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Between East and West

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  This has been one of the main descriptions of Istanbul for centuries. Looking at the world map, it is easy to understand why. Located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, straddling Europe and Asia, Istanbul has always been a crossroads of worlds, cultures, religions, and trade. The end of the Silk Road, the terminus of the Orient Express, the end of Europe and the beginning of Asia… the end or the beginning? Is 1453 the date of the fall of Constantinople or the conquest by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II? It depends on which side you stand on—and also on the journey 😊. For us, Istanbul marks an ending: the end of our Turkish and Asian chapter and our return to Europe. Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul—three names for the same city that say a lot about its history. First Byzantium, the Greek city; then Constantinople, renamed by the Roman emperor Constantine; and finally Istanbul, as named by the Ottomans. As one might imagine, its history is long, tumultuous, and sometim...
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Living Emotions in Cappadocia

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How do you describe Cappadocia in just a few lines? Honestly, it’s very difficult. Cappadocia isn’t something you describe — it’s something you discover, explore, and take in with both your eyes and your heart. It’s hard not to fall in love when you’re gifted with landscapes like these. Hot air balloons are without a doubt the number one tourist attraction in the area. Since we’re tourists too, we treated ourselves to a little flight 🎈  For those who love sleeping in, you have to wake up early, very early for this adventure. We had to be ready at 5:50 a.m. to hop into the minibus that took us to our departure point. And we had it easy. In summer, the sun rises much earlier! But watching the sun come up over the valley while floating silently in the air, with nothing but the occasional “pschtt” of gas fired into the balloon, is an absolutely magical moment well worth the pre-dawn wake-up call. And we kept floating long after we had returned to solid ground… We chose to fly over t...
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Güle, güle Mediterranean, merhaba Cappadocia

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Our journey continues along the beautiful Lycian coast.  The weather is on our side, and so are Maude and Pierre 😊. We’ve done some wonderful hikes again, where the magnificent landscapes reward our efforts 💪, like at Simena Castle,  where we met the lady of the house 😂, and also at the Gelidonya Lighthouse. During these walks, we saw traces left by the Lycians and the various people who inhabited the region during antiquity, most likely coming from Greece. Most of the remains date back to the 5th or 4th centuries BC. We saw quite a few tombs here and there along the way, carved directly into the rock, and even in the water… Of course, we also enjoyed the beach for a quick swim, a bite to eat, or a coffee (or an aperitif 😜). But we didn’t spend all our time on the beach. We also stopped in a few towns and villages along the coast, such as Kaş, where we discovered the beautiful and colorful local market. Fruits, vegetables, spices, cheeses—we wanted to buy everything!! And ...
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