It was August, 2008 when the news hit. International news! A huge intact head and lower leg from a statue of Marcus Aurelius had been uncovered by archaeologists at the ancient city of Sagalassos. The height of the complete statue would be 15 feet. We knew of the existence of the Sagalassos … [Read more...]
Things To Do In Eğirdir & Around – Time To Explore
December 5, 2018 Leave a Comment
Things to do in Eğirdir and around? Wow, where to start... A road trip to explore some of Turkey's Anatolian Lake District in the Burdur and Isparta Provinces was the destination for our last little jaunt. Eğirdir had been on our radar since moving to Turkey 15 years ago, and, aside from … [Read more...]
Göl Pension – Comfort And Views Across Lake Eğirdir
November 23, 2018 2 Comments
A late summer road trip around parts of Turkey's Lake District. First stop, for a photographic driving break, was other-worldly Salda Gölü. Then it was time to move on to our base for the next few days, Eğirdir. Barry had done the accommodation research and we plumped for Göl Pension on the town's … [Read more...]
Planet Mars Or Turkey’s Maldives – Lake Salda Can Be That And More
October 25, 2018 2 Comments
If our previous road trip around Southwest Turkey was about reacquainting ourselves with some old favourites - the ruins of Ephesus, the Pamukkale travertines and Hierapolis - then our most recent road trip was all about exploring pastures new around the Turkish Lake District. First stop, en route … [Read more...]
Ankara Is Not Dull. It Can’t Be; It’s A City!
January 23, 2014 4 Comments
Imagine if a city was a person with real thoughts and feelings; we think of cities like this all the time because they're such complex beings. There's always so much more to discover than what you first come face to face with on that initial greeting. Over time, you get to know each other and … [Read more...]
Eski Ankara: Mooching Around On The Roof Of Turkey’s Capital City
January 8, 2014 6 Comments
So, what have we told you thus far about our (too) short time in Ankara last May? A quick recap: It was a quick stopover while we waited for our train to take us eastwards to stay with a friend. Ankara's a big city and to say we didn't really have our bearings on arrival is an understatement. … [Read more...]
Remembering Atatürk: Why Our Visit To Anıtkabir In Ankara Wasn’t Quite What We Expected
November 10, 2013 16 Comments
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 you may remember, while we were there back in … [Read more...]
Kayseri Mantısı – Relishing A Famous Turkish Food In The Heart Of Ankara
October 28, 2013 11 Comments
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 … [Read more...]
Our Ankara Digs & Why We Just Had To Stay For One More Night
October 19, 2013 4 Comments
Have you got somewhere in the world that it is just your determination to visit one day? Our first visit to Istanbul was all back to front. We were there for five days and it was our third day before we even caught sight of Aya Sofya, Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque) or Süleymaniye Camii (it … [Read more...]
Ankara: Yet Again In Turkey, Turkish Food Lifts The Spirits
October 13, 2013 7 Comments
Turkish food of almost all varieties is much loved by us - it's just that sometimes it tastes better because of the circumstances we find ourselves in (remember when we were rescued by köfte in Istanbul?). You see, we were in a bit of a predicament when we were in Ankara in May of this year. A … [Read more...]
