On The Road In Turkey

For our honeymoon, Lief and I rented a car in Istanbul and drove the Turkish coast south to Troy.

This year we celebrate our 26th anniversary so it felt like a good time to return to a corner of the globe that has long held our hearts and our imaginations.

The southern coast of Turkey in particular has our attention. We believe this stretch of the Mediterranean is Europe’s next unsung, undervalued, under-appreciated, and poised-for-boom riviera.

Right now we’re on a scouting trip that has seen us putting boots on the ground in a series of historic, beautiful, and sublimely affordable spots. We’ll be updating you on everything we’ve discovered when we’re back at our desks in Paris, but for now, here’s a snapshot of our trip so far…

First, we spent a day out and about in Izmir, ancient Smyrna, shopping at the bazar, enjoying lunch at the pier, and visiting historical sites in the old village. Once the most important spot in Rome’s Asia, today it is Turkey’s third-largest city…

Next up was a stop in the ancient city of Ephesus. Lief and I aren’t tour people but sometimes it is helpful to have a guide. For our day here we had a great one. Nizan led us along the ancient Roman roads of this once jetset destination. “Imagine you are walking along the Champs Elysees,” he told us. “There is Hermes, Dior, Chanel,” he said pointing to a terrace where shops would have been.

Enough of the original structures remain, including their elaborate frescos, to give you a sense of what it would have been like in the day to stroll this grand avenue along with the likes of Anthony and Cleopatra.

I don’t like to think of myself as high maintenance but I admit I enjoy sparkling wine. Champagne is my drink in Paris, but prosecco and cava work, too. I was prepared to abstain this trip until we discovered Migros. This grocery chain stocks all kinds of liquor and wine, including a dozen options of the sparkling variety.

Alcohol taxes are high in this country but we found a nice bottle of prosecco for about $10.

We were booked to stay in Bodrum. This southwest coastal town was discovered 100 years ago by a dissident writer. Guy was exiled here but realized life could be worse. This was a really beautiful spot. He started writing about the local charms and inspired other writers, artists, and adventurers to come have a look for themselves. Today the place is world famous as a high-end hot spot.

We’d been looking forward to visiting but, arriving, we couldn’t wait to leave. The town was packed with tourists. Traffic was crazy. Streets unnavigable. Development unchecked. We were reminded of the worst of the Costa del Sol.

We cancelled our booking and consulted our map. Lief found us new accommodation in Daylan. Our guesthouse was right on the river across from the ancient tombs of Kaunos… far from the madding crowd.

Lief scouts in every place where we spend time for a good barber. Then keeps track of the comparative costs. Yesterday he tried a guy who Lief says wins the award for Kalkan.

Full service haircut including a wash and a shoulder massage afterward was the equivalent of $15. That falls near the high end of Lief’s index. The most he pays for a haircut currently is $19 in Panama. Paris ties with Kalkan at $15.

Until next time,