Thursday's Child: Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia

This month, I’ll be writing about four amazing outdoor adventures we’ve enjoyed on our trips.  One of my favourite aspects of traveling is seeing the natural beauty in many places around the world, and Cappadocia was one such highlight.

Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey that possesses a landscape that could have come straight from the moon.  These freestanding rocks have been eroded by centuries of flowing rivers and flood waters to resemble rocky spires.  Could it be that they really are the fairy chimneys that they’re known as?

It’s easy to imagine that King Oberon and Queen Titania of A Midsummer Night’s Dream dwelt in a palace as regal and unusual as one of these.  Living here really might make a fairy king perform magic that would make his queen fall in love with a donkey.

These photos were all taken the day we flew into Cappadocia from Istanbul, and if it wasn’t quite like visiting Fairyland, it really was a mysterious and unrecognizable landscape.  We felt as if we’d been transported to another realm where, after you’ve left, you wonder if it really was a dream after all.

A Taste of Turkey - Part Two

I couldn’t write about Turkey without mentioning the fabulous food we ate!

Who knew that goat’s milk ice cream was so delicious?  A double-scoop cone of mulberry and chocolate ice cream is as smooth as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Of all the trips we’ve taken, I don’t think we’ve ever eaten better bread, more consistently, than we did in Turkey.  Every restaurant baked a loaf of pide to order and brought it to the table so steaming hot that we had to wait to pick it up.  Soft, airy and savory, pide was one of the surprises of our trip.

I used to think I didn’t like baklava.  But I was blown away by how fabulous it was.  Naturally, we had to sample as many variations as possible, and my favourite was heavy on honey and light on walnuts.  I think I ate baklava every night in Istanbul and possibly one day at lunch, too.

Scenes from the Spice Market.

The Turkish food we ate throughout the country was delicious (and I haven’t even mentioned the kopkes or the kebabs), but it was fun to change it up on occasion.  And the most delicious change was eating at Ziggy’s in Cappadocia.  Cappadocia was beautiful but wintry, and after a day spent outside in the elements, we were so cold we barely felt like going out for dinner.

The minute we walked into Ziggy’s, everything changed.  The warmth from the fireplace coaxed us out of our coats, and the warmth from the owners made us feel at home.  Ziggy’s was named for their Airedale Terrier, who in turn was named for Ziggy Stardust.  I don’t think Bowie ever received a greater compliment.

My youngest daughter raved so much about the tortellini that when we came back a second night, three of us ordered it.  The Ziggy potatoes were perfectly spiced and addictive.  The miniature boreks (tiny pastries rolled in cinnamon sugar) were so wonderful that even those of us who were stuffed made room for them.

And at the end of the meal, the owner drove us back to our hotel. 

A Taste of Turkey - Part One

My family and I were fortunate enough to visit Turkey in March, and I wanted to post a few pictures before we leave for our next trip.

 We saw the Blue Mosque on our first day in Istanbul, as well as the Grand Bazaar and Hagia Sophia.

What a wonderful, walkable city Istanbul is – so easy to get around, and incredibly welcoming.

For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of flying with Turkish Air, you won’t be familiar with the excellent travel bags given to everyone boarding the plane.  These little beige bags come complete with everything you need for a great travel experience – eye shades, ear plugs and lip balm.  But most important, they contain lime green socks.

These socks were particularly important to our family, because one of us (I won’t name names, but he wears men’s shoes) forgot to pack socks.  And until we got to Istiklal Caddesi to buy him new ones, the lime green plane socks worked just fine.

Cappadocia was one of the true highlights.  From primitive cave dwellings to moonlike landscapes, I’ve never seen anything like it.

For me, one of the thrills of this trip was seeing the Temple of Artemis, near Ephesus.  Although it’s only ruins now, it was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, and I couldn’t wait to see it.  It would have been slightly more exciting to share this moment with my family; however, they were too busy taking pictures of the peacock in the next field to pay attention to - did I mention this? - one of the wonders of the Ancient World.  

And finally, my favourite market sign in Turkey:

Because you wouldn’t want to get ripped off.