With mixed emotions, it’s time to head for home. Over the last 2 years on my career break, Mic and I have been fortunate to explore the Top End of Australia, Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, Wales, England, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece & Turkey. We figure we have travelled 40,000km by road and walked an additional 4000km to keep all those pastries at bay. So, it’s time to return home and have a holiday 🤣, catch up with family and friends ❤️. So as we do, I will let Mic’s photos tell the story of our final 3 weeks in Germany. Excited to see you all very soon, SarahnMic 😘.

Sad to say, however, it’s time to turn for home which means setting a course from Rome to Amsterdam in our trusty motorhome. Some 2000km, crossing Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands over 5 days, although putting this in perspective it is about the same as driving from Brisbane to Cairns 🤣.

Venturing back, we make the trip as interesting as possible and stop along the way. This is one of the reasons we love to travel in our motorhome, as it affords us this freedom. And so, our first detour was the town of Lucerne in Switzerland. An extremely pretty city with its medieval architecture and incredible lake. All Switzerland towns though that we’ve been to, seem on the surface very appealing towns to live and work in. The only obvious pitfall is their pricey living costs. Far too expensive to stay here if you’re on a budget, as even a simple cup of coffee is three times the price of a cup back home. Lucky I’ve mastered a great brew in the van and we’re on a tight time frame to make it back.

Often referred to as the banking capital of Europe, our next stop Zurich is home to many of the banking giants of the world. But for me lake Zurich is its biggest asset, being extremely popular with the tourists who want to sit on its banks to enjoy the wildlife and watch the water sport afternoon activities. A perfect spot to destress and just watch time pass by.

Crossing the border into Germany to refuel, we find ourselves stopping in Baden-Baden. A famous town known for its thermal baths, Germany’s largest opera house and concert hall, exquisite parks and gardens, as well as the Kurhaus and the world-famous Casino. We loved the feel of this town as it reminded us of Bath in the UK. The surrounding area has also a number of hiking trails, some 45 in total, which would be worth exploring if we had a little more flexibility with our schedule, as this town is in the region of the Black Forest.

Returning to the Netherlands with a day to spare we make the most of our final stop in Gouda. What’s not to love about this place!!! Cheese, chips, chewy stroopwafels and some cheerful bunnies.

Modern-day Pompeii has one of the best preserved archaeological treasures in its rather large back yard!! A fascinating Roman city that was buried deep under 4 – 6 metres of ash in 79 AD, due to the destructive nature of Mt Vesuvius. Well, we thought that within a couple of hours we’d have the site covered but some 6 hours later we were still discovering baker’s ovens, laundries and the more promiscuous haunts of the local brothel 😘.

It’s a confronting thought when you think that while the city was still in the midst of a deep slumber, an extremely explosive volcanic eruption was taking place. Within just 15 minutes it destroyed the lives of its inhabitants and unbelievably embalmed everything in its path.

The site, however, is truly remarkable. And by visiting, it’s possible to draw similarities between our old and modern day city’s. In fact, I feel we owe our ancestors a whole lot of gratitude as they really did pay attention to the detail, and built what we would consider in society today a very enviable place, to work, live and play. We gained this appreciation by climbing to the top of the lookout and working our way around the site reading the numerous historical accounts. We did also wonder if our cities today would still look this good approx 20 centuries later.

Hard to fathom but archaeologists have uncovered a university, gym, amphitheatres, orchards, chapels, community centres along with butcher’s, baker’s, bath houses and saunas. Not to forget to mention the interconnecting roads, drainage and footpaths along with many artifacts. A very impressive site and we had thought we’d seen it all when it came to archaeological ruins, but our visit to Pompeii definitely took us to that next level.

But as the post suggests, Pompeii was just a side adjunct to our real itinerary, we’re off to explore Southern Italy and settle a debate on which destination is our favourite. Will it be Cinque de Terre or the Amalfi Coast? Whatever the case maybe, there’s one thing for sure we won’t be testing this coastline in our motorhome as it’s forbidden. So, we’ve hired another car. A zippy Peugeot with a lot of poke, giving us the freedom to leave our motorhome safely parked up in a storage facility adjacent to Rome’s airport.

