An Unplanned Year

1st August – 31st August

1. Cappadocia hot air balloon

Silently floating above the incredible Cappadocia landscape in one of over 100 balloons launched at dawn was amazing. Peaceful, beautiful and not at all scary! Adding in the unique landscape, this was a memorable experince we’ll remember for a long time.

2. Boat trip from Kaş

Our day out on a traditional Turkish Gulet boat was lovely. The crystal clear turquoise waters were buoyant, warm and lovely to swim and float in. The second swimming location with darker green, warm and cold water was a unique experience. Adding to that the fresh fish, salads and vegetables and it was a lovely day on the water.

3. Salzburg Marionette Theatre

This was a surprise activity that we booked at the last minute after seeing the sign whilst driving past. It was really well executed and you almost forgot to see the strings. Our favourite part was when the curtain was raised and we could see the puppeteers controlling the marionettes.

4. Istanbul

After initially worrying that we might find a city of 20 million people overwhelming, we arrived in Istanbul and were only overwhelmed by how amazing it was. The bustle of the grand bazaar, the delicious food on the food tour, the mix of cultures. All of it was thoroughly enjoyable and set the scene for our Intrepid tour of Türkiye .

5. Ephesus

The ancient city of Ephesus was amazing. Thousands of years old, which is just insane to comprehend. We’d watched a YouTube video about it before going so we could really imagine the size and busyness of the ancient port city. That only 20% of it has been uncovered is astounding.

6. Whirling Dervish Safi Ceremony

Attending a Safi ceremony in the home of the Whirling Dervishes was memorable. The words, both spoken and sung, combined with the dancing was very hypnotic. It also surprised us that it is a very structured ceremony, not just a “dance”. We didn’t know that before we went.

7. Ljubljana

We loved Ljubljana. It has a gorgeous old town and a history that goes back to Jason and the Argonauts! The old town has colourful buildings, a river running through the middle and a castle on a hill overlooking it. We did a great food tour here, tasting traditional daily and celebration foods.

8. Sarajevo

Sarajevo was a surprise. It has such a rich history from the Ottoman Empire surrounded by history from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All of this with the obviously sad and present history of the Balkan Wars and the siege of Sarajevo. We also enjoyed Olympic Hill and walking the Bob-sleigh track from the 1984 Olympics.

9. Jajce Waterfall

We might not have stopped in Jajce if our landlord in Bihać hadn’t suggested it. Jajce was a small walled village on a hill, with a 20m waterfall at the edge of town. A pretty diversion on a driving day.

10. Mostar

Mostar is famous for it’s marble bridge that stood for 500 years until Croation fighters blew it up during the Balkan Wars. It has been rebuilt as it was. To the side is the old town, paved in river rocks. We also did an incredibly interesting “Death of Yugoslavia” tour here.