Musings and Moments

This post is the part of Europe Travel Series. Catch up on the first part here . If you would like to read our unforgettable hot air balloon experience, click here . When we first read about underground cities, we could hardly believe that such places actually existed. Cappadocia is home to several underground cities, the two most famous being Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. Carved into the region's soft volcanic rock, these remarkable cities extend 5 to 8 levels underground. They were large enough to shelter thousands of people for days or even weeks, along with their children and livestock. During the Byzantine period, early Christians expanded and used these underground cities as safe refuges during invasions. On our third day in Cappadocia, around 9 AM, we hired a taxi and headed to Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the region’s most fascinating historical sites. After buying our tickets at the entrance, we began exploring this incredible underground world. Walking through the narrow t...

This post is the part of Europe Travel Series. Catch up on the first part here . If you would like to read our first day in Cappadocia, please read here . On our second day in Cappadocia, we woke up excited because it was the day of our much-awaited hot air balloon ride. We had booked our balloon ride with Discovery Balloons through our hotel months in advance. A minibus from the company picked us up at 4:30 a.m. and took us to a central meeting point, where a light breakfast was served. There were many other travelers there, all excited and waiting for the same adventure. After some time, we were told that the balloons had not yet received permission to fly. We were disappointed, but we kept hoping for good news. We waited for about an hour and a half, and finally, the balloons were cleared to fly. We headed to the launch site in the same minibus. By then, the sky was already bright. One by one, the hot air balloons began to rise. Watching the balloons slowly fill with hot air was fas...

This post is part of our Europe Travel Series. We started our journey in Istanbul, and if you’d like to follow along with our experiences from the beginning, please start   here . Cappadocia is one of the most beautiful and unique places in Turkey. Long ago, volcanic eruptions covered the land with soft rock. Over thousands of years, wind and rain shaped the rock into unusual formations called fairy chimneys. The region is also known for its deep valleys, cave homes, and underground cities carved into the rock. Cappadocia is especially famous for its hot air balloons. Every morning at sunrise, hundreds of colorful balloons float across the sky, creating one of the most breathtaking views in the world. We stayed at Sultan Cave Suites in Goreme, one of the most popular cave hotels in Cappadocia. The hotel is built into the natural rock, and the rooms are carved directly into stone, just like the traditional homes people lived in here for centuries. It is also listed in the Michelin G...

This post is the part of Europe Travel Series. Catch up on the first part here . If you would like to read the previous post, please read here . On our fourth day in Istanbul, we visited Topkapi Palace, one of the city’s most famous landmarks and a place we were really looking forward to seeing. Walking through the gates felt like stepping back into the time of the Ottoman Empire. We had booked a guided tour because we wanted early entry before the crowds and access to the Harem section. But when we arrived, we realized it was a large group of around 30 people. Because of the group size, we spent a lot of time waiting for everyone to gather and move together between sections. Ironically, by the time we reached the entrance, the ticket lines were already very short. Looking back, visiting on our own might have been faster and more flexible. Even with that small disappointment, the palace was very interesting. It was built after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and was h...

This post is the part of Europe Travel Series. Catch up on the first part here . If you would like to read the previous post, please read here .  On our third day, we visited the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. It is a complex made up of three buildings: the Archaeological Museum (Main Building), the Museum of the Ancient Orient, and the Tiled Kiosk Museum (Museum of Islamic Art). During our visit, only the main building was open, as the other two were under renovation. The main building itself is a beautiful piece of history. Opened in 1891, it was one of the first museums built to display archaeological collections. Even the building’s architecture and the sculptures displayed outside were impressive. Inside, the highlight of our visit was the famous Alexander Sarcophagus, one of the museum’s most important treasures. This beautifully carved marble sarcophagus dates back to the 4th century BCE and shows detailed scenes of battles and hunting. The craftsmanship and fine details were...