There’s a very good reason for this though, as we will be travelling some 50km of road, with sheer cliffs that disappear into the sea. Sounds dangerous, but the views are said to be spectacular! Exploring an extremely rugged coastline with small beaches and pastel coloured villages dotted along its way. The width of the road for most parts will be on the skinny side, so I’m sure amongst the days driving activities there will be some manoeuvring challenges. Nothing this back seat driver can’t handle though 😉.

Our first stop Sorrento, is often bypassed by the tourist but if you have the time it’s well worth a visit. As it’s a beautiful old town for artistic expression, cultural discovery and if you need some vitamin C in your diet there’s a never ending supply of lemons. Lemon groves are everywhere and as such, lemon is added to everything. It’s peel is infused in alcohol to make Limoncello, with lemon juice being added to sorbet, pasta, appetisers, side dishes, main dishes and desserts. The skin is also, particularly rich in essential oils which guarantees an unmistakable fragrance, so it’s being used in beauty products too. No real surprise then that they refer to it as the lemon gold of Campania and there’s nothing sour about the money they’re making from the humble old lemon in these regions.

And so we enjoy the drive, making many stops along the way to take our photos. Blessed with incredible weather we believe we have captured the reasons why people are left with unfading memories of this magnificent coastline.

To provide some perspective of the drive, there are some thirteen villages that you pass through, each with their own identity and charm. In 1997 the area was designated by Unesco as a World Heritage Site because it is a prime example of a Mediterranean landscape that has great cultural and scenic value due to the topography and historical evolution of its towns.

Positano and Amalfi are the most famous destinations along the route and depending on the time of year you visit, you may just catch a glimpse of Kim Kardashian 🙄 and other stars enjoying Amalfi’s ambience from Hotel Santa Caterina.

And like a good fairy tale we finish our trip of the Amalfi Coast in Naples making a purchase from a local jeweler, eating a traditional Napolese pizza and topping it off with a glass of bubbly Prosecco.

Settling the debate on which destination was our favourite Cinque de Terre or Amalfi? We’re going to use some diplomacy here and say that in all honesty you can’t go wrong by adding either to your Italian itinerary as both offer a unique and fun experience. Both boast impeccable views, beaches, great food and nice hiking trails.

Leaving Turkey and many fabulous memories behind, we find ourselves boarding a plane to continue our Italian adventure. However, we’re not returning to the mainland, rather the largest Mediterranean island just off the toe of Italy’s boot … Sicily. We’ve booked another small car for convenience as we intend to make a number of scheduled stops along the way. Mic’s well versed now days in being able to drive like an Italian and give back just as good as these impatient driver’s dish out!! 😂😂

And with more good luck than planning our first night in Catania is not only eventful but incredibly unusual. The locals are celebrating Saint Agatha, or more affectionately known as Santuzza.

The ancient story which recalls how Agatha became to be honoured is both a mixture of folklore and religion. She was a young female at the age of 15 who made a vow to God by donning the red veil promising to remain a virgin.

As she grew up, however, the proconsul Quinziano fell in love with her, and when Agatha rejected him, he publicly accused her of being a Christian and put her on trial. She was tortured, and died on 5 February 251.

To this day Saint Agatha is the Patron Saint of Catania and in true Sicilian style they celebrate with wax offerings and a Candlemas procession which traverses through the streets of the city centre. There’s live music, fireworks and people selling delicious sweets. It’s a beautiful time to be in the town and to play apart in the vibrancy of the festival.

