In my time at Canakkale no one had mentioned the seaside village of Kilitbahir. Locals will ask you whether you’ve been to Troy, Gallipoli, Assos, and the islands of Bozcaada and Gokceada. They may even enquire whether you’ve mad the ferry crossing from Canakkale iskele to Eceabat and Kabatepe. But Kilitbahir? No, not a word. […]
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Travel
Kilitbahir by accident
Arrival in Antalya – Getting to Kaleici
On stepping out the exit doors at Antalya airport you immediately understand you’re at something of a tourism hub. Instead of the usual taxi ranks, a long line-up of dozens of bus ticketing booths to nearby seaside resorts awaits you. After pacing the length of the bus booths for a few minutes you’ll eventually discover […]
Safranbolu – Ottoman Black Sea magic
A trip to Safranbolu is a trip back in time to the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire. This tiny UNESCO preserved Ottoman town nestled in the hills of Karabuk Province, offers a magical glimpse of Turkish Black Sea life as it was during Ottoman times. It’s peaceful, hilly streets, lined with glorious 200 – 300 […]
Adalar – The Princes’ Islands
A short ferry ride from the major Istanbul ports are the lovely Princes’ Islands. From where I was staying in Kadıköy it was easy enough to find the ferry which takes you across the Sea of Marmara, stopping first at Kinaliada (“Henna Island”), then Heybeliada (“Saddlebag Island”) and then to my destination, Büyükada (“Big Island”). The Tur […]
Culture
Springtime in Melbourne – cok yasa!
Gunaydin! A warm and humid morning here in suburban Melbourne. Just realised that last week I passed my 6 month anniversary since “evacuation” from an empty Istanbul airport in those early days of Covid drama. Today I decided to swing an old picnic table and chair onto the communal front lawn of my shared apartment […]
Building bridges – Naturally
A few years ago I was chatting with a Turkish teacher friend in London about her trip home to her family’s tiny village in central Turkey. She told me how she’d taken her parents the usual sack-load of mainstream souvenirs from her global travels. Her Mum’s response “Thanks…but please just bring me some foreign flower […]
Food & Drink
Künefe – melt-in-mouth, Hatay heaven
Künefe is a luxurious Turkish dessert of warm, shredded filo pastry layers filled with stringy cheese and soaked in a rich, sugary syrup with the tang of fresh lemons. Often served in a copper dish, it has the appearance of baked-golden shredded wheat, usually topped with ground pistachios and served with a dollop of kaymak […]
It’s winter, and that means…hamsi days!!!
Today I fulfilled another dream here in Turkey. Buying fresh hamsi, in season (winter), here at a local fish market (balik Pazar), and preparing a plate of this legendary pan-fried delight. The last (only) time I’ve cooked (assisted actually) hamsi was many years ago in North London – not the same. Has to be experienced […]