♠It’s not our fault but we still want to apologize for passing on information about projected Greek island cruises that flopped. Apparently apart from one publicity trip for the media no other voyages took place. (Inset: the ship that didn’t sail) Our enquiries revealed that prospective passengers quickly found that various “additional charges” made the total cruise costs unreasonably excessive, while cabins at the cheap advertised rates were seemingly always booked. That’s not the way to do business. ♣Another fishy smell emanated from Güvercinlik where a mass of rotting small fish discarded by fishermen hit the beaches and drove away tourists. An investigation has been promised, so we’ll be waiting to see if prosecutions and deterrent punishments do result.

☻With the tourist season just about wrapped up, the announcement by Bodrum Municipality that bathers wearing pajamas or underwear will not be allowed on the beaches seems much too late to correct the unseemly scenes everyone witnessed all summer. This is a culture problem the local administration has to solve, perhaps best done by education. This ruling (which also forbids allowing dogs on the beaches) comes even later than the much belated time limit on over-loud music played outdoors. Our municipal councilors seem to have overslept. ♦Another action undertaken not months but years late is the decision to open of fire lanes in the forests and quasi-forests around Bodrum, taken long after terrible scrub, brush and forest fires denuded much of the countryside. In this case it is ‘better late than never’. The forestry folk will hopefully be clearing the fire lanes this coming winter and not wait for summer.