Ahh, our love of köfte once more makes itself known on this blog. I wonder how many times we’ve written about it now…recipes for Tekirdağ Köftesi and just good old barbecued köfte; stories of köfte appreciation in Eskişehir. And, easily the most distinctive version we’ve tried to date, Doğubeyazıt Köftesi – that really was a …

To witness the tulips. That was the reason for our dash to Istanbul’s Gülhane Park – one of the city’s most famous parks – on our most recent visit to this sprawling megacity. We were primarily in Istanbul for one of Turkey’s top running events; the Istanbul Half Marathon. But any running event is also …

Maybe it was the fact the sun was shining, we’re not sure, but both of us said this year’s Istanbul Marathon was the most enjoyable yet. Sunday was the third time we’ve taken part, and there was a completely different atmosphere to usual; a bit of a culture change. More people taking part just for …

I’ll hold my hands up; I’ve developed a little obsession with our local duck population in Fethiye. Even Barry lets out a little, “Aww,” when we walk past them. So hopefully, these little animals are bringing as much joy to the other passersby as they are to us. (Ahh, the simple things in life, eh?) …

Today is the anniversary of the death of founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He passed away in Dolmabahçe Palace at 9:05 am on this day in 1938. Anıtkabir – The Mausoleum Of Atatürk Atatürk’s mausoleum , Anıtkabir, is in Ankara, and while we were in the city for a short time, we …

If you know anything about Turkey at all, you’ll know that yesterday was the 90th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Turkey (Cumhuriyet Bayramı – Republic Day). Not that most Turks need much excuse to openly display their national pride, but Cumhuriyet Bayramı is a day of loud and proud unabashed flag waving, …

In a few weeks, we’ll have been writing this blog for four years…and it’s taken until now to write about a Turkish national favourite dish: Mantı. How’s that happened? That’s how life works out sometimes. And also, while we were in Ankara in May, we ate one of the best servings of mantı we’ve ever …

And so it came to pass that Barry and Julia found themselves with the opportunity to stay in a seafront room of Gardenia Boutique Hotel in Kaş. We do love Kaş! But you know us; we’ll grab a hostel or pension wherever we go. As long as it’s got a clean bed to sleep in, …

We’re big advocates of Turkey’s intercity buses and travel on them all the time – hopefully, we’ll be on this Fethiye to Istanbul bus in November – but we’ve got to say, if there’s a train on offer, we’re there! We love us a bit of a train journey and we were excited when we …

All good cities need a smattering of fun or eye-catching sculptures to keep the passers-by entertained as far as we’re concerned, and Turkey does this form of street art very well. There’s not much we’d suggest for improvements to Fethiye…but a few random sculptures dotted around town would just put the icing on the cake. …