12,000 km in 35 days

Meet Mauro, my new Italian friend. Mauro is on a great adventure and I hope that when I am his age I will still have the courage and spunk to do what he is doing now. Mauro hails from an area near Torino, in Northern Italy. We met as he randomly showed up looking for …

A Taste of Possibility

Next to the Food Network or Rick Steves, the Discovery Channel is one of those companies I would give an arm and a leg to work for. If there was any type of job opening with them that I was remotely qualified for, I would do it. After helping Andus and a researcher from the …

New Horizons

I am so happy to have Andus back from Germany. Talking with him has been quite the treat.  He’s one of those fascinating people that you could easily find yourself picking his brain for hours on end about whatever philosophical idea you may have. At the same time, sometimes he says or does the silliest …

Stone Oven Experiments

I have never cooked with a stone oven although I constantly dream about having one in my backyard. Once a year, Gulcan roasts a leg of lamb, usually in a oven, but the stone oven here at FCI is a new addition, so this was a first for her as well. Unfortunately I was not …

Rose Valley by Horseback

Taking photos while riding a horse can be VERY difficult. Especially when you are stuck with a 50 mm lense and can’t quite capture what you’re trying to capture. However, I think I did ok here. It was a relaxing quite ride..and I can’t for the life of me pronoucne my horses’s name but she …

Dining with Gulcan

What a treat it has been to dine with such a grand cook. Gulcan’s home cooking is fantastic. The kitchen is a crazy place to be right before dinner, but in the end, the final product is totally worth it. I wish I had more, because there has been some other dishes that I LOVE, …

Random Turkish findings

Every Friday in Avanos, there is a local bazzar. Every couple of weeks, we make one giant trip to buy food for the hotel. It’s a beautiful and chaotic market with everything from socks to the latest produce from local farms. One of the days I was wandering around town, I walked throug ha carpet …

Scooter Tour

It seemed strange that after I had a sad goodbye with Alex, I ended up staying till the wee hours of the morning again after meeting a new guest, Julian (lives in Istanbul but orignally from Australia). Julian was a great refreshing taste of my friends back home. He is outdoorsy, wears flannel, has a …

Göreme Open Air Museum/Rose Valley

Meeting people from around the world has been wonderful. Especially when we really connect! Unfortunately, this results in a lack of sleep many of the nights, and I feel sad saying bye to such wonderful people after a few short days with them. My first friend, Alex (lives in France but from Germany), showed up …

Motorcycle Adventures

  Personally I think the best way to see Goreme is by scooter or motorcycle. It’s nice to have the wind in your face but some days, even that isn’t enough. Here are some photos from some motorcycle adventures with Unal.

The Creepy Hair Museum

One day, Unal wanted to take me to a pottery shop, where he knew the owner for some quality pottery. I had been eyeing the ones in the little touristy gift shops, btu Unal assured me he could take me to a better place. So off we went to Avanos, just a 10-15 minute drive …

My third home – Traditional Turkish Tent

I finally got myself moved into my new room. My original cave room was a little too dark for my taste (even though its marvelously cool and fresh during the day). If I wake up in a dark room I tend to just stay asleep and don’t wake up with the same energy as I …

Turkish Delights

So far Cappadochia has been quite swell to me. I’ve been a bit lazy the past week, basically spending any solo free time out on the patio at FCI or skyping with some loved ones. Unal has been kind enough to take me out on a few excursions, which have been delightful. I hope to …

Türkiye’ye Hoşgeldiniz (Welcome to Turkey)

Ever wonder what it might look like to live on the moon? Just come to Göreme and you’ll find out. Getting here, however, turned out to be the most challenging travel experience I’ve had so far. It’s a good thing Turkish people are so damn nice, because without them, I would probably be in the …