Thuir Spring Market, Southern France

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

Written May 13, 2012

A sunny Sunday morning in mid-May bopped down to Thuir to check out the Marché Gourmand de Printemps (The Spring Gourmand Market). We were hoping to pick-up a few things for Sunday dinner but discovered this was a more of a festival type market than a vegetable market. None the less a delightful local scene complete with Byrrh tasting (a local fortified sweet wine), music and dancing in traditional dress,

and a petting zoo.

A great place to gather picnic goodies, with lots of fresh cheese, wine and honey purveyors.

But the real treat was the charcuterie stall with blocks of pâté de compagne and fromage de tête (head-cheese) made from all the delectable parts of a pigs head seasoned with parsley and pepper.

Yum! I love France!

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Yet More Photos from Cappadocia, Turkey

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

Written May 9, 2012

Step outside our hotel room to check the weather to find a crystal blue sky filled with hot air balloons floating over Goreme and the nearby Pigeon Valley. Today they were flying much lower than the day before, actually descending down into the valley between the fairy peaks.

One balloon with Japanese writing seemed to have gotten into trouble and landed in a small field up against one of the peaks resulting in a tedious production of moving the balloon with all the passengers still inside the basket and collapsing the balloon almost straight down rather letting it fall lengthwise.

After another delightful breakfast on the terrace we explored a few last valleys before our flight back to Istanbul.

First Pasabaglari Valley, out past Cavusin, is more of a Cappadocialandesque experience than the peaceful walk through Red and Rose Valleys the day before. The parking lot lined with tour buses, groups posing at the top of the white cliffs,

and kids clambering about inside the small church.

With many of the same rock formations we’ve seen in other valleys I don’t know what draws the crowds. (As I look back through the photos I can’t believe I wrote this last line.  Crowds or not it’s an incredible site.)

A few kilometers past Pasabaglari is Devrent Valley described in Lonely Planet as having some of the most interesting rock formations. This striking valley of pink hued conical formations, many of which have small darker colored caps, was much quieter with no big tour buses in the smallish parking lot. Steep trails wind up into the hills revealing stunning views of the valley back out towards Avanos.

Lunch back in Goreme was a low budget yet tasty affair and my favorite lunch of the trip. Firin Express, touted in LP as having the best Turkish pizza, is dead on. The menu boasts a long list of meat and veg combinations served in a crispy folded over bread something like a thin calzone.

The meat combinations were especially flavorful. Just off the main drag, the shaded terrace is a pleasant respite from the hot sun.

After lunch drove back out to Love Valley, off of the main road north of Goreme, where our exploration of Cappadocia first began in a hot air balloon two mornings earlier. Here are some of the tallest formations resembling giant phalluses, which may explain the name of valley, or if you prefer enoki mushrooms. In either case it’s a surreal experience to wind around the tall towers gleaming in the midday sun.

Further down the road that leads to Love Valley is a panoramic view point overlooking the valley.

Having filled our quota of strange rock formations for the day, spent the rest of the afternoon chill’n on Hotel Kelebek terrace with views of Goreme below.

Our travels through Turkey ended with an evening flight back to Istanbul out of the tiny Nevsehir airport, a few hours’ sleep and the Marriott Airport Hotel and a dreadfully early flight, 6:20AM, back to Barcelona via Rome.

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More Photos from Cappadocia, Turkey

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

Written May 8, 2012

After yesterday’s on and off drizzle I was up at first light, just after 5AM, checking the weather. In the dim light I could just make out clear skies. Tried to go back to sleep but the promise of perfect morning light lured me outside again to check the sunrise and which valley would benefit from that early morning glow. Turned out to be our Pigeon Valley just across the road from the hotel with fabulous views of the Uchisar castle beyond. That’s all I needed to know. I grabbed my camera bag and left Don sleeping in the room.

By this time the sun had risen over the hill and the first rays started to splash across the valley. Lured by the lit chimney formations I made my way into the valley and up the western wall of the valley.

