Pamukkale (Cotton Castle in Turkish), one of Turkey’s most famous natural phenomena, is a 400 foot high cascading plateau of calcium deposits formed over time by the flow of mineral-rich water from an underground hot mineral spring. A barefoot walk across the plateau yields the softest and cleanest feet you’ll ever feel.
Nestled at the foot of the alps, Interlaken is a good base for exploring the surrounding mountains. For us, Interlaken serves as a sauna and transit stop on our way south and east to the mid-Alpen village of Grindelwald.
Istanbul's Ortakoy Camii Mosque with the Fatih Sultan Mehmed bridge in the background. We found this lonely-looking mosque dwarfed by the bridge along a Bosporus river cruise which carried us from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul. We arrive in Istanbul after a 17-hour train ride from Sofia, Bulgaria. Our senses were slowly weakened by the smells of burning coal passing from the train’s engine. Upon arrival into Istanbul, however, our senses are kicked back into overdrive with a barrage of smells, sights and sounds.
