Living Emotions in Cappadocia

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 the Soğanli Valley, which is less popular, and less expensive than the Göreme Valley, where, when conditions allow, up to 150 balloons can fly at the same time. During the eight days we spent in the region, the balloons flew only three times, including the day we were in one. The cherry on top is that there are plenty of places where we could park our camper van and watch them at first light.

Not a bad backdrop for breakfast 😀

You can see them from very, very close, even exchange a “good morning” with the people in the basket 😂

But Cappadocia is much, much more than hot air balloons. The region is actually a vast plateau surrounded by volcanoes. This volcanic activity, dating back millions of years, formed gorges, fairy chimneys, valleys, and wide plains from the ash and mud spewed by eruptions. Rain, wind, and the hand (or foot) of humankind completed the shaping of this unique and sometimes surreal landscape, as if straight out of a dream or a science fiction movie. 

It’s pure joy to set off exploring. You can easily hike through the valleys and climb up onto the plateaus to admire the many shapes and colors. With a little imagination, you start seeing all sorts of unexpected things in the scenery…

Like a bunch of asparagus,

ghosts,

or maybe even the Smurfs’ village?

Because yes, these valleys were inhabited for a long time, some even until the 1950s. Homes were carved into the sand and rock,

as well as dovecotes (pigeons were used for communication and their droppings were collected to fertilize the soil),

and even churches.

Entire underground cities were built and used as refuges whenever trouble came through the region. While most people build castles up high to spot the enemy coming, they decided to build underground instead. Good idea or bad one? We’ll let you decide 😉.

Personally, we prefer the option where you can still see the sun 🌞...

But there’s more than rocks to see in Cappadocia. There are also charming little towns like Ürgüp, with its beautiful Saturday morning market,

and Avanos, famous for its pottery — an ancestral craft dating back to the time of the Hittites (a people who lived in the region during the 2nd millennium BC). There, we met Mehmet, one of the last traditional master potters still working entirely by hand. He showed us his workshop, talked about his craft, and presented the various objects he makes — including musical instruments!

Another wonderful encounter during our Cappadocia chapter happened on a gray and windy afternoon. As we were slowly driving down a sandy road toward our overnight spot, we saw two bicycles stopped on the side of the road, one of them flying a French flag at the back. Of course, we stopped. And we met Isabelle, Joseph, and their two children, Hugo (5) and Anna (2½). They had been searching for quite some time for a wind-sheltered place to pitch their tent for the night — without success. It can indeed be difficult to find in that area. So we offered them the use of our van as a windbreak. We found a large, flat spot and positioned our van against the wind to provide some shelter. Unfortunately, the wind shifted during the night, so our setup was only partly effective… Still, the little family was very happy to join us for breakfast the next morning inside our cozy home on wheels, where we somehow managed to squeeze in all six of us 😊. 

We truly admire their courage and think it’s a beautiful gift they’re giving their children with this great adventure discovering the world and its cultures, even if they probably won’t remember everything. Especially little Anna, who seemed quite comfortable sitting on Tonton Jéjé’s lap 😅. 

   

After spending a few warm and dry days in a nearby guesthouse, they continued their journey south toward milder temperatures. We wish them safe travels 💕.

But we can’t close this chapter without mentioning (again) Maude and Pierre. After traveling together for several weeks (with a few small breaks), it’s in Cappadocia that our paths part. And it’s with a little lump in our throats that we say goodbye, with the Rose Valley as our backdrop 😢.

Of course, we’ll stay in touch and will surely see each other again someday — but when?? They don’t have a return date yet… But we trust life, and we know we can always motivate them to come back to France by booking a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant 😅. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all these wonderful shared moments and beautiful evenings — generously “celebrated,” let’s say — where Pierre delighted us with his delicious dishes 😋.

Phew!! After this beautiful and emotion-filled week, we hit the road again, slowly making our way towards Istanbul, where we’ll close our Turkish chapter and where, without a doubt, many more emotions await us!

To see it all: c'est ici 

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Jérôme & Sophie