A-Z Guidebook: Troy Ruins in Turkey

T is for Troy in NW Turkey

After reading Homer's “Iliad” as teenager, I had high hopes to see the ruins of Troy in person.

So, on our drive to the Turkish wine island of Bozcaada five years ago, we stopped to see the UNESCO historical site of Troy, located along the Aegean Sea on the Çanakkale peninsula.

Sadly, due to earthquakes and archeological lootings over the years, Troy is not as impressive as I had hoped – piles of random stones here and there. If you want to be impressed, head to Pergamon or Aphrodisias instead. Still, Troy is impressive for its age as the oldest ruins date from 3000 BC.

At least you can still see part of the ancient theatre in Troy.

The fact that Troy even exists as a real city also is impressive. Until the 19^th century, many people assumed that Homer's Iliad was fiction. In 1863 a British expatriate named Frank Calvert discovered ancient ruins at a place in western Turkey called Hisarlık and was convinced they were Troy. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann showed up in 1868, provided money for more digging, and took all the credit for discovering Troy. From what I understand, Schliemann took many of the Troy artefacts, including the “Treasure of Priam” back to Germany, which the Russians stole after WWII. Today, the treasure is still hidden somewhere in Moscow. It seems history is often filled with lots of drama.

Anyway, if you love a good Greek tragedy, it’s worth stopping by to visit Troy. But you’ll have to visit museums in Russia or Germany to see many of the valuable artefacts.

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “T.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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A-Z Guidebook: Ancient Ruins of Picturesque Pergamon

P is for Pergamon, Turkey

When we lived in Turkey, we tried to visit as many historical sites as we could. We loved taking road trips over the long holiday weekends during the year and exploring the ancient ruins, which I still think are even better than ones in Greece. On one such Turkey trip, we visited the historical site of Pergamon, an ancient Greek city, located 26 km (16 miles) from the Aegean Sea and about 90 minutes north of Izmir.

Pergamon (also called Pergamum) was settled by the Greeks in the 8th century BC, and was ruled by one of Alexander the Great’s generals around 320 BC as part of the Kingdom of Pergamon. The city was given to the Roman Republic in 133 BC to prevent a civil war, and briefly became the capital of the Roman province of Asia before the capital was transferred to Ephesus. The latter history included many different rulers and conquerors as well as a damaging earthquake that pretty much displaced the population. In 2014, Pergamon was added to the UNESCO World heritage list for Turkey.

Pergamon also is considered an important Biblical place as it is cited in the Book of Revelation as one of the Seven Churches of Asia.

As usual, the Greeks picked an excellent natural setting for a theater, with a view that extends for miles and would have included Aegean Sea views approximately 2,000 years ago. The acropolis of Pergamum covers a steep hilltop, so you can only imagine how much Greek and Roman civil engineering work went into creating this amazing structure!

Just hanging out at the ancient Greek theater at Pergamon, Turkey.

Another interesting fact is that Pergamum was a great center of learning and once had a huge library of 200,000 scrolls that were (probably and unfortunately) given to Cleopatra by Marc Antony as a wedding gift in 41 BC. At least, you can still see the remains of the library here today.

During our visit, we simply enjoyed walking around the site of Pergamon on our own and taking photos as often as possible. It still amazes me how many historical sites like this Turkey has and that locals as well as archaeologists are still discovering these today such as a Poseidon mosaic recently found in southwestern Turkey.

Location:

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “P.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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A-Z Guidebook: Izmir Konak Square

If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably wondering how I ventured back to a Turkish post.

Well, I’ve decided to join a monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow travel blogger, based in Brisbane, Australia, Tiffin Bite Sized FoodAdventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “I.” I know I’m joining in a bit late so I won’t cover letters A-H, but I thought this link up would push me to publish a few more of my thousands of travel photos. The trick is to only chose ONE photo per post.

It would be easy to write about Istanbul as I’ve done so often on the blog. However, I thought I’d feature a different Turkish city – Izmir, the country’s third largest city.

