Izmir – another hidden gem of a city! Located on the west coast of Turkey on the Aegean Coast, just across from Greece you will find this former Roman city. Izmir is the third most populated city in Turkey – however due to the relaxed and “hectic less” mentality of the locals it at first glance certainly does not give the impression to be a large city. This offers a splendid compromise for those looking for a relaxed vacation, yet want the hustle-and-bustle of the city life. And, Izmir is so very affordable. To my Canadians, 1 Turkish Lira is roughly $0.25CDN. Enough said, buy your ticket, and pack your bags.
So how did Mama-Doll and I spend most of our time in Izmir?! To start off we aren’t huge historical-museum goers so their goes any of those recommendations. HOWEVER, we are passionate foodies therefore we spent much of our time hopping from one café to another, discovering a new bakery, eating meze till our stomach’s ached, and accustomed ourselves to the daily happy-hour at a local pub. As much as Turkey is a meat-eating country, their vegetarian options are endlesssss, thanks in part to meze, which can be summed up as small appetizer like dishes that are to be shared…or just eaten all to yourself seeing as it is that delicious. If Spain has tapa’s then Turkey has meze AND you won’t have to go into debt getting full off of these small dishes of love, like you would in Spain. Turkish coffee is the rebellious older sibling of espresso - drunk straight or with a sugar cube. How these people drink this rocked fuel, and are so relaxed is beyond me. The Turkish community also make an exceptional black tea. Turkish delight certainly deserves its name, as it literally is a delight to your tastebuds.
Besides satisfying our foodie-selves and avoiding museums what else did Mama-Doll and I do in Izmir? Hmm, we did some shopping of which we found some quality souvenirs to bring back home for example…dried avocado leaves! Clearly, I am well aware that avocado’s grow on trees but to think you can repurpose their leaves?! What do I make with it? How do I cook it? Is meant to be drunk like tea? Do the basic b*tches of the world know of this? So many questions. Oh and, we also bought teas and spices!
Going back on topic. Our second day in Izmir it rained and rained some more. For a small Lira fee we took a taxi from one district to another and back. We ended up at Izmir’s most anticipated Bazaar, Kızlar Ağası Hanı in the district of Konak. If you have never been to a Bazaar you are in for a treat. I can only describe it as a combination of excitement, stress, Turkish men speaking assertively at you…perhaps even following you in Mama-Doll’s case, culture shock, curiosity, exhaustion, disorientation, amazement, and rows followed by twists and turns of shops situated between alleyways selling spices, olives, teas, coffee, jewellery, knock-off brand name clothing, luggage, … the list continues. And to my pre-marital ladies! Izmir sells so many stunning wedding dresses! Stunning. I have no ring on my finger, yet was tempted to try one of these beauty fabrics on.
Izmir has a great public transportation system, which includes a ferryboat connecting one district with another. We travelled from Alsancak to the nearby district of Karşiyaka. Alsancak may have the bars and nightclubs, but Karşiyaka has the eats! This part of the city is also the theatre, museum, and music hot-spot. Karşiyaka also offers a plethora of shops selling all of the aforementioned items in a less-intense pace compared with Kızlar Ağası Hanı. This is where Mama-Doll and I stumbled upon our most favourite eatery in the city – a small unassuming restaurant run by two women and their daughters, named Zeytendali (for more scroll below). I’m not confident my words can fully justify how amazingly tasteful this food was. Wow. We’ll leave it at that.
Stray cats and dogs sadly, are strewn about the city, however all dogs are tagged and most of the cats and dogs looked well fed. This offers the impression that they are well-taken care of; nonetheless still a sad thought to think of them as homeless. I have dedicated the last part of this pictorial post to the cats of Izmir. The dogs weren’t as interested in having their photos taken as the felines were.
There you have it! Another beautiful city, another adventure for the books, and more memories collected! Now keep scroliiinngg!!
P.S. I have to thank my former co-worker who went to Izmir last year, and shared her stories of Izmir with such excitement that I knew I had to come visit this Turkish gem by the Sea one day.
-- Melissa
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