Hello, Turkey!

Since we only planned the first few stops on our travel adventure, after Russia, the door was wide open to new ideas.

And so, we’re in Turkey. Turns out Turkey is a popular destination for Russian nationals and so flights to Turkey from Russia are direct and inexpensive.

Turkey was never on the radar before, but after studying up on it and bring reassured that it is a safe travel destination, we booked a flight and here we are.

It’s been exceptional so far. We had a little rain on our first day, but other than that it’s been warm day and night, but so far not overly hot.

It’s beautiful.  Citrus trees, pomegranate trees, flowering shrubs. Mountains, beaches, and turquoise waters.

Lots of stray cats that are friendly and appear well-fed. My kids can’t leave them alone and give them all names. Margaret named one of them “Let It Ring Out”.

The food is tasty, fresh, and inexpensive. Lots of fresh vegetables and olives. My family of five can dine for $10-15 per meal and so far everyone is happy with their options. The Turkish delight, baclava, and ice cream are all first rate, too.

We’ve spent a few days at the beach. The ocean is warm and the weather is perfect. The beach close to our place is a gravel beach, but we can also take a cab or bus to a sandy beach.

The kids have been able to catch frogs and lizards, so the trip to Turkey is worth it in Nolan’s eyes. On our walk back home from dinner today, Jane spotted a hedgehog. It was dark and we couldn’t get a photo, but we’re all pretty excited about the hedgehog.

Today was Margaret’s birthday, so happy birthday to the happiest, least-complainingest, eats-everythingest, best 3-year-old traveler I’ve ever even heard of.

We went on an organized tour today and saw some beautiful waterfalls, spent a little time in old town, took a short boat ride, and rode a cable car up into the mountains.