Gallipoli (in Photos)

Even just the word ‘Gallipoli’ is loaded for antipodeans. We all learned about it in history class, but few have been fortunate enough to visit the site where so many Kiwis and Australians lost their lives in the first world war. Gallipoli is around a 5 hour drive from Istanbul, so it’s ambitious to do […]

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Ottoman Trek: Istanbul

Where East meets West. That’s what I’d heard about Istanbul. Knowing it was a heavily Muslim city, I pictured it exactly like Marrakesh, with snake charmers in the public square, Eastern architecture, and calls to prayer over loudspeaker a few times a day. When we first arrived, part of me was a little disappointed: what […]

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Ottoman Trek: Plovdiv

Plovdiv. Where on earth is Plovdiv? I certainly couldn’t have told you before booking the Busabout Ottoman Trek. And yet, somehow, here I am! It’s actually quite pretty. The old Roman amphitheatre A Bulgarian man on a hill who randomly caught my eye Sunset by the mosque Although I’m a little bemused by their attempt […]

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Ottoman Trek: Sofia

When I was about six years old, I wrote a poem about an “army of ballerinas”. The metaphor may be a little impenetrable, but I was attempting to wax lyrical about a field of sunflowers.The last place I ever expected to encounter this army in the flesh is Bulgaria. But, within 15 minutes of crossing […]

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Ottoman Trek: Serbia

For some reason I expected Belgrade to be monolithic and cold. But our local guide is quick to point out that it’s a city of music and culture, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that my preconceptions were miles off.Our walking tour takes in some of the key sights: The old palace […]

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Ottoman Trek: Bosnia

When I was ten years old, a new girl joined my class. Her name was Amra. I remember thinking that her big brown eyes were beautiful. She was Bosnian, and her family had fled the country. I haven’t given Amra much thought over the years. But today I started to understand what this young girl […]

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Ottoman Trek: Split

There’s something welcoming about Croatia that makes everyone want to come back. I chose to arrive in Split a day before my Ottoman Trek departs, to ensure I have enough time to experience this wonderful place before setting off.This is what I managed to do with 24 hours in Split, and I’d highly recommend it […]

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