I is for Izmir, Turkey

During the three years we lived in Turkey, I visited this Aegean coastal city on three separate occasions. My Izmir trips coincided with visits to Çeşme, Kuşadası and then lastly the Greek island of nearby Samos. As I looked back through my photos, I realize we hardly gave Izmir a chance. I should have spent more time wandering the city’s cobblestone streets or along the seafront.

At least, we spent some time in one of the city’s main highlights – the Konak Square (Konak Meydanı). This busy square is located at the southern end of Atatürk Avenue and is named after the Governor’s Mansion or Vali Konağı. The singular word konak means mansion in Turkish.

In the middle of this square is the ornate Izmir Saat Kulesi, a historic clock tower designed by a Levantine French architect and built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan SultanAbdülhamid II's accession to the throne. Interestingly, the clock was a gift from German Emperor Wilhem II who also has a fountain in Sultanahmet’s Square named after him.

Izmir itself is a lovely city and definitely deserves its own time for a longer visit. Pop on over to my blogger friends at Turkey’s for Life to read about their numerous tips for visiting Izmir.

Join me in March for the letter "J"!

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Exploring Beautiful Bozcaada - Top 10 Things to Do

Surrounded by Turkish grape vines, restored, whitewashed houses and Mediterranean-influenced food, these are just some of the reasons we returned to Bozcaada two years in a row.

To me, Bozcaada, an island off the western coast of Turkey, is one of those rare, magical places where you can relax without hordes of tourists. There are hidden beaches and swimming holes to explore. A short walk down an uneven cobblestone path may lead to a charming café.

Oh, and don’t forget about the wine! This 15-square-mile island is planted with field after field of grapevines – a beautiful site to see in the summer and in the fall. Last year, the New York Times referred to Bozcaada as “one of Turkey’s most promising wine destinations.” 

Autumnal-colored, empty grapevines on the island of Bozcaada, Turkey.

In July 2011, four of us traveled to Bozcaada for the first time because we had fallen in love with drinking Corvus wine here in Istanbul. (Corvus is considered the most prestigious producer on the island.) Our plan was to drink wine and sunbathe on the beach. That was it.

Last October, hubby and I returned to Bozcaada because we just couldn’t resist. The island was more subdued at that time of the year, but was perfect in our quest for a relaxing weekend. With temps between 10-15 C, we didn’t swim in the icy Aegean Sea this time.

Like Turkey, this small island has captured my heart.

Here are my Top 10 Things to Do on Bozcaada:

1. Eat ahtapot! Who knew this steak-lovin’ girl would fall in love with ahtapot (octopus) once she moved to Turkey? I like this tasty Mediterranean morsel best grilled with lots of olive oil and spices. Be sure to save your bread for some dunking. Delicious ahtapot can be had at Şişman, Lodos and Mistik restaurants.

2. Go wine tasting! Bozcaada is known for its Turkish wines, so you can sample the likes of Talay, Corvus and Çamlıbağ in the city center. There’s also a new, hip restaurant called Bakkal that offers a large wine list, locally-sourced dishes and imported Italian pork salami on the menu.

3. Rent a bike. This was my husband’s brilliant idea, just like when we traveled to Bali. I like hiking, but I am no cyclist. However, renting a bike for just 15tl is a good way to see the island (if you don’t have a car), but be prepared for hills. Lots of hills! I didn’t remember Bozcaada being so hilly, and my legs were on fire the next morning.

4. Explore the beaches. The island’s beaches are a bit more fun when the weather is warm and sunny. We pedaled out to Ayazma Plajı, but it was deserted at the end of October. During the summer, the beaches, such as Çayır Plajı and Tuzburnu Plajı, are also good places to rent a chair and take a dip in the crystalline water. We even found several practically-deserted swimming holes when we drove around the island in 2011.

Grab a beach chair on the island of Bozcaada.

Or find a swimming hole like this one.