After a fairly late night out with the locals, we were early to rise as the weather forecast pinged Mount Etna to be at it’s optimum. True to form it turned out to be a fantastic clear day for climbing the summit, although we may just have had some assistance from the snow mobile. The site within the last two weeks had received some fairly significant snowfalls making it in accessible by bus, which was good for us weary travellers as we were feeling a little lazy, and although the sun was out the temperature was sitting at a not so comfortable zero degrees. Brrrr… 🥶

Mount Etna is the highest volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. It has played a significant part in shaping Sicilian history and its landscape. The region is one of the most fertile places for growing just about anything and if you stand long enough in just one place you’re likely to be covered in a fine ash of dust. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 and its impressive smoking volcano craters are visible from many vantage points across eastern Sicily.

We were told volcanologist’s monitor the seismic activity daily and that the last violent eruption was in 1981 when it threatened the town of Radazzo. The lava travelled at a speed of several metres per second. Not terribly comforting information when you happen to be only 2km away from the activity.

Happy to return to the warmth of the car we make tracks navigating our way to Taormina. A very hilly spot with great views of the Straits of Messina. There’s a Greek/Roman amphitheatre worthy of a visit if you can find a spot to park the car!!! And from the look out you can get a birds eye view of Isola Bella below.

The Island was once owned by an English woman, Florence Trevelyan, who fled England to escape being chastised by the upper social classes for her affair with Edward VII. I’d say it was a great decision because here she could follow her passion of gardening, creating an oasis of native and non-native species. Living her best life by the sea, in a home that she’d wrangled together using recycled materials, enjoying a sun blessed climate, free of criticism and ridicule.

Staying over night in Taormina our afternoon stroll involved uncovering another beautifully preserved Baroque church, more classical Italian buildings and a lovely sunset.

The next day we were off again. This time heading for Cefalú which is on the northern coastline of Sicily. It’s the weekend so after a very busy week of sightseeing we’re looking for a beautiful place to relax and contemplate a sunset or two. Following a pathway from our airbnb we reach the pier where a romantic bench awaits and Mic captures this picture postcard view of this enchanting village.

Now in most of my posts I like to recall some of the uniquely authentic dishes we try, because after all you’re not experiencing the real culture if you’re not eating what the locals are eating. Right! But in this case my travelling experience with food in Sicily has taken me by surprise, with our kids thinking we have simply over ordered but unbelievably 15 plates, a bottle of wine and a main course is 20€ per person. This is normal and this is living in Sicily.

My stomach is still recovering from the experience and it feels like I’ve been in a food coma for days. Without a doubt though the food is delicious and is as good as it looks. We just need to dial a friend or two to help us out.

And more….

The best Arancini balls, Cannelloni, Pastas and Sicilian Antipasti are available throughout Sicily. So, if food is one of the main ways that a culture and society is identified then you can really connect with the locals here as food is a BIG part of their hospitality. So, come prepared as they will expect you to try new food traditions and taste different flavours (even if that means tasting horse) and there will be no way you can talk yourself out of it even if you tell them you’ve had elegant sufficiency!!!

Finishing off an awesome road trip is Sicily’s capital Palermo. This city is another treasure trove of century old churches, fountains, theatres and catacombs. It’s well worth a visit as the influence of creative arts has considerably altered the economic woes of the city, with signs regarding no Mafia giving hope that the city’s beauty will entice travellers back to witness the influence of Greek, Roman, Arab and Norman cultures that have made a lasting impression on its culture and history due to its crossroad location being in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Our last stop in Turkey is the one we have been most looking forward too … Gallipoli. Like many Australian’s, this was a must do pilgrimage to honour the fallen heroes of WW1.

It’s impossible to conceive that such a beautiful spot was once the site of a long an arduous battle in which many young Australian’s, New Zealander’s, English and Turkish soldiers lost their lives.

Being able to pay our respects has been a deeply moving and emotional experience. It’s hard not to shed a few tears here as you walk past the memorials, it’s as if the head stones have voices. So, much of our identity lies at rest here caught up in a battle that was in no way victorious but quite the opposite. Gallipoli for many can only be remembered as a terrible disaster and painful defeat. The tragic stories must be recalled and echoed in our Anzac ceremonies for years to come, as we must never forget what happened here on this foreign soil.

