Illy Caffe @ Cafe de I'ill, Strasbourg

It has been almost 10 years since my previous visit to Strasbourg. While still living in southern Baden, I sometimes went to Strasbourg on weekends for shopping, as the French supermarkets are the 8th Wonders of the World and truly worthy of being considered as an invisible UNESCO World Heritage institution. 

Kizkalesi, Mersin: Castle in the Sea

About 40 minutes away by bus west of Mersin is the Kizkalesi, not to be confused with the Kizkulesi in Istanbul. Meaning 'Maiden's Castle' in Turkish, this little seaside town is slowly catching on to the tourism boom that has spreaded like wild fire all the way between Marmaris and Alanya on Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coast since the early 21st century. Although signs of building boom have already started to appear in this part of the Turkish Riviera, things are not as ridiculous as in parts of Antalya and Alanya. At least one can still see the sea on the way instead of endless of rows of expensive-looking high-rise apartment blocks for the rich and the famous. 

The Great Mosque of Divrigi: the One and Only 'Gothic' Mosque in Anatolia

During my first visit to Sivas, I came across a tourism booklet detailing some of the major tourist attractions in and around the region. As a dog lover, Kangal the home town of the famous giant turkish shepherd dog is the obvious priority, but the beautiful stone carvings and masonary works of the medieval mosque at Divrigi, a village about 3 hours by bus southeast of Sivas, caught my attention. Due to the distance involved and lack of time, I did not visit Divrigi at the end.

This time round I was travelling westwards from the direction of Erzurum; thanks to the presence of a direct rail link between Erzuzum and Divrigi, I was able to visit this mosque without having to make a big detour via Sivas.

It was a cold November day when I arrived at the front entrance of this splendid medieval religious building. The sky was grey as snow was forecasted - and it did snow shortly after I arrived - hence I was unable to take really optimal photos of the building and all its magnificent carvings and decorative masonary works.

Tahmis Kahvesi, Gaziantep: Authentic Ottoman Cafe in the heart of a Colourful City

I must say Gaziantep is much more interesting and colourful than I had expected. Instead of 2-3 days originally planned, I ended up staying more than a week in this fascinating city. There are plenty of things to do both in and around Antep, and, unlike what some people claimed, this city of more than one million inhabitants is not dull at all.

Most visitors to Antep would head straight to the newly completed Zeugma Museum located on the side of the highway leading into downtown Antep, but being a fan of coffee culture all over the world, I decided to have a look at the Tahmis Kahvesi, a very well-known traditional turkish coffee house dated from the Ottoman era.

This beautiful Ottoman-style coffee house is located right next to the city's Dervish Lodge, within walking distance of Antep's busy coppersmith bazaar, ideal for those who need a rest and some good turkish tea after heavy-duty shoppings. 

According to the sign board outside the coffee house, this cafe was founded as early as1638, but was burnt down in a fire in 1901 and 1903, which means the current building dated from the early 20th century. I had seen photos of this cafe taken a few years ago by a local photographer friend, the interior was older , the decors were more basic and of a different colour tone than what it is now.

Along the Upper Streams of the Euphrates: From Erzincan to Divrigi on Board the Dogu Express

It was actually not too easy to get to Divrigi from Erzincan. At first I thought there would be bus connections between these two places, but too bad the only bus connection available to Divrigi is from Sivas. It makes no sense that I had to travel first by bus to Sivas then backtrack to Divrigi, especially when this would take at least one whole day and I had already been to Sivas before and do not intend to stay another night there. So I decided to go by train instead.

Although Divrigi is located on the direct train route between Erzincan and Sivas, there is only a daily communter train from Erzincan at 4pm in the afternoon, arriving at Divrigi shortly after 7pm. As it was winter and it gets dark very early, if I took this afternoon train it would have been virtually impossible to see any scenery on the way. To make things more complicated, there is - as far as I know - only one hotel in Divrigi and as the last bus to Sivas leaves as early as 4.30pm, I would be obliged to stay overnight in the town.

Fortunately, I found out there is also a train 'Dogu Express' from Kars to Istanbul every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and the train stops en route at Erzincan and Divrigi. The best thing about it is, the train departs from Erzincan's train station at 09:55 in the morning, arriving at Divrigi at about 13:15. Which means I can enjoy the stunning sceneries of the upper Euphrates valley and the surrounding mountains in the morning, have ample time to visit the UNESCO-inscripted Ulu Camii of Divrigi in the afternoon, and am still able to catch the last bus to Sivas, have dinner there before getting on the night train from Sivas to Ankara at 23:05. The idea that I can accomplish all of these in just one day makes the option of going by train to Divrigi even more attractive. 

