business was not good. The Flower Man Willie Thorne just sits outside Dawn Beach now. He greeted us like long lost relatives, even kisses for Phil. His flowers are now 15TL A bunch and still a bargain. I filled two vases with them. Did not see the Gypsy woman. Or Hassan the Video Guy and no sign of the Deaf & Dumb people. The guys that sell all the light up toys have not arrived yet either.
Spoke to a lovely Turkish couple running a stall in the Market yesterday, Phil was buying a couple of polo shirts. They said they had had a shop in Fethiye, but last year had to give it up as visitor numbers where down. They just do the markets now. We then spoke to a guy that sold Sunglasses etc., he also said he could not afford a shop anymore. The Market was busy with fruit and veg etc., but the clothing, bag side was very quiet.
Kursat at Safir has taken on one more member of staff to do the polishing, so he seems to be doing O.K. Did a lovely job of on my Grandmother's old gold bracelet, thickening up the fastener which is a little heart. Really put a good thickness of gold on it and cleaned it like new. All for 25TL.
We were saying that Calis and Fethiye need publicity, everyone knows about Marmaris, Bodrum, Side. However, when we tell people in the U.K where we are going, no one has heard of Fethiye or Calis. We have explained this to the business owners, some are very surprised that Calis is not know in the U.K. I think it is time for some Marketing.