So, as I reflect on the dynamics at play here I find myself being aroused by a strong sense of national pride and awareness. Forever grateful that our day of mourning being the 25th April, ANZAC day, is extremely important back home because of the values it bestows on us regarding sacrifice, service and always trying to resolve conflict in a peaceful way rather than on the battlefield. Forever grateful that the narrative has changed for the better.

Rather than a day at the beach, we travel inland to visit the shimmering and cascading pools of Pamukkale, known to the Turks as the cotton castle. A truly beautiful gift from mother nature, we are unable to imagine how long it would have taken for the calcium carbonate deposits to form these spectacular cloud shaped pools of different shapes and sizes spanning an area of 2,700m long by 600m wide and 160m high. Too beautiful to swim in, the thermal pools are irresistibly tempting my toes to take a sneaky dip, whereas Mic is ready for the full plunge experience of course!

And unbelievably behind this natural masterpiece is the ancient Greek city of Hieropolos. Like most ancient ruins it’s obvious that this city was home to thousands of inhabitants given the insurmountable artifacts that lay strewn across the ground.

With a little assistance from the archaeological map it was possible to decipher the general layout of the city and make out the locations for the amphitheatre, religious temples, prominent gateways, water courses and concur where the day to day living would have been conducted. Also, given the proximity of the thermal springs it’s plausible to envisage that the site was used by doctors as a healing centre, where the mineral rich waters could have been used for patient treatments. A truly fascinating place to visit because it’s so unusual.

Leaving Pamukkale we head towards the Bodrum Peninsula in search of the famous Bodrum Castle. This medieval fortress was partly built with stones from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, completed in the 4th century BC, it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The town itself seems very Greek and I had to keep pinching myself to remind me that I was in fact still in Turkey. It’s a beautiful spot to stay overnight as the bay provides a tranquil haven for sail boats with the local restaurants maximising this by offering idyllic spots to sit, eat, drink and enjoy the views.

Bodrum is also known to be the gateway to other seaside towns and in just under two hours we find ourselves in the cosmopolitan town of Kusadasi. Meeting a friend of friend from Australia, Ann Maree, who has chosen to make Turkey her home for over 13+years. A wonderful person to catch up with for a traditional Turkish lunch and share travel experiences. Although, we may have just shyed away from the traditional Turkish coffee, swapping it for the European Cappuccino instead. After all, we couldn’t have our pearly smiles full of coffee grits for our selfie. A top day out with good food, great company and generous bouts of laughter.

But if there’s one spot every trip to Turkey should include, it must be the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. This city is remarkably intact and is a fascinating place to visit. Some of the highlights include the Library of Celsus, built in AD 125, the Temple of Hadrian, from the 2nd century, the Temple of Domitian, the Tomb of Pollio and the Grand Theatre.

Also, there are plenty of stray cats roaming around the ruins willing to play tour guide if you’re interested. So, do as we did making the most of the experience by joining one of the cat’s on patrol. They’re adventurous and know every square inch of this site.

Back in the little red Wiggles car 🚗, we’re off to visit Meryemana, the site where the Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her final years before the Assumption.

The site has been visited and blessed by several popes and is a large draw for Catholic pilgrims, who go to say prayers to the Virgin. It is just six kilometers past Ephesus and nestled high in the mountains surrounded by a very leafy garden. We lit a candle here and said a quick prayer before heading off to Izmir.

Izmir is one of the third largest Turkish cities with an extremely long promenade that extends over many kilometers. Probably one of the best ways to see the local customs and not have to think where your heading too. We took off around 2pm and were surprised to see just how many others were joining us. The main attractions were the clock tower and smallest mosque I’ve witnessed on our trip , both in Konak Square. I’d say it’d have to win the award for cuteness 😍. We completed the round trip just before 5pm passing mussel sellers, fishermen and kids purchasing seed to feed the pigeons. An eventful walk that made the time fly by, without even noticing the kilometres we’d racked up in the process.

