Where would you want to live if you were going to settle down after your traveling or wandering expat life?
Or where would you want to live now, if you were free to choose, and had no worries about having to support yourself? (Yeah, how cool would that be!) Hey, dreaming is cheap.
Whenever I travel to another country, on vacation or otherwise, I always ask myself if this could be the place I’d want to live when my mate and I decide to find a more permanent perch. And of course, while on vacation in Turkey recently (we live in Moldova), I did some pondering and dreaming and considering while sipping wine at a beach-side cafe or wandering through the towns and markets.
So, just in case you don’t get the chance to have a look for yourself at the southwest coast of Turkey, I’m offering up some images to seduce you, or not.
NOTE: Turkey is rich in history and culture, which makes it a place with lots to see and do, and you can find all that in guidebooks and on the Internet. Here I’m just mentioning the little stuff you notice while walking around, eating out, and people watching. So don’t call me a shallow tourist. I know I am one.
A cappuccino hookah? Well, why not.
I love a sidewalk cafe culture. Hailing from Holland, I know all about sitting on terraces, drinking coffee and watching people. I love eating dinner outside in good weather. Café culture is definitely on my wishlist for my dream location. Turkey has it in spades, and you can smoke a hookah as well.
The weather was cool, but the restaurants were ready everywhere.
I love the markets!
Just for fun: If you go to the market early, you find scenes like this one below:
Waiting to be dressed
So what is on your wishlist for your dream location? Good weather? Great food? Turkey has a Mediterranean climate, so that’s perfect in my book. And Turkish food is Middle Eastern, varied, delicious. Even the street food is fun and tasty. What more do you want?
Wine? No problem. Turkey is wine producing country, a fact I was not aware of. I read that grape juice has been fermented since Neolithic Hittite times. That’s quite a while. We found wine available everywhere in the stores and restaurants, and although it was not particularly cheap, we enjoyed many a glass. Beer? The local brew is Efes.
Above is the Turkish spinach and cheese pancake I mentioned in my earlier post. And below a photo of another meal we ate sitting outside:
Lamb was available everywhere, my favorite red meat.
Below a view of the roofs. Sun energy heats the water in the tanks. Not pretty but it sure is energy efficient.
We loved driving along the coast and in the countryside. Turkey is a beautiful, even on a rainy day.
Ruins on a rainy day
I could go on but I know you don’t have all day. Just let me close with a picture of a shopping opportunity I came across.
So there you have it.
