We stayed in Puli Mini Otel in Çamlıhemşin. Puli Mini is a very cute small hotel, with a terrace overlooking Fırtına River. The decoration of the rooms were very pretty and cool but unfortunately they were very small, especially the bathrooms. If you’re traveling alone, it’s fine but not I must say it’s not the prefect place for couples. Besides that, the breakfast was very good. If you let them know beforehand, they also serve dinner. We had diner one night and it was the best food we had in Rize.

Pokut

Bear in mind that even though the highlands are not very far in distance, because of the bends and the bad conditions of the roads, it takes a long time to go up and down the highlands. Depending on the season and the time of the sunset, it can be hard to see to highlands in one day if you really want to take your time and enjoy them. We didn’t want to rush so we made a choice and went to Pokut. It took us about fifty minutes to get to the top.

I had seen so many photos from Pokut but it was even better to see it in person. Platoda Mola is the best place to have breakfast in Pokut. I had the best laz böreği (traditional Black Sea börek) there. If you wish to spend a night there, you must book in advance as it’s the only hotel there. I know that during summer, Pokut and the other highlands get very very crowded and I’m not sure that we would have enjoyed it as much as we did if it was packed. So the beginning of October or May could be the best times to go there.

On the way to Pokut, on the Çat road, you will notice a gift shop and a coffee shop side by side. The gift shop is called Peri Dükkan and it has so many beautiful scarfs, bags and all kind of designs reflecting the local culture. I personally bought lots of stuff from there for myself and my sister. The coffee shop is Zua Coffee. It’s a very cosy spot to relax before heading to highlands. Good coffee and desserts too.

Bulut Şelalesi – Cloud Waterfalls

The nature in Çamlıhemşin is as impressive as the nature in Trabzon. Among the other waterfalls that you can visit in the area, the Cloud Waterfall (Bulut Şelalesi), which is in the Tar National Park (Tar Deresi Milli Parkı), is the highest waterfall in Turkey. I think you’ll enjoy the walk in the park as much as we did.

Apparently, three days were not enough for Rize and Trabzon and we had to come back with so many places to see left in our list.

Zil Castle

Rize Kemerli Bridge

Pokut

We took a very early flight from Istanbul to Trabzon since we wanted to have our breakfast in Nayino. If you haven’t been to that side of Turkey yet, you may not know that you absolutely need to have a 4X4 vehicle in order to go to the highlands. Nayino is also on a very high hill so you will need that kind of vehicle to go there too. We rented a Dacia Duster and it was very comfortable. The majority of the cars that we saw during our trip were this brand anyway.

Nayino – Black Sea

It took us about an hour and a half to get to Nayino. A delicious breakfast with a magnificent view was waiting for us. We also had our dinners in Nayino, as in the evenings,  the sky became very foggy and made it difficult to drive up and down the hill.  Each night, they cooked different food and they were all very good. I also had a chance to taste Georgian red wine and I just loved it.

Nayino – Black Sea

Sumela Monastery is a must to see when you go to Trabzon. The monastery was built in Maçka district of Trabzon by two priests during the time of Theodosius I (375 – 395 AD), the Emperor of Byzantium. Unfortunately, Sumela Monastery was under renovation when we were there and we couldn’t see the inside of it.

Sümela Monastery – Black Sea

If you are looking for places to see in Trabzon city center, you will find a list of all the historical places. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend to visit them as they are all stuck between ugly buildings in narrow streets. Having said that, there is only one place I’d recommend, which is the Atatürk Pavilion. The mansion was built by Konstantin Kabayanidis in 1890 as a summer house and Atatürk stayed there in 1924 when he visited Trabzon. The mansion is now a museum.

Atatürk Pavilion – Trabzon

This was my first time in the east side of  the Black Sea Region. Before we went there, there were many people who warned us that we could be very disappointed but this was not the case at all. To be honest, we didn’t have any expectations regarding the city center so we almost passed there with our eyes closed. It was sad to see all the ugly buildings and construction on the coast, but as I said we knew that already. The moment we left the city center and started to go up, the nature, the colors of the trees and the sky were just breathtaking. I realized that words weren’t enough to describe them.  I’m so glad that we went there and I’m sure we’ll be back.

Nayino Dağ Evi

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nayinodagevi@gmail.com

As you can imagine from its name, the High Line used to be an elevated rail line dating back to the 1920’s. At the end of the 1990’s, the park’s destiny seemed doomed, but the local community stood up for transformation of this unused zone into a public park. I think it should be a great inspiration for other cities in the world. It’s almost magical how all the trees and plants in the park can cut the noise of the city and provide such a peaceful place for people.

The High Line Park is almost 2.5 km long. There are several points where you can access and exit the park but if you go back to where you started, it will be at least a 5km walk.

The High Line Park is operated and maintained by Friends of the High Line, that is a non-profit organization. lIf you would like to support them, you can make donations or adopt a plant.

