Tag: europe

Posted on in Historical, travel

Today’s travel hack: catch a ferry

Ferry approaching the beach at Deer Island NB

Whenever I travel, I like to take a ferry. Ferries are a great way to see a city or area from the water. They can break up a long drive, or give you some downtime after a long day on foot. Best of all they are usually very cheap or even free and you often meet some interesting people on board.

Last week, when I was in Halifax, I took the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth for $3. It was interesting to see the preparations for Sail GP, one of the largest sailing events in the world and all the naval ships in the harbour. My friends who live there were telling me they’ve seen increased activity since Canada has committed to spending more on our national defence.

On the ferry ride home, I met two of the crew members from the British crew competing in Sail GP. Their home base was on the Dartmouth side, but they were staying in Halifax. They are currently in second place in the circuit, hoping to bump the Aussies out of first place. I asked them what their life was like. The racing season starts in January and goes until November. They travel to 13 different countries, staying a little over two weeks in each spot, all expenses paid. Their favourite courses to race are Sydney, Australia, New York and Halifax and their least favourite was Dubai. What a life!  

In February, Dave and I took the ferry from the one side of the Bosphorous in Istanbul to our home base in Taksim for about $2.50 each. The ferry system in Istanbul is extensive and we had great views of the Maiden’s Tower, an ancient watchtower and all the boat traffic from fishing boats to tour boats, high end power boats and commercial vessels in the busy harbour.

Here are some of my favourite ferries I’ve taken in the past few years on my travels:

  • The ferry from Armadale to Mallaig in the Isle of Skye in the highlands in Scotland. Last summer, my best friend Leslie and I saw dolphins right off the boat.
  • The cable ferries in Cape Breton in Englishtown and Little Narrows. Cable ferries are a throwback to earlier days when ferries were manually propelled with a crank or by pulling on a cable. There are about 65 still operating in Canada.
  • If you’re visiting Kingston this summer, be sure to hop on the free Wolfe Islander to see Kingston by the water. Stop at Spicer’s Dockside Grill or the Hotel Wolfe Island for a drink or something to eat on their waterfront patios.
  • The two ferry trip from L’etete, New Brunswick (between Saint John and St. Andrews by the Sea) to Deer Island and Campobello Island. The second ferry is privately owned and is a riot because you literally drive onto a beach to get onto the ferry.

More travel hacks and tips:

  • The Canadian government has dropped the fares by half for ferries to Newfoundland this summer.
  • If you’re travelling down east and need a break from all the driving, take the ferry from Digby, NS to Saint John, NB.
  • Longer distance ferries book up fast so book well in advance and pay attention to the time you need to be there (most are 1 hour in advance, the Newfoundland ferries are 2 hours). If you arrive late, you may miss your spot. This happened to us a few years ago catching the ferry from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast in BC.
  • Today is the last day for Sail GP in Halifax. You can catch all the action on the Sail GP YouTube channel.

Happy sailing!

Photos: Above: ferry landing on the beach on Deer Island, NB. Below: Ferry traffic on the Bosphorous in Istanbul and view of Galata Tower in Taksim district. Navy ship in Halifax harbour.

Ferries in Istanbul harbour
View of Galata Tower in Taksim district from the Bosphorous
Navy ship and a barge in Halifax harbour
Posted on in Food and drink, Historical, holidays, Technology and social media, travel

Wanderlust

Men selling tomatoes in a market in Bursa, Turkey

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in The Fellowship of the Rings, “All who wander are not lost.”

Does anybody get lost anymore? Not often. With the advent of Google maps and GPS, we’ve become glued to a screen on our dashboard or in our hands that tells us exactly where we need to go. We’ve lost the joy of getting lost.

There is a freedom and excitement to discovering what’s around the next corner when you are lost. Of course, you need to pick your times. If you are on a strict time schedule, or travelling with a group who would not appreciate your meanderings, it may not be the best time to wander at will.

But if your goal is simply to explore and discover, put your phone away and let whim and desire lead you.

On our recent trip to Turkey, Dave and I made the conscientious decision to put our phones away and get lost in Istanbul. In the touristy Sultanahmet neighbourhood, we wandered down back streets where locals shopped for daily necessities like cheap undergarments, work clothes and shoes. We passed by Turkish grandmothers “nenes” wearing scarves over their heads and peasant skirts, shopping for socks and underwear, and workers hauling merchandise up the narrow alleyways on carts.

In the Taksim district, we got lost in alleyways selling art and musical instruments and were surprised when we popped out directly in front of the Galata Tower, one of the historic landmarks on the modern side of the Bosphorus.

We spent another afternoon poking around Kadikoy, a neighbourhood on the Asian side of the Bosphorous. We found spices, tea and coffee half the price they were selling it for in the touristy Spice Market and had one of the best meals of our entire trip.

