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 Elite military from all services perform the flag ceremony at Ataturk's Mausoleum.
In the middle of Ankara, high on a hill, and very visible, is Ataturk’s Mausoleum. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic in 1923 is honored here. The grounds are impeccably maintained and security is never lax at this oasis in the [... The Father of the Country….Ataturk]  The spices and homemade wine make this one of the best eats in Goreme. The Dibek resaraunt is conveniently located right in the center of Goreme, which of course is where you find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia. After a tiring slog up, down, around and through rock chapels galore, an evening at Dibek will [... Dibek…A Restaurant Review]  Smoking hookah in one of the many cafes in Ankara. One of the best things about living in Turkey is the weather, and the way cafe owners have learned how to maximize the abundance of sun to their advantage. Everywhere you go, cafes abound. The proprietors have gratiously provided either umbrellas or canvases along with fans [... Nargile…A Turkish Tradition]  The Pigeon Man in Cappadocia. What is it about pigeons? They are everywhere I’ve been, all over the world. People hate them or they love them. I, personally, don’t want them hanging out on my balcony, but I do like them. I like watching people with them as well. They must have some appeal, people feed [... The Pigeon Man]  Jim and I love having the ability to drive everywhere we go…usually. On this particular day, we probably should have taken a bus. As we were driving west from the small town of Kahta, in eastern Turkey, an industrial tractor took us out! Here is a photo of the right side of our car. Thankfully, no one [... Not Our Best Day in Turkey!] 
The Aspendos Opera Festival Do you crave opera? I don’t. I really have to be in the right mind for it. I don’t hate it, but I certainly don’t love it. However, I’ve been to a number of operas over the course of my life, and I have to tell you, one thing about opera -no [... Romeo and Juliet…in Aspendos]  With the girls in Turkey, I had to take them to the hamam (Turkish bath). Devon actually went twice; but they both loved it. After having been indoctrinated into the world of public bathing in Japan, both of them thought this was much easier and much more comfortable. That might have something to do with the [... Being Pampered at the Hamam]  A small site in the Anti-Taurus mountains, the tumulus at Nemrut Dagi is supposedly at its best either at sunrise or sunset. Since we missed the sunset, we chose to rise early and watch the sunrise. Honestly, I’m not sure what the allure of going to the top of a mountain at sunrise is, but this [... Freezing on the Top of Nemrut Dagi] 
Buyukada, the biggest of the Prince’s Islands is an inexpensive way to get outside of the hustle and bustle of sightseeing in Istanbul and just relax. Before coming, Devon had mentioned the one thing she wanted to do while here was to ride a donkey. Thinking back to my childhood, I remembered that we used to take [... Taking It Easy in Buyukada]  Throne room in Topkapi's harem. Istanbul – the only city to span two continents, spreads charm as thick as hummus in all directions. Situated on the Bosphorus bridging two major bodies of water, Istanbul has been a trading center for centuries. On the edge of both Europe and Asia, everything about Istanbul is a little confused. [... Intriguing Istanbul] |
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