View from the High Line

High Line

Art in the High Line Park

View from the High Line Park

Knowing that you will be able to find a nice café on every corner makes it easy to walk around this beautiful city. There is no way you can enjoy Paris the way it deserves without spending some time in its beautiful cafés. I thought it might be helpful for you if I put together a list of cafés that I like. I must warn you though, there are still plenty of them I haven’t had a chance to get round to, so if you have your own recommendations, please feel free to add them in the comments below this post. Another warning is that this post isn’t about new generation coffee shops but about classic Parisians cafes.

Montmartre, Paris

• Les Deux Magots – 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés
• Café de Flore – 172, Boulevard Saint Germain, 75006
• Le Nemours – Galerie de Nemours, 2 Place Colette, 75001
• Le Bonaparte – 42, Rue Bonaparte, 75006
• Au Pere Fouettard – 9, Rue Pierre Lescot, 75002
• Café de la Paix – 5, Place de l’Opéra, 75009
• La Closerie des Lilas – 171 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006
• Bar du Marché – Rue de Buci, 75006
• La Palette – 43, rue de Seine, 75006
• Le Select – 99 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006
• Café Panis- 21 quai de Montebello, 75005

Les Deux Magots

Montmartre, Paris

The easiest way to visit all five villages of Cinque Terre is by the regional train line called Cinque Terre Express that  goes back and forth. If you take the train in Monteresso, you will first arrive to Vernazza, then Corniglia, Manarola and finally Riomaggiore.

Monterosso Al Mare is the largest one of the Cinque Terre villages and also the easiest one to visit and also swim. It has a very long beach with side by side orange and blue coloured umbrellas and deck chairs. What I like about Italian beaches is that they separate each beach with umbrellas and deck chairs in different colours. It makes such a nice view.

Monterosso’s symbol is “Il Gigante”, which is a huge concrete statute of Neptune (the Sea God) built in the early 1900s. It was unfortunately damaged a lot during World War II bombings and sea storms. There are many cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea and a promenade where you can walk along without being disturbed by the traffic and take photographs of the beautiful beach.

There are actually two parts of this town, the old one and the new one. The seaside is the new town and you can go to the old town by walking through the under ground tunnel. The old town looks like any other small village in this area with pastel coloured buildings, cute little shops and restaurants.

Monterosso

Vernazza is considered the most beautiful one of the Cinque Terre villages. It is true that the view of Vernazza is like a postcard with the Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church overlooking the little port.

Vernazza

There is a very nice restaurant in Manarola called Da Aristide (Via Antonio Discovolo, 19017) with a small balcony on the street side.  We had the best octopus and potato salad in this restaurant.

The famous Via dell’Amore (Lovers’ Lane) starts in Riomaggioreand leads to Manarola. Unfortunately this lane has been closed due to safety concerns and is expected to reopen in 2021.

Manarola

Manarola

We are so lucky to have unlimited access to all kinds of information and content on travel through social media, such as Instagram, Youtube and Mapify. What’s most influential about social media is that these accounts are mostly held by regular people like us. I’m not talking about celebrity pages of course. There is nothing more motivational than  to see other people’s travel photographs or videos, if we can relate to them even though we don’t know them personally. This is how I still motivate myself too! If they can do it, you can do it too!

Monterosso Al Mare

2. Start Reading Travel Blogs

This one is related to the previous point. Don’t just look at photographs or watch videos, start reading about the personal experiences of these travellers as well. You may find out very useful information for your next trip. You may even plan your next trip after reading a great post. There are plenty of travel blogs and I promise there is no way you wouldn’t find a post about a specific location that you’re looking for. You may even start your own blog one day.

Madrid Ghost Town, New Mexico

3. Start Making Research About Different Cuisines

Traveling doesn’t only bring the opportunity to walk in different streets or taking photographs of touristic monuments but it also brings the opportunity to taste different cuisines. There is a rich variety of cuisine around the globe. They differ not only in different countries but also in different regions of those countries. Wouldn’t you like to eat Chinese food in China, or sushi in Japan or Indian food in India?

Athens

4. Start Making Research About Different Cultures

While you’re making research about different cultures around the globe, why don’t you also try to find out about different cultures? Cuisine is definitely a big part of a country’s culture, but not all of it. People wear different clothes, have different traditions, listen to different music, they even treat their guests in different manners around the globe. Aren’t you excited to find out about all those varieties?

5. Start Telling Your Travel Stories

You can have your own travel stories to tell your friends instead of having to listen to theirs all the time. Listening to stories is nice but telling your own story is even better. Don’t forget that the best stories come from personal experiences. It’s time that you started living your life and sharing it with the others.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

6. Start Saving Money Now

I can hear you saying “I don’t have enough money to travel” but I don’t accept it as an excuse. You may not have enough money right now but you can start saving and have enough money in the future. Plus, if you plan your trip in advance and make intelligent choices (low budget airline companies, hostels, etc.) trust me you won’t have to spend as much money as you fear.