By this time balloons were starting to fill the sky to the east,

one or two floated through my valley,

but mostly I had the place to myself. Just me and these magical cones against a backdrop of crystal blue sky.

Back at the hotel for breakfast on the outside terrace. Such a contrast from the day before when everyone was huddle at the few tables inside. Today guests had plenty of room to enjoy the sun drenched terrace.

After a brief consultation with one of clerks at the hotel reception desk we decided on the walk through the Rose Valley. He advised us to start the loop hike from the hotel, first walking past the open air museum to the start of the Red Valley followed by Rose Valley (a turn off to the left just after the Kaya camping ground). At the first fork take the road to the left (the one along exterior wall of the camp ground). At the end of the wall there will be a path to the right that will take you down to the Rose Valley trail.

Although the trail is not well signed it is well used enough that it is not difficult to follow. The first section passes through a narrow canyon with myriad picturesque dwellings carved into the soft pinkish stone,

a long canyon tunnel

and the open air Nature Café.

Past the canyon the landscape opens up and the trail becomes more of a road. To the right are numerous trails that wind through the cone shaped rock formations (keep an eye out for the occasional chapel), walls of pink and white cliffs, and tiny vineyards.

Back on the trail (now a dirt road) to Cavusin you’ll reach a fork, approximately 1.5K to Cavusin, 3K back to Goreme and to the left a foot path that climbs over a hill. At the top of this hill is a large conical rock cave that looks like it is in the process of being renovated for current use. From here are stunning views back over the cliff face of Rose Valley.

Descending this hill you can go left (south) along one of the paths that wind through more rock formations or continue straight then turn left on one of the roads that will take you back into Goreme. Of particular interest is a large stone castle-looking structure that looks like it came out of an ancient dark fairytale, except for the fact that it glows a brilliant cream color.

From the castle you can wander through more rock formations.

Trails that head east (to your left) will take you back into Rose Valley while trails that head west (to your right) will take you to the main road going into Goreme. Round trip from Kelebek Hotel was approximately 8.2 miles with a 1000 foot change in elevation.

Later in the evening we headed up to Goreme’s sunset hill, a popular spot with both locals and tourists. Next to the central mosque the road winds up to a plateau with views looking back over Goreme on one side and Rose Valley on the other. The sun setting over Pigeon valley splashes a golden glow over Red Valley and the pink rock face of Rose Valley to the east. This particular evening, albeit clear, was not particularly conducive to “good” color. None-the-less, it’s an enchanting viewpoint worthy of the hike or drive up.

For our last dinner in Turkey we went back to Seten Restaurant. Tonight we were seated in a smaller dining room towards the back of the restaurant.  With just three candle lit tables, the simply decorated stone room has a decidedly romantic ambience. Started with the bulgur soup and the bulgur coated meatballs, a spicy ground meat and walnut mixture coated with crushed bulgur resembling football shaped corndogs. Both dishes were well prepared and deserving of our return visit. The mains, however, were more of a mixed bag. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and accompanied by seasonal vegetables, but while the sausage patty on Don’s mixed grill platter had great flavor both the chicken and the lamb chops were a bit overcooked. Even worse one of our traveling companions was served tiny meatballs in a broth so salty it was practically inedible. Hands down the worst dish of the trip.

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Hot Air Balloon over Cappadocia, Turkey

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

Written May 7, 2012

At 5:20AM with just a hint of light in the sky we met the bus at hotel reception along with a number of other hotel guests for what turned out to be a two minute bus ride down the hill to Butterfly Balloons. Here they gave us a quick cup of coffee and a roll to help get us going for the morning adventure. I was delighted to get the coffee but even at this early hour I was already wide awake with the anticipation of my first hot air balloon ride.

We boarded buses labeled with the name of the balloon pilot (we were with Mike of Lonely Planet fame) and drove ten minutes to the launch pad passing a long field of balloons being inflated for the morning’s voyage. Once off the bus we met Mike and were ready to climb into the balloon basket, divided into  four padded sections each holding four people.

