Up early to a beautifully warm room, coupled with the mildly terrifying knowledge that it was –5°C outside. I set off to tackle Afyonkarahisar Castle. Perched dramatically high above the city, Afyonkarahisar Kalesi is impossible to ignore. Built atop a steep volcanic rock more than 1,000 feet above the city, it’s one of central Turkey’s…
Saying goodbye to Bursa—and its many feline residents—was a little bittersweet, but the road was calling and the next adventure awaited. What I had been quietly dreading turned out to be unexpectedly magical. Just fifteen minutes into the bus ride from Bursa to Afyonkarahisar, the world transformed. Snow-topped trees lined the road like a perfectly…
Christmas in Turkey is confusing, to say the least. They don’t celebrate Christmas — and Boxing Day was completely new — yet Mudanya decided to host a festival from Boxing Day through to New Year. So of course, we went. Bright lights, street dancing, treats, and crowds everywhere. And then my favourite moment: two women…
Small pumpkins arrived first, baked to perfection and swimming in custard, dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg. Comfort food at its finest. Then came mussels stuffed with rice, rich with spice and warmth — absolutely irresistible. Next up: a lamb roll, rotating gently on a spit, not unlike kebab meat. They pointed. I like lamb. I…
Every morning, a man pushes his fish cart through the streets, pausing not for profit but for paws. The cats gather, tails high and eyes hopeful, and he feeds them first — without ceremony, without expectation. What remains he sells to the public, but what he gives away is far greater.🥰
I’ll admit it — I’ve been living in a bit of a bubble here in Turkey. No news broadcasts, no doom scrolling, just daily life and wonderfully warm people. In that bubble, I may have even romanticised the calmness and kindness that seems to flow so naturally through Turkish society. Yesterday, curiosity got the better…
During my second week in Bursa, Nisa and Demet took me to visit one of the city’s large mosques. Nisa, in particular, is quietly passionate about her Muslim faith—more so than her friends—but you’d barely notice unless you were paying attention. Aside from the occasional heartfelt “Allah!” when a cat or kitten misbehaves, or her…
I pack up and head south on Monday, officially escaping just in time — it’s forecast to be a brisk -2°C here, which feels like a very good cue to leave. Saying goodbye will be a little bittersweet, but the thought of my next adventure makes it easier — especially knowing it comes with dogs.…
While other cats bring back the occasional leaf, Mustafa returns like a proud provider, delivering fish, chicken legs, and the odd “where on earth did that come from?” prize. We’re not running a restaurant… but apparently, apparently he is. 🐾😄
Another early start, another zero-degree morning, and I was off on the ferry to Kadıköy — often called the Asian side of Istanbul. Asian influence? I didn’t really see it. What I did see was Istanbul at its most lively and charming. The journey took just under three hours with a few stops along the…