7. Start Following Promotions of Airline Companies

This one is related to the intelligent choices I’ve talked about in the previous point. You wouldn’t believe how much I had paid for some airplane tickets that I had bought during promotions. I’m not even talking about low budget companies. Don’t underestimate the promotions and start chasing them. I’m sure you will find something for you.

Villagers from Germiyan, a small village in the Aegean coast of Turkey applied to become a slow food village and they received their certificate in 2015. One of the traditional foods of Germiyan is the sourdough bread that the villagers cook themselves. You can also find it in nearby villages.

So now you know that this little village in the Aegean coast of Turkey is a slow food village. But this is not the only thing that makes it stand out amongst other villages nearby. Germiyan is also known for its houses covered with drawings made by a local woman, named Nuran Erden. She first drew the Slow Food’s logo onto a wall in the village, which is the symbol of a snail, then she started to draw on the walls of houses, which first annoyed the other villagers. However,  they all ended up loving her works. All they need to do is to paint the walls of their houses all white and wait for her to pop over and  decorate them.

We were lucky enough to chat with Nuran Erden while we were visiting. She gave us a warm welcome and showed us her works that we missed in the small streets. It’s amazing how the talent inside people can come out no matter where they live or what they do.  If you come visit Germiyan one day, don’t hesitate to say hi if you see a lady drawing on the walls.

Germiyan is about 20 minutes away by car from Çeşme, a more touristic town of Izmir.

As we have all been to Santa Margherita before, we took this opportunity to visit other places around like Lucca and Cinque Terre. In this post, I’m going to tell you about our trip to Monterosso Al Mare, one of the Cinque Terre villages.

Monterosso Al Mare

We drove from Santa Margherita to Monterosso and it took just over an hour. Once we exited the highway, a very windy road was waiting for us but the good news is we could drive to the seaside, where there was a large car park. By the way, along the way there is also a sign for “Monterosso” but you should keep following the “Monterosso Al Mare” sign.  If you don’t want to drive or didn’t rent a car, it is also possible to take the train from SM to Monterosso.

Monterosso means Red Mountain in Italian. I read somewhere that the name comes from a family with red hair that used to rule the village but I’m not sure whether it is true. Monterosso is the largest one of the Cinque Terre villages and easiest to visit and also swim. It has a very long beach with side by side orange and blue coloured umbrellas and deck chairs. What I like about Italian beaches is that they separate each beach with umbrellas and deck chairs in different colours. It makes such a nice view. If you have watched the movie “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, you’ll understand what I mean. The movie was filmed in San Remo but it has the same air about it.

Monterosso Al Mare

If you make some research regarding Monterosso Al Mare, the word you will most come across is “Il Gigante”.  It’s a huge concrete statute of Neptune (the Sea God) built in the early 1900s, which became the symbol of the town. It was unfortunately damaged a lot during World War II bombings and sea storms.

There are many cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea and a promenade where you can walk without being disturbed by the traffic and take photographs of the beautiful beach.  We all had an espresso in one of the cafes before exploring this little town. Summerhouses covered by bougainvillaea were so charming; we couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to have a summerhouse there.

There are actually two parts of this town, the old one and the new one. The seaside is the new town and you can go to the old town by walking through the underground tunnel. The old town looks like any other small village in this area with pastel coloured buildings, cute little shops and restaurants.

After Monterosso we took the train to go to Vernazza and Manarola. The easiest way to visit all five villages of Cinque Terre is by train that comes and goes back and forth. I’m going to write a separate post for other Cinque Terre villages.

Monterosso Al Mare

Monterosso Al Mare

Monterosso Al Mare

Madrid used to be a coal mining city in the second half of 1800’s. At one point, the coal business was so big that the population of Madrid was more than Albuquerque, the biggest city of New Mexico. Every Christmas, the families of the miners used to decorate the town to make it sparkle like a diamond. As rumour has it, pilots used to change their route at night to show the lights of Madrid to their passengers. In memory of those old happy days, new residents of the town still organize a  “Christmas Parade” every year.

As the use of natural gas became popular, the coal mines were closed in 1954 and the locals started to quit Madrid one by one and left almost all their belongings behind. This is actually why it is called a ghost town. I was very surprised when I learned that for once the whole town was for sale.

Madrid owes its rebirth to the artists who moved there in the 1970’s. Today it has a population of around 400 people but it gets really crowded with the visitors, especially in summer. We visited Madrid in June while travelling from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. We were there in the afternoon and it was so crowded we almost couldn’t find an empty spot for our car. I must also say that it was very hot and that makes it very hard to visit.

Most of the old houses are now painted in vibrant colors and used as art galleries or gift shops. We saw some ghost houses outside Madrid but contrary to its fame as a ghost town, it is a very colorful and lively place. It is also probably the best stop in the Turquoise Trail to eat and rest.

I should also say a few words about the altitude sickness. Since we live in Istanbul, we’re used to sea level altitude, whereas Madrid’s altitude is about 1.8m. We had been advised to drink lots of water, not to stay long under the sun and not to drink too much alcohol. We had a few headaches and felt tired but that was it. So you don’t have to worry about the altitude sickness.