After a wonderful 4 days in Cappadocia, exploring the region, ballooning and hiking, it’s time to move onto our next stop at Turkey’s biggest ski resort at Erciyes. However, before hitting the slopes, we had watched an interesting documentary on Turkey’s underground cities, so a small detour was in order to visit the world’s largest underground city at Derinkuyu.

It’s a fascinating discovery that archaeologists have made, as are the theories that surround why this underground city was built. Dating back to the 8th Century BC as many as 20,000 inhabitants lived underground in accommodation that spanned over 8 levels. From the entry point we believe we travelled some 85m underground via narrow tunnels and internal staircases. Definitely not the hotel Hilton but more like Barnie’s and Fred’s accommodation in the Flinstones as the Phrygians carved out windows, doors, ventilation tunnels, chimneys etc out of the bedrock. There was a kitchen, church, stables, grave yard and an extremely large space for storing and making wine. Probably just the type of bribe I would need for swapping sunshine for darkness and fresh air for damp stale air. Not sure how Mic would have handled it though as it seems to be built for dwarfs and people who are not claustrophobic. Yikes!

However, if there’s one way to turn fear into exhilaration and gain a large adrenalin hit, the ski slopes nearby in Erciyes is the way to go. Mic was happy to trade the blackness of the underground city for the snowy slopes and I was more than happy to catch up on my chocolate and caffeine intake from the ski resort clubhouse instead. After all, one of us had to be in one piece just in case, to keep us out of trouble, right!

Working up an appetite is easy when you’ve been skiing all day. And there’s nothing more satisfying than gobbling down some freshly made Pide, accompanied with parsley and lemon. We’ve grown to love this famous Turkish dish. It’s a type of oval-shaped flatbread baked with various combinations of toppings. You could say it’s the cousin of Gozleme, but the Pide dough seems fluffier and more bread-like. We enjoy eating the spiced mince meat version (Kiymali Pide) with grilled cheese on top. Photo pictured in the centre above. A good source of carbohydrates, protein and greens that’s got sufficient calories to get you going again.

Back on the history trail our next incredibly famous spot to visit was the Mevlana Museum. This site is cherished by the Muslim community as its founder was a famous philosopher, poet and mystic. Born the son of the King of Learner’s, Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi or simply Rumi created a Dervish lodge in the town of Konya. Here followers of Mevlevi order, under Mevlana’s teachings trained to become the whirling Dervishes. A type of religious sect that concentrated on universal unity. An acceptance of everyone and everything. One of his verses that has transcended the period of time is,

Come, come whoever you are.
Doesn’t matter if you are an unbeliever.
Doesn’t matter if you have fallen a thousand times.
Come!
Come whoever you are. For this is not the door of hopelessness.
Come,
Just as you are!

He’s even been honoured by UNESCO and in 2007, 800 years since he was born the “Mevlana Year” was created. A special milestone recognising that his contribution to Islamic culture and religious beliefs has gone beyond the Turkish borders and remains universally relevant to our world today. As he was a strong advocate for tolerance, reason and access to knowledge through love.

Finally, our extraordinary road trip had us hugging the eastern coastline of Turkey taking in the breathtaking scenery of the Turkish Riviera. Travelling from Antalya to Fethiye we stopped to explore the ancient rock tombs of Myra. It’s an unbelievably beautiful drive as you are blessed with turquoise waters, pebbled beaches and incredible snow capped mountains in the distance. It’s the full Enchilada as the Turks would say!

Definitely, travelling in the shoulder season has proven the best for us as we’ve been able to enjoy these locations without the crowds and stop frequently to admire the natural beauty of these seaside towns. And every now and then you get lucky as we did at Oludeniz Beach, finding a sandy shoal good enough for a swim .. if only I’d brought my swimmers 🥶.

