Today, 9th September, is the day that Izmir commemorates Independence Day. So, as we're thinking all things Izmir, and trying to work out when we can fit in a little return visit some time in the not-too-distant future, we thought we'd have a look back at previous visits. Because Izmir is a city … [Read more...]
Going To Izmir? Well, Of Course You’ll Go To Sevinç
March 29, 2014 6 Comments
Anyone who visits Harrogate is always told they must go to Betty's Cafe & Tea Rooms. When we visited Harrogate, we dutifully took ourselves off to said tea rooms. Can't tell you if it was a pleasant surprise or a disappointment because it was an age ago, but I do remember wondering why these … [Read more...]
Izmir Sardalya & Yenidoğan Kokoreç – Two More Simple Reasons To Love Izmir
March 18, 2014 4 Comments
Never say never, but the chances of us telling you all about the gourmet meal we ate at some swanky restaurant in the middle of a Turkish city whilst on our travels are pretty slim. We usually have a foods-to-eat-agenda before we go anywhere, because most regions of Turkey have dishes and foods that … [Read more...]
Karşıyaka – Fethiyespor: The Alsancak Stadium Experience
March 15, 2014 4 Comments
Yes, readers; if you are not a football fan, never fear. There is no need to glaze over and stop reading. This is not so much a match report as another tale of the under-prepared travels of Barry and Julia; it's just that the setting happens to be a football stadium - Alsancak Stadyumu - and we … [Read more...]
Return To Izmir – There’s Never Enough Time
March 13, 2014 5 Comments
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...]
Izmir – A Circular Coastal Stroll & Sail Of The City
March 12, 2013 5 Comments
We're very fortunate that travelling on a budget is made much easier for us by the fact that we both love to walk. In Izmir, apart from catching a local bus from the otogar into Alsancak, we walked everywhere. Sitting on the Aegean Sea, Izmir's a breezy city, so late summer ambles (we were there at … [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 than … [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...]
