On the Aegean Roads. Let's go!

Traveling has the ability to take you out of our daily routine and into new surroundings and experiences and this can reset your body and mind. Even planning a trip can have a fantastic effect on the body – it boosts happiness and feels rewarding. Not only does travel reduce stress but it expands the mind.

We have been visiting around so far. The peninsula we live is big. At an area of 171,000 hectares, it is one of the largest peninsulas in Turkey, and its ports, size, and location have given it a strategic role in Turkey's past. It is surrounded by the Aegean Sea. We have been on the Aegean Roads. 

Seat belts!!

The peninsula is divided into three parts: Urla in the east, Karaburun in the north, and Çeşme(chesh-meh) in the southwest.

You can see olive trees everywhere..In the parks, almost in every garden, sidewalks..

If you look for a stop point, resting under a tree, it will be probably an olive tree 😊 Peaceful🫒

 Olives and grapes..wine yards, local wines and so many local or traditional famous dishes.

Here is a Dolma & Sarma Combo, I made, green pepper and grape leaves. Dolma is one of the famous Turkish dishes and its variety is countless. Zucchini blosoom dolma(stuffed zucchini blossoms)is another one, well known here in Aegean. 

Sarma is a type of Dolmas, grape leaves rolled around a filling of grains like bulgur or rice with herbs, nuts, raisins and spices.You can use the same filling for bell peppers. 

Let's start with the olive oil museum.

Köstem Olive Oil Museum. 

It is a museum complex 

with a closed area of 5 thousand 650 square meters

 in a total area of 20 thousand square meters. 

With the technological infrastructure of the museum, you can listen to all the works on your mobile phone with voice and instructions. You can also join guided tours for free.

Do you want to see the root of a thousand year old olive tree?  

When I saw this root, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

 It's impressive. Made me feel like a time traveller.

In the museum, all olive oil crushing systems used in Anatolia so far are available as originals and replicas.

There are organic certified household products, olive oil soap, handmade products and of course olive oil in the museum store.

Vintages & Antiques 

When we saw the gramophone, 

couldn't passed through without hear it. 

Collections..familiar?

It's a well-known restaurant 

with a heavenly garden to eat anytime of the day.

Urla, Art Street. This pic is one my favorites.

Urla

 Denizaltı Restaurant was our breakfast stop. Turkish Breakfast Spread items are all homemade, natural ingredients, local organic foods. Tea, fresh whole grain bread, pastries, all kind of cheese, olive, tomatoes, cucumber, honey, jams, eggs, omelettes or boiled eggs, orange juice..

Turkish people love food and consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. 

Having tea in Turkish tea cups is 

a great experience if you haven't tried before.

Fish shaped cheese wood serving plate 

with nuts, dry fruits and fresh strawberries.

 Organic orange peel jam was delicious.  

Mulberry Jam with Kaymak;  dairy product (all natural) that comes from Central Asia. 

Black olives, and green olives. 

Börek is also another famous dish in Turkey. 

So many varieties. 

One of Urla's peaceful cafe & bistro's that make you feel at home. Kindly people, delicious food, well decorated garden in a rainy day. After the dentist, it was like heaven. Paşa böreği is absolutely 

worth to try. 

 

Purple Potato Latte was 

incredibly delicious. 

There is always a another new to try for the first time every year in this festival. Alaçati Herb & Edible Weed Festival, is held in April.

What is next? Let's curl to the north. 

Karaburun, Mordogan. 

An amazing view is waiting for us all the way there.  

North shore of Izmir Peninsula, Karaburun. Ancient name is Mimas. It's mentioned as Windy Mimas in Homer's famous work “Iliad and Odyssey”.  Its clean coves and beaches are like a natural aquarium. It is possible to see many coves, which are not accessible by land, only by boat tours.

Seafood restaurants on the shore. 

Mordogan 

Narcissus flower got it's name here. 

Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses,

 a Roman mythological epic from the Augustan Age.

According to the legend; in the Goddess of flowers, Flora has a beautiful garden which has 78 types of purple flowers in it. The River Fairy Nana lives here/Mimas, today it's called Mor-dogan(Purple- rising) in this garden and she prays for a beautiful baby boy. One day, she gives birth to a beautiful boy and named him "Narcissus". Time passes, Narcissus grows; becomes a handsome boy.

He is a young man who impresses everyone around him with his handsomeness. He does not interested in any fairy, he likes to be alone in the forest. Back then, beautiful forest fairy, named Echo has fall in love with Narcissus.

Echo has an unrequited love for Narcissus. Narcissus does not reciprocate this love and walks away from Echo. In the face of this situation, Echo dies day by day by melting away. Her bones turn into rocks and his voice into "echoes" in these rocks. Narcissus was punished by the gods by saying, "He who does not love others should love himself".

One day in the forest, Narcissus sees his own reflection in the water of a spring and froze. He falls in love with his own reflection. He enjoys it first. In the time it also starts to hurt. 

 In the end, one day, he also dies because of sadness just like Echo.. and the "Narcissus" flower, which takes its name from the "philosophy of self-love", blooms in Narcissus' place.

Good catch sweetheart 😘

Let me leave here our YouTube link if you'd like to visit and see more. https://youtube.com/@yippiay

                   

  Stay Healthy 💚