Picking up our little red car (aka Wiggles) from Istanbul, we’re off on another adventure, this time exploring central Turkey. As usual though, we find ourselves hankering for the sea, but not just any sea, the famous Black Sea (which appears very  blue to me 🤔). Only 2 hours from Istanbul, our first stop for the night is Sile. This quaint sea side stop is at the northern most part of Istanbul province. A fun spot to dip our toes in the chilly water and go for a long stroll along the rock wall. It’s a great place to have a feed of fresh fish, or just observe how the catch of the day is secured by the local fishermen.

The name Sile means “wildflower”. A good choice for this location as the escarpments are very environmentally friendly with plenty of ground cover and greenery protecting the cliffs from any further erosion.

Taking the motorway….an unbelievable 4 lanes in each direction, cruising at 140km/hr, with next to no one on the road, we stop in the Capital of Turkey … Ankara. It’s not a typical tourist destination, but rather a commercial and industrial hub of Turkey. It’s strategically located close to the highway networks and railway corridors. The city serves as a distribution point for the surrounding agricultural areas which means that the city boasts a thriving market community. The flow on affect has the local cafes offering three course meals at very affordable prices. Hard to believe but the tray pictured above cost approx 100 tl or less than $10 AUD. A great refuelling stop, before we tackle another Turkish hill, and explore the Mausoleum of Atatürk!!

Now for the uninitiated, namely us, who is Atatürk?? Well, to the Turks this man is one of the most respected Republican’s of modern Turkey, having a large cross generational following who really admired him for the love he had shown to all Turks. To honour him, Anitkabir was built. The mausoleum is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architecture which was completed in 1953. The site houses his writings and includes photographs of important moments in his life where he was working hard to establish the fundamental beliefs upon which a Republican Society would survive and thrive. A huge undertaking for one man but as a true ambassador for humanity, I enjoyed reading one of his famous quotes about the soldiers who lost their lives at Gallipoli.

He acknowledges them as, “heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives (at Gallipoli) you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our bosom and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

Now you really know you’re in Turkey when the ezan (call to prayer) summons the faithful to the mosque for prayers. The call to prayer is a central part of daily life for Muslims and you’ll hear it echoing throughout Turkey five times during the day. Although it won’t be at the same time each day, as the exact timing is determined by sunset and sunrise. Visiting these extraordinary pieces of architecture always leaves me surprised at just how beautiful they are. This one especially as it has a stunning chandelier as it’s centrepiece designed to represent the prophet, with 32 smaller chandeliers surrounding the central piece made to represent 32 fards. A total of 33 altogether, which is the number of times they will chant to Allah. A touching tribute to symbolise the devotion they show to God.

But the real highlight of our visit this week takes us to the most intriguing landscape of fairy castles, caves and underground cities, as well as being able to take it all in from above, on our first ever balloon flight. It can get bitterly cold here during this time of year and deposit snow in the township of Goreme up to 30cm deep. However, we’ve managed to avoid a blizzard which has enabled us to go hiking and explore the rock formations at Love, Rose, Pigeon and Red Valley’s then from the sky, embrace these intriguing rock formations as bursts of hot air balloons colour the terrain like rainbow candy pops. Truly amazing!

Happy New Year to all our family and friends back home from destination Istanbul. Here’s hoping everyone had the chance to say good bye to 2022 and welcome in the positive vibes for 2023. May this year bring you and your loved ones joy, hope and good fortune. And yes I know, I am two weeks behind in my blogs … well I am on holiday 🤣

For us we definitely made the most of welcoming the New Year in, but rather than celebrating the occasion at Taksim Square or cruising down the Bosphorus we decided to enjoy the night from our own vantage point in Bahcesehir which is approximately an hour outside of the city. And we were so delighted that we did as the fireworks reigned supreme.