5. Make friends with the locals at the bar. Our hotel owners recommended the Oda Bar & Café as a fun place for 30+-somethings to hang out near the harbor. On our first night, we had so much that my husband got invited to a margarita competition the second night by owner Yeşim. My husband (just barely) won the competition and proceeded to make his famous nar-garitas for other customers.

Hubby made his famous nar-garitas for Turkish customers at the bar.

6. Stroll the cobblestone streets. The island’s town center is divided into Greek and Turkish sections, referring to the groups who originally built the districts. You’ll see a mosque and Ottoman architecture on one side and an old church with a tall clock tower and white-washed houses like you find in Greece on the other side.

7. Climb on top the Bozcaada Castle. In 1455, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror rebuilt the castle on ruins that had been used by the Genovese and Venetians. In the following years, the castle, considered the best preserved castle in Turkey, was restored several times due to wars.

A nice view of the Aegean Sea from on top the castle.

A nighttime view of Bozcaada Castle.

8. Shop at the local artisan’s market. Near the harbor, you will find locals selling spices, jewelry, thyme-scented honey and unique jams made from rose petals and tomatoes. Try the tomato jam while you have your Turkish breakfast on the island.

9. Drink wine by the harbor. BYOB. Head down to the opposite side of the harbor from the castle with a bottle of wine in tow. Sit on the rocks and swirl your newly purchased bottle of Turkish wine.

 10. Watch the sunset. A popular activity to do is pack a bag full of wine and snacks and head out to the Polente Feneri (Lighthouse) on the western side of the island. You’ll notice the giant electricity windmills as you approach. Grab a spot by the rocky ledge, spread out your towel and watch one of the best sunsets you’ve ever seen in Turkey.

11. Fly via a seaplane. I couldn’t resist throwing in an extra reason to visit Bozcaada. As mentioned on recent posts, my husband and I flew the new Seabird Airlines from Istanbul for a long weekend in October. At 80 minutes, the seaplane is the fastest way to get here or you can take a bus/your own car and make the trip in 6+ hours. 

Update August 2015: The Seabird Airlines has stopped flying to Bozcaada, according to the Turkish news.

Once you get to Bozcaada, all you may want to do is eat some divine local food, swirl some Turkish wine and relax on the beach or in a white-washed chair.

The harbor area on Bozcaada, Turkey.

How to get there:

By car: take the fast ferry from Istanbul to Bandırma, and then drive 210 km to the port of Geyikli. From there, take a 35-minute car ferry to Bozcaada. Total time is about 6 hours. If you don’t mind driving longer, you can also drive west from Istanbul through Tekirdağ, and then take a ferry boat from Gelibolu or Eceabat, crossing the Dardanelles Strait. You’ll need to drive a bit more before you reach Geyikli.

By bus: Truva Turizm runs frequent buses from Istanbul to Geyikli. Then, hop on the ferry boat. 7 hours.

Where to stay:

Aika, a new boutique hotel in the city center, is ideal for couples or friends traveling together.

Çapraz Resort Hotel, located 3 km. from the city center, is more family-friendly and has its own pool and private beach area.

Previous posts:

Flying to Beautiful Bozcaada – Our Favorite Turkish Trip in 2012

Flying Seabird over Istanbul: Aerial Photos

An aerial view of Bozcaada's town center as we flew over in the Seabird plane.

Bozcaada grape vines during the summer months.

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Flying to Beautiful Bozcaada – Our Favorite Turkish Trip in 2012

How a Turk came to our rescue

How can it be the middle of January already?

I feel like I’ve had zilch time to look back on our busy year of 2012 and reflect on anything. There are hundreds of photos still to edit and so many blog posts I’d love to write, but I wonder where does the time go?

Earlier this month over Friday night cocktails, hubby and I talked about our favorite trips in Turkey during 2012. We hit quite a few destinations this year including Safranbolu, Gaziantep, Mount Nemrut and Fethiye.

But out of all the thousands of miles we logged by car and plane, our favorite Turkish trip involved taking a brand new seaplane from Istanbul to the Turkish island of Bozcaada. 

