The following blog post was written two days ago immediately after our return from Izmir. On the same day, Berkin Elvan - a 15 year old who was struck on the head by a police tear gas canister while out to buy bread during the Istanbul protests last June - passed away. His funeral was yesterday. Out … [Read more...]
Why Was I The Only Person Inside Izmir Agora?
March 8, 2013 12 Comments
Sat at the foot of Kadifekale, sandwiched between the hillside and the streets of Kemeraltı is the ancient Izmir agora. When we wrote about the Lycian and Roman ruins of Xanthos, we said that around many of Turkey's archaeological sites, modern daily life continues. Nowhere is this more evident … [Read more...]
Turkish Food Focus: Falling In Love With The Döner Kebab – Again & Again…
February 23, 2013 12 Comments
We know there's so much more to Turkish cuisine than the döner kebab (there's more than enough evidence of that throughout this blog). And we know there are lots of different street foods available throughout the country to tantalise our taste buds. Tantuni kebab springs to mind, nohutlu pilav, … [Read more...]
A Piece Of Historic Izmir: Kızlarağası Hanı
February 21, 2013 2 Comments
This time last week, we were telling you about how we got ourselves happily lost in the warren of streets that is Izmir's Kemeraltı. Many of the streets are covered with mesh and vines to keep them shaded, so it's even more difficult to get your bearings because, at times, you can't see any of the … [Read more...]
Izmir: Losing Oneself In The Maze Of Kemeraltı
February 13, 2013 10 Comments
We've made this comparison before, but for us, when it comes to size and personality, Izmir is to Istanbul what Manchester is to London in the UK. Izmir is completely different to Istanbul but it's impossible not to make such a comparison. Both cities link their opposite shores by ferries (and … [Read more...]
Testing Out Our First Ever Famous Çeşme Kumrusu
October 10, 2012 5 Comments
"Don't come back from Izmir without trying Çeşme Kumrusu!" This was just one of the many pieces of advice given to us by Turkish friends before we set off for our trip to Izmir in September. But it was also the piece of advice; the common thread that linked all the other suggestions offered. Woe … [Read more...]
Izmir Clock Tower – The Symbol Of A City
September 13, 2012 2 Comments
In Izmir, there is one historic attraction that most people know about. We almost felt duty-bound to go and see it to take photos of it. Izmir Saat Kulesi (Izmir Clock Tower) is the symbol of the city and arguably its most famous sight. We felt we couldn't ignore it, and so, we went off in search of … [Read more...]
