There are very few buildings and architectural monuments that manage to move me emotionally. Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sofia is a clear exception: a place where history, architecture and religion have clashed over and over again. It is a defining building for this part of the world, and a beautiful one at that. The current Hagia [...]
Sometimes, a picture says more than a thousand words. At other times, it may be necessary to use video to convey our messages. Check out this video below: it’s a walk around the upper gallery of the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. This video is from the ground floor of the same building.
Istanbul is not cheap. It’s a bustling metropolis of European caliber price points. But it’s also one of the coolest cities we’ve been to. So how did we handle our day there while managing to stay within our meager backpacking budget? A good pair of shoes, a little imagination and loads of sunscreen. Before letting [...]
The key to happy traveling is to enjoy a variety of different activities. After seeing the architectural and commercial (and seriously tourist-infested) Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar, it was time to mix in something completely different. Luck had it that we stumbled upon a newly opened wine and cheese tasting room in [...]
Eastern Turkey is a lot of things. What it’s not is a beer lover’s paradise. Licensed restaurants are far in between, and not all towns have a store that sells it. In the name of reader service we did however sample the local brews that we could find. They were all of the same brand: [...]
Batumi is being pimped out as the next “it” place on the Black Sea coast. Construction workers are furiously working to revamp this coastal town. It looks to us like they’re trying to turn the town into a Nice of the East. While I understand their desire to bring in more tourists, I can’t help [...]
This is what qualifies as a light meal in Georgia: ten thousand calories of carbs, fat and pure deliciousness. The crust is actually a rich cheese pie that has been molded into a boat. Then, an egg is left to set gently inside the boat. A generous helping of real butter is then added to [...]
This ruin is unique in the way that it’s not really a ruin: it is a 2,000 year old intact Roman fortress. Gonio, as it is called today, was never destroyed or damaged by warfare, nor was it ever used as a quarry. Instead, it has been left alone to slowly decompose into today’s green [...]
We’ve only got a little bit left of our travel budget now, a time in our lives that of course coincides with our visit to one of the world’s premier shopping capitals. My current plan is to lock her in a cheap hotel room and throw away the key. I mean, seriously. This is [...]
I think it’s great when a town shows a bit of age. A few cracks here and a little rust there creates character. Knowing this, it’s no surprise that I’ve fallen in love with Batumi, the popular seaside town on the southern tip of Georgia. The air feels Mediterranean, the streets are wide, the [...]
We’re in Georgia – the country, not the US state. It wasn’t really a part of the original plan, but seatofourpants style of travel dictates that when an opportunity to travel to an interesting place presents itself, we hop on the next bus. The border between Turkey and Georgia was a pretty interesting place [...]
This insanely beautiful expanse of water is Lake Van – Turkey’s biggest lake. There are a few settlements around the lake, but most of its shores are untouched by civilization. You hardly see any boats out there, just the impossibly blue water, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Pure magic. Instead of taking the bus around [...]
I had some serious plans for Dogubayazit. I wanted to chase down Noah’s Ark and see what it really looks like. See, a Hong Kong expedition claims to have found the remnants of the Ark, embedded in a glacier on the mountain. It sounded like a great little adventure. Failing that, at least I’d get [...]
We don’t make hotel reservations. Rather, I should say that we don’t usually make reservations. I think we’ve made maybe two in the last year of travel. That’s just our style. If a guesthouse doesn’t have a room available, the one next door probably will. We weren’t picky to begin with; we’re especially not picky [...]
Turkey is great. In fact, it is our new favorite destination. The one thing that hasn’t worked out for us is the trekking. We’re here way too early. In just two months from now, the weather will be much warmer and drier, the skies will be fair and all the interesting destinations open for [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
