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
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 […]
Antalya – A first glimpse
A recent fact-finding trip to Antalya was inspired by the words of a close friend who once advised me that if I ever found the courage to follow my heart to Turkey, Antalya would be the area she’d recommend for me to live. I guess her rationale was that the milder, sunny weather (2,640 hours […]
Kuzguncuk – a slice of leafy, London village
Sitting in the shade of a leafy plane tree, sipping iced coffee from a tiny sidewalk café stool and chatting with local Uni students, you could easily forget you were in Istanbul. If felt instead, like Hampstead Village, or Notting Hill, or any other trendy, bohemian, inner London café culture enclave. I’m so glad that […]
Culture
Reality dawns on the Turkish pipe-dream?
Dream: When I’d planned my move to Turkey, I’d always dreamed of living somewhere green and rustic, close to the earth, immersed in structures of rough-hewn wood and cosy kilim furnishings. A romantic notion fuelled by memories of wide-eyed travels through amazing rural places such as Safranbolu, Sirince and Cumalikizik, amongst many others. Reality: So […]
Turkish Hygiene – Dirty, dirty. Not good.
Having worked in hospitals (Australia) for several years I’m accustomed to the concept of extreme hygiene. I’d have to say, Turkish hygiene comes a close second to the world of medical purity. A Turkish friendship is a lesson in cleanliness. Shoes off at the front door and into the house slippers, reminiscent of Asian home […]
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 […]
İçli Köfte – how Turkish are you?
I could see from the body language of my Turkish hosts that this meal was something special – içli köfte. Clearly, hours had been spent in the kitchen preparing this mountain of meatballs ready for my visit. I was proudly lead into the kitchen by my hosts to witness the final preparations. A boiling cauldron […]
