Shimmer Shine Sojourn

  Cappadocia, in central Türkiye, is best known for its rock formations and its balloons, but a meal here has a rhythm of its own. It usually begins with soup, moves on to a main dish with bread or rice, and ends with something sweet, while pickled vegetables appear more often than fresh ones. I came curious to find out how it would all taste. This post is about the meals I ate, including the ones that did not quite suit me. I did not choose these restaurants; the itinerary did. So these are the tastes that came to me, not the ones I went looking for. Hot Bread in the Sky The first meal was breakfast on the plane. I was hungry, and the bread arrived hot, soft inside and better than I expected. I ate all of it. It is a small memory, but it set the tone for the days that followed: I would eat what was put in front of me and pay attention to how it felt. Breakfast on the plane: warm bread, still in its wrapper. The First Lunch My first lunch was in a large, well-known restaurant whose...

The Bosphorus is about 30 kilometres long and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. At its narrowest, it is only about 700 metres wide. Beneath that deep blue surface, two currents flow in opposite directions: the surface water moves from the Black Sea towards Marmara, while saltier water deeper down flows the other way. It is also known as one of the most difficult waterways in the world to sail, because it is narrow and full of bends. One cool, sunny, windy autumn day, I stepped onto a boat full of tourists for a ride along the Bosphorus, the strait that runs through the middle of Istanbul.  A mosque I could see from the boat. The boat slowly pulled away from the shore to begin the journey. On Deck in the Autumn Wind Standing on the deck, I felt the autumn wind blow past me. It did not make me any colder. It only carried the fresh air of the sea. All around me were the sounds of waves slapping against the side of the boat, seagulls calling to one another, and now and th...

Watching the sunset over Galata Bridge in Istanbul offers a profound slow travel experience in Turkey. Connecting Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu, this iconic spot reveals mystical mosque silhouettes against a gradient sky, where vibrant orange turns to purple grey and sparkling boats illuminate the strait, creating an unforgettable moment of peace and reflection. The last warmth of the day lingered behind the domes, and I stayed to watch. There is one thing I will never be able to forget, and that is the scene of the sun slowly going down over Istanbul . A little chill, a little radiance, a little bustle, and a little waiting. Along the lower deck of Galata Bridge, dinner carried on beside the evening light. It was when I was sitting in a restaurant watching the sunset on the Galata Bridge , which connects the old Sultanahmet quarter with the modern Beyoğlu district . I saw the sun gradually sink behind the horizon of the old town, highlighting the mystical silhouette of the mosques that c...