The Asansör, Izmir: A Little Piece of Jewish Past

Actually Izmir has a lot of to offer in terms of tourist attractions, but for some reasons this beautiful metropolis on the Turkish Aegean coast has always been overshadowed by those big-name neighbouring coastal resort towns such as Cesme and Kusadasi. Most visitors consider Izmir as a transportation hub, and see very little of the city apart from its huge inter-city bus station and international airport.

Which is really a pity, as Izmir is a lovely place to spend a few days. Although with more than three million inhabitants, Izmir is a very leisurely city with plenty of open space, parks and scenic waterfront. Unlike other mega cities in Turkey where you often feel crowded out by the sheer number of people that seem to be  constantly moving about on the streets at any given time of the day, in Izmir the presence of the Gulf of Izmir and miles of landscaped green space along the open waterfront ensure that there is always enough space and lots of fresh sea air for everybody.  

Being one of the oldest cities in the world - with at least 3500 years of documented history and possibly even before that - Izmir has a special place in both the Turkish and the Greek national psyche. Even today, many Greeks still fondly remember the city as Smyrna.

Kayseri: Portrait of an Anatolian Tiger Town

I am not sure if it is appropriate to call Kayseri a metropole. Why? Because in spite of Kayseri's 900,000 strong population and its undisputed status as one of the most important industrial cities in Central Anatolia, the whole place still feels and behaves like a provincial town at best. This deep-seated feeling of provincialism is evident as soon as you get off the bus or the tram in downtown Kayseri. There are no trendy cafes and bars, no designer shops, no art galleries, no international restaurants, no elegant boutique hotels, but plenty of uninspiring grey concrete apartment blocks and dusty-looking shop houses. To be brutally honest, this city does not appear attractive at the very first sight.

It is hardly surprising there is a lack of cosmopolitan trendy buildings in Kayseri, as the city is very well-known in Turkey for its social and religious conservatism. In other words, it is the place to visit if you are into mosques and other Muslim religious sites. Just hold your breathe and don't expect to come across any avant-garde or revolutionary architectures while you are there.

Luxembourg Ville: Possibly One of the Most Boring Capital Cities in the World

Luxembourg city is undoubtedly one of the richest and most expensive capital cities in Europe, but it also has the dubious honour of being in contention for the title of the Most Boring City on Earth. In spite of all the grand architecture, the overflowing evidence of wealth, and the sight of its impressive Medieval Fortifications and Old Town - both are inscripted UNESCO World Heritage site - Luxembourg is by all means a rather dour, not-very-exciting place.

The moment you step out of Luxembourg's main train station, you know you are in a French sphere of influence. The style of buildings in downtown Luxembourg are fairly typical of cities in Northern France, albeit with slightly less greyness.

Cafe Bristol, Corfu: Beautiful Cafe in the Heart of Corfu

Like many of its Mediterranean neighbours, the Greeks take their daily cup of coffee very seriously. One of the best things about travelling around Greece is that it is never difficult to come across good cafes no matter where you are, and the quality of the espresso or latte are on par with those available in Italy itself, especially in those parts of the country which had been under Italian influence for centuries.

Being one of the major cultural centres on the crossroad between Italy, the Greek mainland, and the Adriatic Sea, the beautiful medieval city of Corfu Town is well-known for its well-preserved old town centre, delicious Italian ice-creams, and its abundance of beautiful Italian-style cafes. Take a walk around Corfu's scenic waterfront and its picturesque old town centre, and you will be enchanted by its array of coffee houses. Cafes in Corfu Town have a wide range of characteristics: modest roadside take-away coffee places alongside busy throughfares, traditional neighbourhood cafe+sandwich bars, serene mini-cafes tucked away in the myriad of narrow alleys and lanes of the old town, with their trademark colourful tables and chairs and frequented by students and younger people, stylish trendy boutique cafes with colourful decors and modernist interior designs, or classical grand cafes along the Liston with timeless appeal and an enduring sense of elegance. 

Alanya Revisited: The Undisputed Capital of Beach Holiday in Turkey

Alanya is probably the most famous beach resort in the whole of Turkey. Once an important port and strategic point of defence at the foot of the mighty Taurus Mountains, the town faced seemingly terminal decline throughout the mid-17th, 18th and the 19th centuries following the conquest of Cyprus and the pacification of the Anatolian mainland. The population exchange following the Treaty of Lausanne in 1922 dealt a further blow to the future of this town, as Alanya's prosperous Greek population was forced to resettle in mainland Greece.