Opting to house sit in the suburbs, we were able to meet our wonderful host Meg and look after her delightful cat Moloko over the Xmas and New Year period. This gave us plenty of time to recharge our batteries and become acquainted with our new best friend. A real little cutie pie who was up for lots of cuddles and plenty of fun times. Such a wonderful stay in an amazing location, making our time in Istanbul just that little bit more unique as we cared for Moloko the sweetest natured cat ever. What could be more purrfect! 😻

Needless to say the other advantages of living in the suburbs included finding wonderful parks to walk in and to partake in following the trends of the locals visiting their version of the grand bazaar, Pazartürk. A huge market full of fresh produce, herbs, spices, nuts, olives, meats, sweets and so much more. Everything on offer is extremely affordable here. The only downside being that it’s only open twice a week. Despite this minor inconvenience we’ve managed to become regulars with one vendor in particular. On our first visit she warmly welcomed us into her cafe for some Chia tea and to try her freshly made Gozleme (a savory Turkish stuffed turnover). Very scrumptious! She was so hospitable we have gone back for more. She’s even had success in teaching us some of the local lingo. Tesekkur ederim, or thank you in Turkish easily remembered by thinking of tea, sugar and cream and gülle, gülle or bye, bye. So, fascinating to see the smiles on their faces when we attempt to give Turkish a go. Just priceless!

It’s also super easy to jump aboard the public transport system and go down town. We paced ourselves visiting the city centre every couple of days. It’s such a fascinating place and one of the only cities in the world that has Europe on one side and Asia on the other. A melting pot of cultures and religions, Istanbul is teaming with people and boasts a population of 22 million. Well, that’s the ones they know about. Given the crisis in Ukraine many Russians have fled and taken up residency in the city which has exacerbated problems for the locals but true to their character they seem to take it in their stride and just make it work. So, be warned it can get quite chaotic walking around down town but at the same time it’s thoroughly enjoyable and there’s so much to see. And we are in the off season!!! 😬

Anyone who knows Mic will realise he has a very sweet tooth and can’t resist trying out the local favourites. He’s also brilliant at researching and reviewing recommendations. So, when we were faced with finding the best Turkish Delight in Istanbul, I knew his judgement would not let me down … Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir. Since 1777, Ali’s recipes have retained the appreciation of the Ottoman Palace as well as society for making impeccable quality and very tasty Turkish delight. We purchased 500g of this confectionery as a mixed box so we could taste most of the flavours and we loved it. I’m surprised the box made it home given how delicious it was. Choosing our favourite flavour was a little more difficult but if we had to decide we’d select pomegranate as the race leader. A great sugar hit and it goes so well with Turkish coffee.

Now for the super interesting part of being a tourist in Istanbul. Take a tram ride from Taksim Square down the very busy shopping mall stopping at the end of Istiklal St. Walk only 300m and you’ll arrive at the Galata Tower. Keep heading down from here, stopping at the water’s edge enjoying a stroll along the newly vamped Port, being careful not to get entangled in fishing lines. The sardines are really plentiful here, and everyone seems to have a bucket full.

Hagia Sophia or Grand Mosque is one of the Byzantine Empire’s surviving architectural marvels. It remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years.

Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred building remains an important symbol of power for the Muslims given that it has been returned to them as a working mosque. It’s hard to fathom the major transformations this building has seen over the various political conquests and to find it still retaining its beauty. It’s been a Church in 537 under Emperor Justinian, converted into a mosque by Sultan Mehmet in 1453, then a museum of Atatürk in 1935 and now, reconverted to it’s current status as a mosque.

Next stop, the Topkapi Palace. Built by sultan Mehmet in the 15th century the palatial site has a number of pavillion type buildings separated by lush gardens. What’s different about this Palace from others we’ve seen is that this one has a sprawling Harem with some 300 rooms. The beautiful concubines lived and worked in this area of the Palace from the 15th through to the 19th centuries. If a concubine bore the sultan a male child then their status was promoted to ikbal or favorite to the Sultan. The site is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world’s museums put together and you’ll gain a true appreciation of why the Ottoman Empire was so powerful when you visit the weaponary hall given the knives, muskets, poisons and armoury on show.

