Turkey in the fall is a fantastic place to visit. Istanbul with it’s Byzantine and Ottoman architecture and famous places of worship such as the Blue Mosque is beautiful and intriguing. The famous Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4000 shops and isn’t complete without a visit to the great spice market.
We spent 3 days sightseeing in the city before leaving for a few days of mountain biking in central Turkey. Cappadocia is situated on the rugged plateau north of the Taurus Mountains The fantastical topography is marked by it’s “fairy chimneys” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Goreme and its honeycombed hills. There are homes carved into valley walls, rock-face churches and nesting houses for doves in the rock formations.
From Cappadocia we flew to Izmir on the Aegean Sea. Here we road biked along the Aegean Sea to the start of the Lycian Way trail in the Mediterranean. (we put touring tires on our mountain bikes) which given the various road surfaces was the perfect choice for biking in the Aegean Region. This region is bordered by the Aegean Sea to the west, the Marmara Region to the north, the Central Anatolia Region to the east and the Mediterranean Region to the south.
Our bike route averaged about 75 kilometres per day and took us through rolling hillsides, forested countryside, National Parks, Nature Reserves, and seaside towns. We road past vineyards, olive trees, bee hives, spectacular coastlines and historic ruins.
We spent our last few days hiking part of the Lycian Way Trail – a 500 kilometre trek around part of the Mediterranean cast of ancient Lycia. Absolutely stunning way to end our trip.
Your photos are breathtaking Bernie. The honey looked so golden. I hope it was a memorable trip for you two!