Some first thoughts on Turkey

I put it on my list of resolutions so I figured I would start to think about this possible vacation destination Turkey. From what I've read so far is that Isanbul, being the capital, is the easiest place to start from. Finding out if there are cheap flights to Turkey was easy and its a good option since the buses and trains can be slow and have hold-ups at the border. In particular Sultanahmet where some of the city's major sights and monuments are located near each other. From the main square, the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia are both a stone's throw away. There are thousands of years worth of history in this square kilometre alone, its incredible even though I live in Budapest at how much this area is saturated in politics, culture and world-changing events. You can just breathe history here. From here it is easy to explore the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

I realize the more I travel that not only does the capital city not give a real representation of the country as a whole but that most of the really touristy sights also don't represent the capital city. They are mandatory to visit in my opinion, usually just to see what the hype is all about, but it is certain that tourists crowd the Blue Mosque and that they outnumber the locals at the Grand Bazaar. I like to get to know the locals when I travel and to do this I usually have to find the more outer districts of the city and lose myself in neighborhoods where English-speakers are harder to find.

Balkinology, a travel site, suggests taking a walk along the south shore of the Golden Horn from Galata Bridge. Checking out Fener and Balat will be helpful too in getting a more realistic and cultured impression of Istanbul. The city walls were built in the fifth century and it is possible to trace them along the outskirts of the city. I can't even imagine how long it took to build them and by how many men.
Another site I think is a must-see especially for art-lovers and architect admirers is the Church of Saviour in Chora which has frescoes in classic Byzantine style.Thinking about travelling again is exciting, especially to a location like Turkey which is really geographically close but can feel so exotic at the same time.

Lower prices in Montenegro hotels

I guess no one will be surprised to hear what I‘ve just read, that is, this season the vast majority of visitors in Montenegro were from foreign countries, and the last week of August in Herceg Novi has passed with a great number of tourists, enjoying the sunshine on the gorgeous Riviera.


Prices of accommodations are already 10% to 20% lower now, in the majority of hotels; and the rest of the hotels should be also lowering their prices this week, or in the second half of September.


Half board in a Herceg Novi hotel costs around EUR €24 (up to €180). The 10-15% discount will start from 1 September.



According to Zeljko Andric, Hotel Keeping Manager of the Institute Dr Simo Milosevic, they are expecting more visitors from Denmark, Holland and Sweden in the following period.


Time to pack our suitcases for an after-season holiday in Montenegro, isn’t it?

Koper, Piran, Portorož

The way to Koper was extremely beautiful – we took a train around 16 in the afternoon and enjoyed the air-conditioned, clean service and the fact that there weren’t many tourists around. The journey takes only 2 hours, but the view from the viaduct when approaching the seaside is really fascinating. I booked a room in a students’ hostel prior to the journey, and also asked for the daily menu option… what we had for dinner was something that resembles the South-German ‘national dish’ with brown sauce, but was quite good though and to tell the truth we were hungry by then.







Right after we arrived, went for a walk in the port, to make friends with the local cats and see the sunset on the water – and the only thing that stopped me from jumping into the water was the sign right next to the boats: no swimming. But at least had a nice walk on the narrow streets of Koper, and a glimpse of the Mediterranean atmosphere. I think that was the first time I realized it must have been a mistake that I wasn’t born somewhere near the sea – and a strange feeling that somehow felt at home. Ever since, this is the only place where I can feel perfectly liberated, and always long for it, if I’m not somewhere near the shore.






Next morning: sightseeing in Piran, a short ride by bus and the first success in using my small Slovenian knowledge asked for the prices of shawls – and they understood!! Of course I couldn’t wait giving myself up to the waves, so in less than 5 minutes I was already in the water. After lunch, a huge ice cup, and a walk up to the castle walls, so that we could make some pictures of the panoramic view (not of those, couple of less bashful vacationers who were swimming about naked).







Actually I’m thinking of visiting Piran this year as well, and hope I can report about it soon to you.