Our final stop during our Istanbul stay was the Basilica Cistern, made famous by Sean Connery & 007 in From Russia With Love, in 1963. However, it really served as one of Istanbul’s underground water reserves after the Roman’s had moved water some 592km along the main aqueduct servicing the then capital. Such a water engineering marvel!!!

There have been many places we have visited on our travels that have left us truly inspired, but in this case the Meteora monasteries have surpassed that feeling. A true miracle of Greece, these fascinating Greek Orthodox monasteries are suspended in the air some 600 meters above the Thessaly Plains.

Dating back to the 14th Century only six of the twenty-four monasteries built remain thanks to World War 2 which saw this area bombed and pillaged of rare artifacts. Today five of the six monasteries are run by a small number of monks with the monastery of St Stephen’s run by twenty-eight nuns who have only occupied the site since 1961.

But if you’re wondering how it’s possible to reach these monasteries and experience this spectacular landscape for yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that the pilgrims being hosted by the monks back in the day had the same concerns. In fact, they were told the only way to access was via a basket. A nervous pilgrim asked a monk at the time if they ever replaced the rope. “Of course we do” he replied. “Whenever it breaks”, which I am sure put the very trusting pilgrim at ease. Fortunately, today though the ropes have been replaced with roads but there’s no escaping those stairs.

The nuns too wishing to be fiercely independent of their fellow monks have turned their nunnery into a flourishing site selling their home made jams and honey. They’ve even welcomed famous Chef Gordon Ramsay into their sanctuary offering a guided tour of their beehives, which are maintained by them and provided him with some of their rare and unique tasting honey which I’m told is delicious.

So, if you are planning a trip to Greece, Meteora is a definite must see but be warned that you may want to book a night’s accommodation in the town of Kalabaka. We did the round trip in one day, but it took us every bit of 14 hours. And because it was such a long day, in my sleepy haze I managed to leave my bag on the train!!! Thankfully though, the train staff in Kalabaka are honest and they kindly removed it from the train leaving it for me to collect at the station master’s office. 🙏🙏 Ever so grateful.

Our next stop was the archaeological ruins of Delphi, referred to by the Greeks as the centre of the world. According to ancient myths, Zeus released two eagles one from the east and the other from the west which caused them to fly toward the centre. Upon meeting at this central spot, the Greeks placed a special stone at its centre and called it Omphalos. Omphalos in Greek means navel, an aptly chosen name for a stone that would latter define the position a person would stand to receive a prediction from the Oracle.

Apollo also built a temple here to honour the Oracles. Legend has it that he regularly visited the sacred site to receive his fortune telling which he would use to make informed decisions about battles and empire expansion. Extremely popular during the 8th Century, the virgin girls high on ethyleen gas would provide open ended answers to various questions posed. No doubt the responses provided were heavily influenced by the size of the gift that had been bestowed on the treasury and hallucinating affects of those powerful gas vapours. Apart from the readings, this place must have been like a retreat as there was plenty of entertainment, music and a gym for sporting pursuits.

Now, if there is something to remember about Greece that will have you returning to its shores indefinitely, is that this country has an abundance of islands. Some 6,000 in total scattered around the Aegean sea.

It’s easy to take a ferry as we did to enjoy a day on the Aegean Island. They cater well for the tourists as there are cafes, restaurants, ice creameries, delicatessens and souvenir shops a plenty. All super friendly and willing to let you try their specialties. The esplanade is also fun for a stroll with the decorative wooden fishing boats adding interest to the seafaring lifestyle which is still a very important part of the way in which they live and earn a living.

However, my favourite Greek Island escape has to be Santorini and going out of season we had this beautiful slice of paradise all to ourselves. Well, nearly almost except for some donkeys on a mission to deliver construction goods to a worksite and some preschoolers on their daily outing for some exercise.

Hiring a car though, we circumnavigated the Island over two days enjoying some fantastic sunsets, eyeing off the iconic whitewashed cubiformed homes and admiring the stunning prussian blue domes of those eclectic churches. Unforgettable!