Since the onset of tourism operations at this part of Turkey during the 1980s, however, Alanya has experienced a huge revival in its fortunes. The opening of Antalya airport to international air traffics in the late 1990s further helps to boost the number of foreign tourists arriving at Alanya. Nowadays tourism is the most important income-generating sector, accounting for more than 1.1bn Euros in 2009, according to one industry analysis. With the exponential growth of the tourism industry, the population of Alanya also expanded at a breakneck pace, from less than 100,000 in the mid-1980s, to almost 400,000 in the early 21st century. The booming seaside resort has attracted a huge following amongst expatriates from continential Europe seeking a more agreeable sunny climate. Alanya (in conjunction with the surrounding districts) is now home to more than 17000 foreign expatriates who choose to buy a property here and settle down in Alanya. During the summer peak seasons, the influx of tourists and seasonal workers engaged in the tourism sector push the population to over 1 million in certain parts of the year.

Dubbed the town with possibly the largest German/Nordic population in the whole of Turkey, what are the draws of Alanya?

Cafe Delice, Ermoupolis, Syros: Nice Art Cafe on a Lively Island

Actually I find Ermoupolis, the main town of the island of Syros, quite a nice place to visit if you are en route to one of the Cyclades Islands and are looking for a good place to hang out with your friends on weekends, or do some decent fashion or household shoppings. It makes a refreshing change to shop around downtown Ermoupolis, because most of the shops are selling stuffs truly needed by normal people in everyday life, not just some unless fancy souveniors that fills most of the shop spaces in touristic islands such as Santorini or Mykonos. 

Tucked away in a quiet side street in downtown Ermoupolis, I came across this quaint little gallery-internet cafe while looking for a place to rest my feet after a few hours' window shopping in the city centre.

Hotel & Restaurant Club Caravanserail, Kusadasi: Original Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Kusadasi

To be honest I am not a huge fan of Kusadasi. For me it embodies some of the worst aspects of summer bazaar tourism in Turkey - pushy salesperson, countless shops without much soul or character, all selling counterfeit designer footwears, T-shirts and fake Made-in-China Gucci bags, and over-priced carpet and jewellery shops. For that reason I had had a rather unfavourable impression of this seaside resort town.

Last year I had to stop at Kusadasi for one day, and  I was at first reluctant to do so until someone recommended this boutique hotel to me. It is a small hotel located just 100 meter away from Kusadasi's international ferry terminal, where ferries connecting Kusadasi with Samos arrive and depart on a daily basis during the summer months.

The hotel Club Caravanserail turns out to be quite a relevation. It is housed in the original building of a former caravansaray (Kervansarayi) built by Okuz Mehmet Pasa in 1618. There is at least one such 'han' or inn in many turkish towns located on the major trade routes, and many of them have now been converted into trendy boutique hotels and restaurants. It has become a kind of passion of mine to visit each and every of these former caravansarays and stay overnight on the premises if the budget allows. The rooms of such caravansaray are usually quite elegantly decorated, with heavy wooden antique furnitures, carpets with classical motifs, and other artifacts from the Ottoman times. It is certainly much more interesting to stay in such a place with a continuous heritage than one of those modern concrete-steel-and-glass high rise blocks of hotels and holiday flats.

Kadikoy, Istanbul: Auf der anderen Seite

First-time visitors to Istanbul often choose to stay in the tourist enclaves of Sultanahmet and Sirkeci, or the trendy shopping districts of Taksim and Besiktas, as these areas are packed with famous sights and are full of accommodations catering to all kinds of clientele. Only those who are relatively familiar with this huge metropole would consider to stay overnight on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Due to the popularity of Sabiha Gokcen airport as a hub for international budget carriers flying from Europe to Istanbul, Kadikoy is now becoming an increasingly trendy place for travellers to stay at during their time in Istanbul.  

Actually, Kadikoy is a very interesting district and is certainly worth a visit in its own right. Its streets are lined with beautiful nineteenth century wooden bunglows, graceful grand mansions with hidden courtyards and gardens, while in the side lanes one will find plenty of chic, fashionable cafes, wine bars (known as meyhane in Turkish) and al fresco restaurants specialising in fish dishes and high-end Turkish cuisines. The elegant  art deco building of the Süreyya Operası (pictured above), built in 1924, acts as the centre of Kadikoy's cultural scene.