Mike gave us a short safely lecture on how to prepare for a “hard” landing and we were on our way. The take-off was so gentle I hardly noticed that we had left the ground. The next hour was magical, floating over an amazing landscape of valleys of strangely carved conical and mounded rock formations made more colorful by a sky literally filled with balloons. Mike took us down into the Love Valley and up and over Goreme with the Uchisar Castle in the background.

Landing was as soft as promised in an open field southeast of where we started.  The basket was quickly mounted on a trailer and the balloon deflated.

Champagne and cake are served to celebrate our safe return.

Back at the hotel just before 8:00 we head up to the terrace restaurant for breakfast. A cool drizzly morning with the guests packed into the small dining room at the few indoor tables. The breakfast buffet is a wide selection of bread, cereal, yogurt, dried fruits and nuts, cheese, five kinds of olives, fresh honey comb, etc.

With the weather not conducive to outdoor activities we drove down to Derinkuyu to visit one the underground cities in the area. They were inhabited by early Christians in the 6th and 7th century seeking to escape persecution and the incursions of the Persian and Arabic armies. An extensive maze of low ceilinged tunnels wind down through the cavern rooms as many as 8 layers below the surface.

The small rooms and narrow passages are filled with tour groups even though this is supposed to be the less crowded of the two larger tunnel systems. Despite the crowds and having to descend and climb stairs hunched over it is worth it to get a glimpse of just how these people lived.

Back in Gorome the drizzle had turned to rain and we headed to Didek restaurant for lunch. A fun traditional dining room with low tables surrounded by cushions. The Turkish menu offers a modest selection of homemade dishes. Tasted the mixed veg sauté and the kurufasulye, a white bean and tomato sauce dish with a choice of meat. Dishes were not as interesting as one might expect after reading Lonely Planet’s recommendation. The atmosphere, however, is top notch and a great place to wait out the rain.

In the late afternoon after it had finally stopped drizzling we took advantage of the late afternoon hours before a closing time to visit Goreme Open Air Museum (open until 7PM). Arriving at 5PM most of the tour buses had left and by the time we finished around 6:30PM we nearly had the place to ourselves. Originally a Byzantine monastic settlement it later became a pilgrimage site in the 17th century. A number of the chapels carved in the soft stone decorated with frescos are well persevered. Some simply painted in red resembling the scrawl of a young child while others, such as the Dark Church, (well worth the extra ticket) are intricately rendered. Photos are not allowed in some of the more impressive chapels.

Dark Church; Photo of Postcard

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Turquoise Coast to Cappadocia, Turkey

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

Written May 6, 2012

The trip by plane from Turkey’s southern coast to Cappadocia, near the center of the country, is much longer than it needs to be. Nearly all flights on Turkish Airlines pass through Istanbul, making what should be a short hour hop from Antalya more than a five hours journey, two hour-plus-long flights with a two hour layover in Istanbul in between. Now add a canceled flight from Istanbul to Kayseri (one of the Cappadocia airports) increasing the layover to four and half hours and making it a full-day excursion to get here, but it is well worth the effort.

Leaving the Kayseri airport one wonders why you would come to this part of Turkey, a desolate place of dry rolling hills interspersed with the occasional forgotten crumbly town.  It’s only as you approach the national park that surrounds Goreme that the magical landscape of Cappadocia begins to appear.

Truly a surreal region of valleys of carved stone sculptures created by the eroding effects of the wind and rain on deep layers of volcanic ash.

Early Christians escaping persecution carved homes and churches in the soft stone of these phallic looking pillars creating fairy like villages.

Nowadays tourists can experience living in a cave in one of the many converted hotels.

These are generally upgraded accommodations offering suites and spa facilities. Our room at Kelebek Hotel and Cave Pension is a two room suite with a stone sitting area and a cave bedroom decorated in a traditional rustic style.

For Dinner we went to Seten (located at Sultan Cave Suites, sister hotel to the Kelebek) considered the best restaurant in Goreme offering traditional Anatolian food in elegant rustic setting. The dining room is thoughtfully decorated with refined Turkish furnishings against of backdrop of carved stone and worn wood. Started with the mixed meze of the usual cold dips and salads – garlic yogurt, spicy tomato and pepper, eggplant, etc. All the delightful Turkish flavors that have been missing at some of the more touristy restaurants.

