There was no need for a menu. What they had is what you ate! The crews from all three vessels arrived at 8 p.m. for our kitchen tour. No matter where you eat in Turkey, there are always several delicious mesas (appetizers). Even in this tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere, there were four dishes from which to choose – yogurt with mint, cucumber, and garlic; a spicy tomato relish; eggplant, tomato, garlic and mild peppers fried in olive oil and seasoned with a mild red sauce; and Russian (potato) salad. I had bits of each meza and they were all quite tasty. After I pointed at one of the glassy-eyed fish on the counter, it was cleaned and thrown on the wood-burning grill for cooking. The black-eyed fish, local to these waters, is known for its mild flavor and tender flesh. In spite of the fact the head was left on, glazed eyes staring up at me from the plate, the fish was quite good.

We were serenaded by two guitar-playing, rock and roll singing boaters, one from Australia and the other from the Netherlands. Between cooking and serving, the three Turks who run the restaurant also play a drum and sing traditional songs