When my kids asked where I wanted to go for my birthday (this past one was a significant roll-over event), I said Istanbul.  So this spring we went to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Bodrum, and Izmir.  I got far more than I asked for.

I’ve never had more fun on a trip or such a variety of experiences, that ranged from flying over the strange landscape of Cappadocia in a hot-air balloon to sailing the Aegean in a gullet, to winding through ancient cave churches and homes. 

Turkish food is a fusion of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Balkan cuisine. Meat, usually lamb, can be found in grape leaves, eggplants, and stews. The eggplant is the country’s most beloved vegetable, with zucchini a popular second, particularly when prepared in olive oil. It is said that travelers in Turkey, “come for the history but stay for the food.”