The lamb kebabs with eggplant were equally flavorful, and although the eggplant melted on the tongue some of the lamb morsels were chewier than they should be.

The chicken kebab, prepared the same way as the lamb, was moist and tender. All and all one of the better dining experiences of the trip.

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From Kalkan to Antalya, Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

Written May 5, 2012

The most remarkable feature of the White House B&B in Kalkan is the terrace with superb views overlooking the bay.

A lovely place to start your morning. It’s a pity that they only serve instant coffee. They are, however, kind enough to mix it up for you thus allowing you to at least pretend you are enjoying the views with a fresh cup of brewed coffee.  In addition they serve a choice of a hard-boiled egg, a basket of white and wheat bread, and a breakfast plate that includes an assortment of sliced fruit, yogurt, cheese and packets of various jams and honey.

For most of the drive to Antalya the road traces the coastline with fantastic views of the rocky shore, blue sea and turquoise coves (about four hours from Kalkan to Antalya).

Few towns or villages mar this long mountainous coastline. On the eastern edge of the Lycian Way, heading north out of Finike, the road turns inland passing through a high mountainous pine forest.

Here we turned off to take a quick peek at Olympos, once a sleepy little backpack enclave (according to Lonely Planet) now packed with tour buses and vacationers enjoying a pretty Saturday afternoon. We skipped the ruins and headed over to Cirali, another beach town in this lush valley surrounded by high mountains. Unlike the towns on the western side of the Turquoise Coast whose pensions are perched on the hillside and boast sea views, Cirali is a lush flat town of hidden gardens. Note that although there is a foot path that connects Olympos and Cirali (about 1K), to drive from one to the another you must climb back out  to the main highway, D400, and descend back down.

A couple of kilometers outside of Cirali is Chimaera. At the end of a dusty road is a shaded little park area with a cafe at the foot of the path that leads up to the hill of spontaneous flames. A natural phenomenon caused by gas escaping from crevices in the rock. Buy your 4TL ticket and walk along the stone path uphill through pine forest, about 20 minutes.

While the site has a certain interesting National Geographic’s aspect, it is rather underwhelming during daylight hours. For maximum impact be sure to visit the site after dark.

Finding the way to our hotel in Antalya’s historic district, Kaleici, was an exercise in patience and determination with the GPS not working and very few signed streets. I finally got out and walked the last two blocks, led by a nice Turkish man, to our unmarked hotel located on an unsigned alleyway.

The Tuvana hotel, a lush oasis in the heart of Kaleici, has spacious rooms with parquet floors, decorated in an old world Europe style with a touch of Turkish flair. Comfortable and clean if a little worn. Charming garden/pool areas as well as their “world class” restaurant are interspersed between the small group of residence buildings.

In the late afternoon light we wander the maze of quaint pedestrian streets of Kaleici past cafes, bars and myriad shopping opportunities down to the water.

Restaurants ring the upper lever of the boat filled harbor.

Young Turkish lovers try to find a bit of privacy along the jetty;

young men sell fresh mussels with lemon along the dock while boat men hawk short jaunts out to sea.

A true slice of Antalya life with a mix of tourists and locals.

Dinner at Seraser, touted as Antalya’s best restaurant and listed as number 2 on Trip Advisor, has an unbeatable setting in the comfortable yet elegant garden patio of the Tuvana hotel.

The meal unfortunately was a mixed bag of outstanding dishes and real disappointments. Clearly the folks at Lonely Planet have never eaten in a true “world class” restaurant. My favorite dish of the evening was the goat cheese and aubergine soufflé, fresh hot from the oven with a crispy exterior and a light fluffy, creamy interior. The oddest dish was the stuffed quail. Two small whole birds with a honey mustard glaze and stuffed with a raisin-walnut rice served on a Mediterranean ratatouille style vegetable mélange. A marriage that most certainly should end in immediate divorce!

