Back on the road again, with the car heater on full blast to thaw us from our adventurous and frosty stay near Hattusa, we drove 3 hours south to the region of Türkiye known as Cappadocia until a vast sweeping valley came into view, clustered with millions of lanky asparagus-shaped volcanic rock formations (that’s the G-rated …
We headed back to the Istanbul airport—but this time to rent a car. Our first stop was a seven hour drive south towards the capital Ankara and then eastward into Boğazkale where the ruins of the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa once stood. There among the rubble was the Lion gate that we …
Who needs Rick Steves when we’ve got our niece Danielle? Before heading back to the boat, we started making plans for our road trip into the heart of Türkiye. Normally this is a fastidious affair of tedious googling and planning. But just as we were doing our research my niece Danielle and her family …
Everyone should have a naked bucket list. Places around the world where you strip down and heartily join in the bathing and body care rituals of other cultures. These are often my favorite travel experiences. I was once folded into a pretzel in Thailand and had my back popped—which felt great at the …
Hidden below the city of Istanbul lies an underground forest of stone pillars that aren’t seen until you descend below the street and down some fifty steps beneath the ground. Back in the 6th century, a huge cistern was dug to provide water to the buildings around it, including Mehmed II’s Topkapi Palace. This …
Our road trip through Türkiye started on foot in Istanbul, walking the labyrinth of mosques that are clustered inside the city. Their colossal domes rise like hilltops hemmed in by minarets. First up, of course, was the Hagia Sophia. Standing under the scalloped lights of the Hagia was a thrill. The Blue Mosque …
The best road trips often start at the airport. So here we are with our friends Marcel and Karen headed to Istanbul. This summer we’ll be sailing the spectacular Turkish coast so we can accumulate our required out-of-Schengen days—the short version is that we can’t be in the EU for more than three months …
We took advantage of our beautiful little island of Aegina and headed out for a Sunday stroll not far from our boat yard in Planaco to hike a nearby hillside dotted small churches. These tiny chapels are the Mystras of Aegina, and they sit along the slopes overlooking the valley below like aged old men …
Our last stop before heading across the Atlantic was Tenerife–lush and buzzing with life. We wandered the streets and parks and soaked in this Spanish beauty. We came upon a group of people from a nearby retirement home out on a field-trip. Seeing them all out basking under the palms and soaking up nature until …
We found svLia! It’s always exciting to spot a friend’s boat in an anchorage or marina. In Gibraltar we spotted the beautiful catamaran “Lia”—the floating home to the awesome Flanders Family who we met back in Split, Croatia. Seeing their boat made us smile—they’re a super awesome family with some AMAZING kids. …
