Pumpkins – from Jack-o-Lanterns to delicious desserts
It’s autumn! Pumpkins are ripe and plentiful … and Halloween is just around the corner. People have been carving Jack-o’-Lanterns for centuries — a Halloween tradition with roots in an old Irish legend about a trickster named Stingy Jack. According to the tale, Stingy Jack once invited the Devil for a drink but, true to […]
Discover Side: Turkey’s Sun-Kissed Mediterranean Gem
Pronounced see-deh, Side sits gracefully on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast, blending the charms of a modern resort town with some of the country’s most famous classical sites. Stroll through the ancient ruins, and you’ll feel the whispers of history mingling with the vibrant buzz of contemporary life—no wonder legend says Cleopatra and Mark Antony chose […]
Ölüdeniz in winter – a spectacular turquoise paradise
“Mother Nature at her finest” is often the first thought that comes to mind when you set eyes on Ölüdeniz in Fethiye, Muğla. Tucked away in southwestern Turkey, Fethiye enjoys a milder winter than many other regions. Towering cliffs, some reaching 350 metres, rise dramatically above the coastline, making the area not only a haven […]
The 2 Minute Foundation – cleaning up our planet, 2 minutes at a time
The 2 Minute Foundation – a charity campaigning to inspire people to take two minutes out of their day to clear up the worlds beaches, oceans, parks, streets and open spaces On World Ocean Day in 2023, we went along to the World Ocean’s Day Beach Clean Up, organised by The 2 Minute Foundation as […]
A visit to ‘Little Istanbul’ with Mick & Trudie
According to Wikipedia, there is an estimated 500,000 people of Turkish origin living in the United Kingdom. The Turkish community is not evenly distributed across the country and the concentration of the Turks is almost all in Greater London. The Turks have created Turkish neighbourhoods mostly in North and North-East London however there are also Turkish communities in South […]
World-first simultaneous clean up of the 7 seas
50,000 bottles removed from the ocean to tackle plastic pollution [8th June 2023 – Mullion Cove, nr Helston, Cornwall] The world’s seven seas have been cleaned by diving crews around the globe today in an epic move to tackle the ocean waste plastic problem. 6 UK divers took part in the global underwater clean up in Mullion […]
Autumn in Turkey: A Season of Magic and Colour
Autumn in Turkey has a special kind of magic that’s hard to resist. As the intensity of summer fades, a crisp freshness begins to fill the air. The sunlight softens, casting a golden glow over the landscape. Lush summer greens gradually transform into a rich tapestry of russet browns, fiery reds, and glowing golds. With […]
Hamsi: Turkey’s national fish
Turkey’s national fish, hamsi, or anchovies is more than a fish for the locals of the Black Sea region and whether it is fried or canned, hamsi offers a feast for both humble and rich dinner tables … Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Turkey has been blessed with an abundance of fish. Although […]
The Spellbinding Peak of Nemrut Dağı
High in the Anatolian heartland rises Nemrut Dağı (Mount Nemrut), a 7,000-foot peak crowned with a site unlike any other in Turkey. Here, colossal stone heads stare pitilessly into the distance—their features partly mutilated, partly worn by centuries of wind and time—creating an atmosphere both haunting and awe-inspiring. A Monument to a Kingdom In 62 […]
Şanlıurfa and the Pool of Sacred Fish
About 180 kilometres (110 miles) west of Kızıltepe, in South Eastern Anatolia, lies the venerable old town of Şanlıurfa The southeastern province was once one of the oldest settlements in Mesopotamia. Formerly known as “Urfa,” the city took the title “Şanlı” – meaning glorious, dignified – in 1984 in memory of the achievement of its people in […]