Their signature dessert, Sultan’s Kavfe is a coffee flavored crème brûlée served in a tiny Turkish coffee cup, aesthetically pleasing and good with the classic crackling caramelized sugar capping a coffee-flavored custard that was not as rich and luscious as found in other versions of this dish.

Go for an elegant evening under the stars of Antalya, think again if you are primarily coming for the food.

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The Sunken City of Kekova, Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

Written May 4, 2012

Started the day with another lovely breakfast in the garden of Owlsland B&B. Today we were changing hotels from the mountain village of Bezirgan to the seaside town of Kalkan below (17 kilometers down a windy road), before bopping down the coast to Ucagiz to see the famed sunken ruins of Kekova.

We picked up picnic provisions at the Friday market in Kas. Great selection of fresh fruits and vegies.

Picked up some olives, cheese and some super heavy local bread. Two rounds must have weighed a kilo or more.

Once to Ucagiz a nice Turkish man offered us a place to park and a boat out to the sunken city and then out to the island of Kalekoy. The bigger and more comfortable boat for just the four of us cost us double the 60TL Paulina our hostess at Owlsland told us we should be able to get a small boat for.

It’s a pretty bay surrounded by rocky islands and dark blue waters despite a tinge of haze remaining in the air.

A perfect temperature to hang out on the boat and enjoy the sun and the water,

 however, the sunken ruins were rather underwhelming.  The mental images that the idea of an ancient “sunken” city invoke are much more exotic than the ruins themselves. Still the site draws boat loads of tourists who cruise along the rocky shore of Kekova island to view the ruins with a portion of the foundation below the water level. Although interesting to imagine this city perched along the shore before the 2nd century earthquake that leveled it, it is certainly not worthy of the “spectacular” or “stunning” adjectives used in the guidebooks.

After a short 20 minute pass through the ruins our driver took us over to Kalekoy Island

where we could climb to the castle and visit the ruins of ancient Simena. Immediately we were greeted by two local women eager to show us the way up the hill through back alleys, while trying to entice us with their basket of scarves and table cloths. Truly the most obnoxious hawkers we’ve encountered since arriving in Turkey. The castle does offer dramatic views of the surrounding blue water and rocky islands dotted with sarcophagi.

The ruins themselves, while less interesting than most, do sport one of the smallest Roman theaters in antiquity, on the left before you make the final climb to the castle viewpoint.

Back down and out a dirt path past the WC is a trail through sarcophagi (my favorite part of the visit)

with picnic opportunities beneath the shade of 1000 year old olive trees.

Swimming is another possibility on these boat excursions to the island and would be welcoming a bit later on in the year. The first week in May the water was still quite cold with few actually braving the water.

On our drive back to Kalkan stopped at a picture perfect beach, Kaputas, with the turquoise blue water and a white pebble beach this coast is known for.

The White House, rated #1 on Trip Advisor in Kalkan, has a great terrace overlooking the bay.

The rooms are clean, small and sparcely decorated in all white with faux wood furniture. With a total lack of amenities such as shampoo, hair dryers or even a top sheet (just a thin blanket) this is certainly not a luxury establishment but a good beachy option to pass a few days in Kalkan.

Dinner at Trio, one of the many restaurants along the harbor. Albeit a pretty setting with outdoor dining, this area is more a British version of Turkeyland than anything really Turkish. Hawkers outside the restaurants try to lure you in with the typical banter in good English, asking where you are from and inviting you to look at their menu. All promise that they have great food and fresh fish. Trio is no different, offering an extensive menu of Turkish and more western options, but honestly these restaurants are designed to please the tourist palate, not the discerning foodie. The cold meze with the standard, yogurt dip, eggplant salad, humus and feta had about as much flavor as you would find in St. Louis, Missouri.

Other more westernized dishes such as leek and bacon chicken or Mediterranean chicken were tasty but smothered in cheese and cream sauces don’t offer true Mediterranean flavors. As one would expect, come here for the fun holiday atmosphere; go elsewhere if you want to experience real Turkish food.

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