Sightseeing around Ankara is a mix of ancient history and modern city life, with beautiful old streets tucked between busy urban areas. Ankara Castle sits high above the city and has protected it for thousands of years, with parts dating back to ancient times and later rebuilt by several empires. Around the castle is the
Sabiha Sertel wasn’t just ahead of her time — she pretty much ignored the idea that time should limit her at all. Born in 1895 in what is now Thessaloniki, she grew up during huge world changes and decided early on that women deserved a voice in shaping the future. After studying sociology in the
Yesterday I visited the Ulucanlar Prison Museum — incredibly informative and creatively presented, right down to the background audio of daily chatter and sounds that once filled the prison walls. It’s one of those places that quietly pulls you into the past while you wander through. Ulucanlar Prison originally opened in 1925, after first being
In Ankara, gaming isn’t just a hobby — it’s practically a social institution, loved by everyone from students to seasoned pros. Vildan has been running these game nights for years, and the formula is beautifully simple: post an open invitation, name a café, and let people sign up. Apparently, if a foreigner is involved, interest
Getting to know Vildan is like opening a book you can’t put down — equal parts brilliance, resilience, and infectious laughter. She is incredibly intelligent, wonderfully endearing, weathered by life yet still bubbling with joy. At 42, she jokes cheerfully about being a “42-year-old virgin still waiting for the right man,” delivering the line with
All booked right through until I return to Mexico on the 23rd of March — it’s amazing how quickly the calendar fills when life is lived on the move. For now, I’m happily settled in Ankara with Vildan, soaking up a moment of calm before launching into sightseeing tomorrow. From Ankara, I’ll be flying north
Yesterday morning I wandered through the Mevlana Museum, and honestly, it took my breath away. Once the lodge of the Mevlevi Order, the museum is centred around the mausoleum of Rumi (Mevlana), the 13th-century poet, mystic, and philosopher whose words still ripple across the world. The room of Tombs, with their rows of beautifully adorned
Yesterday afternoon I wandered through the ancient ruins, sample houses, and museum at Çatalhöyük — a place that quietly shows off just how long humans have been experimenting with community. The site itself feels calm and expansive, while the museum neatly fills in the gaps your imagination can’t quite reach on its own. Çatalhöyük dates
Konya’s produce markets were a joy to wander through — more traditional and noticeably cheaper than anything I’ve come across before. The meat in particular stood out: incredibly affordable, looking fresher, and neatly packaged. There was also a much wider range of cheeses, including what seemed to be their version of gorgonzola. My father would
The weather seemed to run through every emotion today. Thunder and lightning rumbled through the night and lingered into the early morning, right as I was leaving the pet hotel — a dramatic start to the day, to say the least. Not long after, the scenery shifted completely. Snow-capped mountains appeared, framed by rugged cliffs,