Christina Soong from The Hungry Australian was the winner of our 2014 Best Australian Blogs competition and a trip to Turkey (thanks to Trafalgar!)
Today Christina is sharing her top five moments from her trip.
Woman in door (Visiting Demircidere)
One of the highlights of my Turkey trip was visiting the small village of Demircidere as part of Trafalgar's ‘Be My Guest' experience. Here, we split up into small groups to enjoy a home cooked lunch with the local women. We didn't speak much Turkish, and our lovely host didn't speak much English, but we were still able to communicate with each other using gestures and photos. Food is a universal language – I can't think of a better way to get to know someone than by breaking bread with them.
Turkish Ice Cream
Turkish Ice Cream (Dondurma) is incredibly dense, stretchy and melt-resistant, due to the addition of salep, a flour made from the Early Purple Orchid, and mastic, a resin that creates a chewy texture. So Turkish ice cream needs to be sliced, rather than scooped. This is a Mulberry and Pistachio cone at Mado in Izmir and it was absolutely incredible.
ANZAC Memorial
Visiting Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula was an unexpectedly emotional experience. It's such a peaceful place that it's hard to image such devastation of life occurred here. The Turkish memorial to our fallen soldiers is simultaneously comforting and heart-breaking. I thought of all the men and their families and I cried and cried. Lest we forget.
Cappidocia
Cappidocia was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The region's incredible, towering rock formations rise out of the ground like they are enchanted. Houses and buildings were built both amongst the rock formations and within them – staying in a cave hotel – the Yunak Evleri Hotel – and dining at a cave restaurant were truly memorable experiences. A must do.
Adana Kebab
I ate so many great meals during my Turkey trip. But one of the best meals was following a traditional Turkish bath in Istanbul. My friend and I emerged from the ancient Hamam relaxed, glowing and famished, and wandered down the road in search of sustenance. Feasting on spicy Adana Kebab served on bulgar wheat, chopped tomato and capsicum dip, freshly baked bread and pomegranate and orange juice was the perfect way to end our afternoon.