That’s right – you can now FLY from Istanbul to the lovely wine island of Bozcaada in about 80 minutes! 

We watched the Seabird plane land along the Golden Horn.

This sure beats the 6+-hour trek we made here in 2011 via two ferry boat rides and three hours by car. We nearly missed the last ferry from Geyikli to Bozcaada after narrowly running headlong into a herd of sheep crossing the road around midnight.

Last summer, a new company called Seabird Airlines started offering flights via a 19-passenger seaplane to Bozcaada, Bodrum and Alaçatı. This small airline is staffed with Canadian pilots and air technicians whom have flown all over the world, including the North and South Poles. These specialized Canadian captains also are normally accompanied by a Turkish pilot. 

We waited as our Seabird plane was refueled before we took off from Istanbul.

In October, we booked a weekend trip to Bozcaada through Seabird Airlines at the end of the bayram. We left our apartment early because we weren’t exactly sure where to meet the plane along the Golden Horn near the Rahmi M. Koç Muzesi. In typical Turkish style, we didn’t see any other passengers nor a seaplane anywhere.

We panicked. 

Jason called the company’s phone number, trying to find someone who spoke a little English to no avail. We understood the guy told us to wait, but our flight was due to depart in about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I spied a few Turkish fishermen along the dock and went to ask them for help. One of the fishermen repeatedly told me we were waiting in the wrong location. 

“Burada değil.”

He pointed to the other side of the Golden Horn near the Ayvansaray Park.

Now, panic really set in. 

I thanked him, ran back to Jason to tell him our misfortune and thought ‘how the heck are we going to get over to the other side in time to make our flight?’

Within a few minutes, the lone fisherman pulled up to the dock in his small, puttering fishing boat. He already had a lit cigarette between his lips too.

 “Gel.” 

You didn’t need to tell us twice. Jason and I jumped onto the back of the stranger’s boat with our backpacks.

Once again, we were saved thanks to a Turks’ helpfulness! We thanked our Turkish fisherman profusely and slipped him 20 lira.

The waiting passengers looked at us with curiosity. I bet they were wondering why two yabancılar were pulling up to the dock like this.

Well, we made our first seaplane flight, which ended up being slightly delayed because of the winds.

Shortly after take off, I took this photo out the window as we flew over the Golden Horn.

Flying in this small aircraft was truly amazing – motion sickness be damned! The views of historic Sultanahmet, sprawling Istanbul, the Prince’s Islands and the Çanakkale coast were spectacular! I couldn’t take photos fast enough using the camera’s sports setting.

Saying good-bye to Istanbul as we flew past the Haydarpaşa train station.

Flying by the electricity windmills along the Çanakkale coast.

During the short flight, I marveled at the changing landscape from cosmopolitan Istanbul to small red-tiled rooftops in Turkish villages to open farmland and even lush forests. I couldn't help but think how lucky we are to live in Turkey!

Peeking into the cockpit of the Seabird plane. This is how close we were to the pilot!

Flying over clouds, sea and land in Turkey.

Our Twin Otter aircraft made a perfectly smooth landing on the crystalline waters of the Aegean Sea at Bozcaada.

Surprisingly, one of the boutique hotel owners of Aika Hotel, Claudia, greeted us at the dock and whisked us off to the hotel. The seaplane dock is located about 3 km outside of the city center. Lucky for us, late October was the end of the tourist season so the island was fairly tranquil.

This is shortly after we landed at Bozcaada.

Looking back on 2012, this seaplane ride was the most unique aspect of our Turkey trips!  It's one of our top travel highlights in Turkey and an experience we will always remember!

Note: If you want a quick way to reach Bozcaada, I highly recommend taking this new seaplane service. We snapped up the promotion tickets for 298 tl per person. The cost is a little expensive, but it saves a ton of time, and the fast ferry boat we took with the car to Bandirma in 2011 was over 250 tl.

Stay tuned for more photos about our relaxing weekend on Bozcaada.

