The process for exiting Izmir’s Adnan Menderes (ADB) airport and finding your way to the central Basmane railway station is fairly straightforward. On exiting the airport building go straight across the road and follow the signs for the Izban railway station. A descending escalator will take you to the Izban platforms and ticket booth where […]
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Travel
Arriving in Izmir – Getting to Basmane
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 […]
Western Black Sea – independent travel?
It came as something of a surprise when so many Turkish friends, mostly from Istanbul, warned me off travels to this area. “It’s not safe, you’ll end up at the bottom of the Black Sea!” Luckily, I love a challenge. And I’ve also learned (eventually!) to follow my own gut instincts in life. In this […]
Registering a mobile phone in Turkey
I read a few articles on the subject of mobile phone registration in Turkey. Most of them suggested this needs to be done within 60 days or your phone gets locked. One Turkish friend advised that it’s now a 120 day limit (2018). I didn’t want to take the chance of losing my “lifeline” so […]
Culture
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 […]
Turkish Tea – Friends for Life
To share tea and bright conversation with a Turkish friend is one of life’s great joys. The simple act of its preparation brings the sense of calm and familiarity upon which great friendships are built, stories shared, and occasions celebrated. All the elements of this familiar and reassuring ritual – the preparation, the aroma, the […]
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 […]
Yaprak Sarma – It’s all in the roll!
There is something particularly evocative about sharing a plate of freshly made yaprak sarma with friends. It’s as much about the preparation and the appearance as it is about the taste. If I want to “feel Turkish” I make sarma. I can recall strolling through the gardens of a National Trust property back in […]