Turkey 2.0

This is how Kate and I felt about our weekend in Turkey together!

We kept joking that we were going to be Turkey's new advocates, but seriously, I would recommend anyone and everyone taking a trip there if at all possible. It has amazing beaches, but also beautiful mountains where you can ski nearby. The culture is rich and the people are known for their hospitality. The historical sights are amazing, the food is delicious, and the overall experience is spectacular. Kate and I both agreed that Turkey would be an incredible honeymoon spot, but really I cannot think of an occasion where I would not want to vacation in Turkey! (Although I will add that being with a Kate, an amazing trip planner and turkish speaker made it so much easier :)! )

I arrived in Izmir on Friday evening, and we went straight to dinner at a wonderful kebab restaurant that overlooked the water. After that we got a little taste of Turkish nightlife, which was hilarious to say the least.

Saturday we traveled to Selcuk, which is a town near Ephesus, and we stayed at the cutest ivy-covered hotel, Bella Hotel. The staff was incredibly accommodating, driving us to the nearby wine country and taking us to Ephesus the next day, cooking us a wonderful Turkish dinner. And the best part was that the whole stay was very, very inexpensive. Another great reason to visit Turkey!

The hotel conveniently had a store attached that sold Turkish rugs and other beautiful, handmade crafts. Kate bought a beautiful rug that will be a good lifelong memory from Turkey, and we both bought some fun, colorful pillows.

 

Sunday we spent the morning in Ephesus, before heading back to Izmir for the night. In Izmir we stayed in an incredibly nice hotel (thanks to kate's hotel points!), so it felt really good to get pampered, sleep in a comfortable, king size bed, and lay by the pool in the sun!

On Monday, we met up with a friend of Kate's turkish friend, who took us to breakfast, showed us around the water and pier, and gave us a good view of Turkish culture. It was such a fun morning.

And all too soon it was time to say goodbye to Kate and head back to Germany. It has been SUCH a blessing having one of my best friends nearby and also experiencing the ups and downs of living and teaching abroad, so this was sad that this was Kate and I's last trip of the year together. But we will be reunited in America all too soon!

its hard to believe this picture was less than a year ago!

xoxo