Update August 2015: The Seabird Airlines has stopped flying to Bozcaada, according to the Turkish news.

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Bademli Köyü: Beyond the Turkish Olive Trees

While we were enjoying our Turkish village life near Bademli Köyü last month, I noticed a small peninsula jutting out into the Aegean Sea.

The peninsula was located past the local beach and appeared quite high. Surely, there's a good view out there, I thought.

"Hey Murat, what's out there?" I asked our Turkish friend.

"You know, I've never been out there," said Murat, who's family has owned a summer home here for 10 years.

I was flabbergasted! My friend's response was an immediate invitation for me to explore what was out on that peninsula.

I can't help it. I've always been curious as well as one of those kind of people that if you tell me no, I'll do just the opposite. My mom learned her lesson long ago when she placed Halloween candy high on top of a glass buffet cupboard.

I was 8-year-olds, and I wanted the candy. So I climbed on top of the cupboard and the one nearby, proceeded to put my right hand through the glass, which resulted in an emergency trip to the hospital and 30 stitches. Lesson learned.

So the following day, my husband and I awoke early and headed to the local beach, about a 5-minute walk. The beach looked nice, but a ton of seaweed had washed up on the shore.

 A nicer section of the local beach near Bademli Köyü, Turkey.

We followed the shore line past two small cafes and a "holiday village" motel. Beyond this was new territory for us.

The path ended and a massive field of Turkish olive trees lay before us. The olive trees were growing in unbelievably dry, rocky soil and right along the edge a sheer cliff along the peninsula.

Large Turkish olive trees growing along the Aegean Sea.

Below the cliff, I could see the clear, turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. The view was gorgeous and we weren't even to the top yet.

We trekked along the uneven ground among the olive trees, and I wondered how old they were. 

We climbed over a few large boulders and through some scruffy weeds amongst the olive trees. When we got the top, only about 15 minutes from when we entered the field, we were rewarded with this view.

From the looks of the littered beer cans nearby, we certainly weren't the first ones to discover this remote location. This would be the perfect spot to watch the sunset along the Aegean!

The view from the other side of the peninsula. More clear waters.

Well, we found out what was beyond those Turkish olive trees.

It pays to be curious.

I loved the twisted tree trunks on these old olive trees!

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Exploring Patmos: Petra Beach

When it’s the end of summer and the tourists have left, you can enjoy walking along a deserted beach on a Greek island.

The waves of the Aegean Sea gently lap along the shoreline.

That’s about the only sound you hear, except for a few birds and maybe the motor of a boat in the distance.

On our second night on the island of Patmos, my friend and I grabbed our cameras and walked over to Petra Beach to explore the sites through our camera lenses. The beach is made up of large pebbles and stones, running toward the southern end of the island, near the quiet fishing village of Grikos, where our hotel was located.

Solitude on Petra Beach on the Greek island of Patmos.

Petra Beach once was known as Kalikatsou, or jackdaw, a type of a small crow. There is a large rock, pictured above on the left, with the same namesake. We didn’t see any of these crows, maybe because it was getting dark, but they call this rock home supposedly.

During the winter months, Petra also is home to a small marsh with several migratory birds, such as several flocks of swans, herons, and wild ducks.

But during late September, just empty boats call Petra Beach home.

Two by two - docked together along Petra Beach.

This fancy yacht was facing towards Grikos Bay.

Suddenly, our silence was disturbed. Sheryl and I thought we heard bells off in the distance. We looked at each other quizzically. We looked around us to see where the noise could be coming from, and then I looked through the zoom lens on my camera.

A herd of goats were grazing on the other side of the beach.

I guess you never know what you’ll discover or see once you set out exploring like we did.

An abandoned red van near an olive tree along Petra Beach.

Wildflowers along Petra Beach.

You can read about the island’s other beaches here.

Iyi yolculuklar!

Patmos Aktis Suites & Spa Hotel in Grikos Bay, Patmos, Greece. This hotel looked spectacular!

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