In the ancient town of Bursa, near the Mediterranean, we went exploring when we noticed a man setting up a vegetable stand. We discovered to our delight it was market day, and spent the next hour browsing stalls that snaked up and down narrow alleyways filled with fish, fresh produce, pure olive oil in unmarked bottles, tobacco, and more. It was one of the most amazing produce markets I’ve ever been to, and we just happened to stumble upon it.

This week’s #HappyAct is to put your GPS away and get lost. On foot, by car, it’s your choice. See what adventures and treasures you can find.

Farmers market in Bursa Turkey
Olives and olive oil in Bursa farmer's market in Turkey
Dave lost in the streets in Taksim near the Galata Tower
Ciya Sofrasi restaurant in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul

Photos: At top and above: every type of produce imaginable at the Bursa market. Note the selection of olives and unmarked bottles of olive oil. Workers carrying merchandise by hand in the back streets of Sultanahment. Dave in one of the alleyways near the Galata Tower. And finally, one of the chefs working in the window at Ciya Sofrasi in the Kadikoy neighbourhood of Istanbul. They own three restaurants, and can bring kebabs from their restaurant across the street over to include in your order. It was one of the best meals we had in Turkey. If you look closely, you can see my reflection in the window!

Posted on in Historical, nature, photography, travel

Up, up and away

Hot air balloons in Pamukkale Turkey

I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe I’m a thousand feet in the air soaring in the sky in a hot air balloon. It almost wasn’t to be.

When Dave and I decided on Turkey as a destination for a winter getaway, hot air ballooning was one of the premier attractions. The most famous place to hot air balloon in Turkey is Cappadocia over the fairy chimneys and primeval rock formations dating back thousands of years. The internet is teeming with pictures of this magical place where the skies are filled with dozens of colourful balloons in the sky at once.

We arrived in Cappadocia in the middle of a snowstorm. Our balloon ride was cancelled the next morning due to snow and the next day due to fog. We had one chance left to take to the skies the following morning in Pamukkale.

We had toured Pamukkale the day before. It was in fact, my favourite place in Turkey. Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its white, thermal pools of calcium deposits the size of Niagara Falls. After soaking in its magical charm at sunset and exploring the ancient ruins of Hieropolis adjacent to it, I was bursting with anticipation to sail above it the next morning in a hot air balloon.

As our transfer took us down through the valley, we could see the first flight of balloons mid-air outside our windows. The sun had just breached the mountains to the east and the air had a soft, hazy glow.

We arrived in a field and watched as the pilot landed the balloon we were about to fly in. They had to balance the weight, so as two people exited the balloon, two of our group entered. It was tricky climbing over the sturdy rattan basket, but the pilot and his crew members were there to help and our group of 12, who had become quite close in our week-long adventures congenially extended helping hands and hauled each other one by one into the basket.

After a quick safety lesson, our pilot fires up the propane tanks. A burst of flames shoots upwards, sending waves of heat into my face as air fills the colourful balloon above us.

Lift off. The balloon begins to rise majestically, floating ever so gently, gaining altitude as the light from the daybreak casts a soft glow over the hills and valleys.

Hot air balloon in Pamukkale Turkey

Our pilot watches the altitude, wind speed and conditions on his control panel. He releases more propane and we rise higher, higher.

I look down and see a patchwork quilt of vineyards and fields filled with olive trees and grapes and little dots that are houses. There is a large waterpark below us, as we begin to drift towards majestic Pamukkale.

There is a hushed silence, as our group watches in wonder the beauty of the landscape, breathing in the cool air and feeling the warmth of the morning sun on our faces. We are in awe.

A thousand feet. Our pilot keeps turning the balloon from east to west so we can all enjoy the magnificent views of the cotton castle below us and the snow-capped mountains to the west.

We continue suspended in air and in time, floating blissfully, quietly, at peace with the world and immersed in the atmosphere around us.

It is time to land. We had been briefed on how to sit for a crash landing, low in the basket, gripping the handles. As we drift slowly, slowly towards the ground, some of us assume the position. The pilot laughs. He assures us the stance is not necessary, it will be a smooth landing today.

We touch down, barely a bump in a mud-caked farmer’s field. The crew is waiting to greet us with champagne. Another successful flight.

Our hot air balloon ride in Turkey was a magical once-in-a-lifetime adventure. I hope you get to experience something as equally special and meaningful to you some day. See my quick Instagram video here.

Hot air balloon over Pamukkale Turkey
Hot air balloon
Author and her husband in hot air balloon
Cotton castle, Pamukkale Turkey
Fields in Turkey from a hot air balloon
Deflated hot air balloon at Pamukkale Turkey
Shadow of hot air balloon over the fields of Turkey
Woman on calcium field at Pamukkale Turkey

Me at Pamukkale the night before at sunset