La Bodegueta, Valencia

One thing I came to realise after all these years of travel is, sometimes it really takes a bit of  luck and lots of instinct for any travellers to come across a place that serves authentic reional cuisines at reasonable prices. Although I sometimes do allow myself the luxury of having a proper meal at a renown restaurant (such as one of those honoured by the venerable Michelin guide), in general I am that sort of person who prefers to venture out into places where no tourists would frequent and try out whatever places that catch my attention.

Sometimes I came away from a city empty-handed, without having found anything which really impressed me. But then again, there are some places on earth that just seem to deliver a non-stop supply of such  rustic yet charming unknown little places with lots of local flavour.
Although Valencia is not very well-known outside of Europe as a top culinary destination, the city has an abundance of nice interesting little places all over the town, there is no shortage of decent foods wherever you go.

A golden rule of the thumb is, no matter which country you find yourself in, decent bistros almost always seem to congregate near where the university students are. There are several universities and institutes of higher educations in Valenica, and the area where I stayed at in the first week is full of cheap student and neighbourhood eateries offering delicious food and tapas for a few euros.

Barrio del Carmen, Valencia

I returned to visit Valencia once more after an absence of several years, and lots have changed in the city - for the better. This vibrant seaside city now has an efficient public transport system, lots of cultural and entertainment facilities, plenty of wonderful eating-places and restaurants, and after staying for one week in a newer neighbourhood in the university district of Valencia, I decided to prolong my stay and move to a more traditional part of town, within walking distance to Valencia's old medieval quarters and the city's beautiful botanical garden.

The monument of Torres de Quart, part of Valencia's medieval city walls and fortification system, is just a few minutes' walk from my rental flat. Once through the gate, you will find yourself  in the district of Barrio del Carmen, surrounded by medival churches, narrow streets, older buildings and lots of nice little tapas bars and restaurants.

During the day, this district might appear to some as somewhat quiet, although it has a very high concentration of resturants, cafes and bars. It is however famous for its night life, and as soon as the sun goes down, the streets and alleys of this part of Valencia immediately come into life.

Let's Pray for the People of Japan!!

Illy Caffe in Valencia (2): L'Espresso @ Calle de la Paz

As said, there are several L'espresso cafe bars in Valencia, and this one on the busy shopping street of Calle de la Paz is a nice place to have a coffee break in the afternoon if you happen to be around the corner.

I like this place because of its large windows which offer plenty of natural lights into the cafe. Also the slightly dingy warmth of the ceiling lights offer a touch of radiance and intimacy to the whole interior. It seems like a good place for some serious discussions and small-talks.

Nice Little Places in Barrio del Carmen, Valencia: Taverna Cavallers

This little tavern is located on Calle Caballeros, near Valencia's medieval cathedral. I passed by this place in the afternoon, and decided to have a look that evening after dinner.

It is a small tapas bar which serves cold snacks, seafood tapas and other side dishes to go with wines and drinks. Since I am not fond of any seafood or fish, and my favourite artichoke tapas were not available, I settled for a cup of hot tea instead.

Nice Little Places in Barrio del Carmen, Valencia: Cafe y Bar Sant Jaume

There are many nice little places in Barrio del Carmen, and I came across this beautiful little cafe while on the way from Torres de Quart to the Cathedral of Valencia. The place is very small, less than a few square meters in total, but has a very original and authentic atmosphere.

As there are only two tables inside, most customers choose to have their drinks outside the bar underneath the trees instead. It seems this little place used to be a pharmacy of some sort, as the word 'pharmacy' could still be seen on the window above the side entrance. Even the wine shelves look very much like glass cabinets and cases specifically used to display and store bottles of lotions, solvents and medicines.

Illy Caffe in Valencia (1): L'Espresso

There are at least two L'espresso cafeterias in Valenica that serves good illy coffee, but the one located on a side street close to the Placa de l'Ajuntament is a good place to go to for some afternoon coffee with cakes, in part due to its central location, also because of the friendly staffs, although most of them speak Spanish only.

L'espresso is a cafeteria chain in Spain that offers the complete variety of Illy espresso products and all styles of Italian espresso. For instance, while not many Spaniards are familiar with how to make a latte macchiato or a Triestino, staffs at L'espresso can usually conjure up a good cup of one of these standard Italian fares at short notice.