Salzburg, do not look so much inward

The rail bridge over Salzach river in Salzburg,
banks of which are perfect for cycling and running.

A view from Salzburg from the castle.

Located on the Western part of Austria, close to Bavaria of Germany, the picturesque Salzburg is surrounded by mountains and two low hills Kapuzinerberg and Monchsberg. It has a charming old town that is a UNESCO site. Although heavily damaged during the Second World War one can see many buildings have been renovated yet still baring dates from middle ages. As a city-state, Salzburg joined the Austro-Hungarian empire, only 200 years ago. It seems to have changed hands and was annexed by Germany during the World War. 

Views from the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg.

Salz is the German word for salt and it not only gave its name to the city but also to the river running through it, Salzach. Austrians call salt "the white gold" as it, other minerals and water energy seem to have contributed to the wealth of the city and the region for centuries. Fairly easy to get around on foot, one can still take a mini tour which includes the Hellbrunn Palace outside the city. When you cross to the other side of Salzach you can visit the amazing cathedral (Fransizkaner Kirche) and go up to the castle which allows you to see the city as well as the surrounding region. Once up there, you can take a walk to the Modern Museum or reach it via a finucular system. 

The building where Mozart was born is yellow,
the color of Kaiser's, Salzburg.

A view from the Von Karajan's house with his stick
in the hand, Salzburg.

Salzburg was ruled for a long time by arch bishops who happened to be good diplomats avoiding war and thriving on trade and music. The city indeed is the birth place for many musicians, most famous of which are Mozart and the famous conductor Herbert Von Karajan. The birth and later houses of Mozart are clearly marked and the latter is today also a museum. A few hundred metres away from the Karajan house is an interactive sculpture of Marina Abramovic who dedicated her work to Mozart's spirit. At this site, you should sit down on the chair; close your eyes; look inwards and lose track of time, as instructed. And if you wish to enjoy cafe and cake where Mozart and Karajan did, head to Cafe Tomaselli close to the cathedral in the old market. It is the oldest Austrian cafe and it shows! Right acrosss it, is Cafe Fürst the founder of the Mozart Kugeln (famous chocolates). Another good option for café is at the Mozart Museum. The ingredients of these cakes are so excellent, they fill you without being heavy or burning your stomach. Salzburg is also famous for Restaurant Ikarus a Michelin starred restaurant but hard to book. So we had a wonderful meal at Alter Fuchs in the old city. Just enjoy your Schnitzel with Riesling! 

View from Cafe Konditorei Fürst, Salzburg.

The cake lady (Kuchendame) at Café Tomaselli
must be paid separately for the cakes.

Salzburg is a pretty two day get away destination on your way to Hallstatt in the summer or to Zell am See if you are into skiing. Despite all this wealth and music though, there is something dark here or maybe generally in Central Europe. Maybe it is the pessimism emanating from Peter Handke quotes at the Modern Art Museum or it is the weather. Or maybe it is me, having spent eight of my teen years in an Austrian high school damaged my relationship with Austria. Still, at a time when there are sixty million refugees worldwide, an unprecedented number, you have a town so inward looking, its three star hotel reception closes at 6 PM! Austria should wake up to the miserable reality the world is living in and start sharing its wealth with people who risk so much only to start a new life. Indeed, there is so much room in this 200.000 people town. And apparently jobs too, to keep receptions open day and night.                    

Stolpersteine dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust,
after Germany they are also in Austria. 

A view from Zell am See, Austria.

Quotes from Handke on glass doors: "Some couples never get together"
and "only romantics achieve anyhting".

Holidaying with the refugees in the Dodecanese

In the summer of 2015, Greece made it to headlines either for financial ruin or for refugees crisis. In the Dodecanese islands off the Turkish coast, you see less of the first and plenty of the second. After all, the Syrian war is not ending despite four years of devastating warfare and it is now the middle classes' turn to leave the country. As entering Europe is allowed only illegally, they therefore land in the closest Dodecanese Islands like Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Leros off the Turkish coast. Usually they loom at the harbour either waiting for ferries to take them to mainland Greece and beyond or at police stations on the side of the road while lining up for registration.

Hora on the top of Patmos island, Greece.

Travelmind is a family enterprise: my sister is posing in Hora.

Hora has many nice shops overlooking Patmos island.

One of the furthest islands off the Turkish coast, Patmos did not change much since I saw it ten years ago. Given the distance, it is not receiving refugees but many pilgrims that arrive by huge cruise lines on a daily basis. Indeed, Patmos' Hora is called the Jerusalem of the Aegean. It has been declared a UNESCO site as well as a "holy island" by the Greek Parliament for its religious significance. If you want a little peace and quiet in Hora, you should pick a day where a cruise won't be coming. After a tour at the top with excellent views, have dinner at Jimmy's with the best view of Skala and beyond. If it is a cruise day, just skip dinner in Hora and head down to Skala. Dinner either at Pandelis or Tsipouradikos by the sea are excellent options.

View from Jimmy's in Hora, Patmos.

A view of Skala from Jimmy's Balcony in Hora at Patmos island.

The best sunset in Patmos is on the road to Kampos.

At Tsipouradikos, the tables are set by the sea.

Patmos is a small island and transportation is easy with taxis but renting a car is also an option. We stayed to the north of Skala in Kampos. Although the Kampos beach can be crowded, it does not have that many buildings as other popular hotel areas like Grikos or Skala. Its village square up the road is very nice. Across the church, Aroma is a nice place to enjoy island food like goat and lamb, deliciously cooked. Other beautiful beaches include Agrio Livadi; Livadi Kalgiron (a must if you like the atmosphere of a fishermen's refuge); Lampi (another must) and Livadi Gerano.

At Kampos beach, enjoy Taverna Agnadi.

A farmer in Kampos, Patmos island.

Kampos beach, Patmos island.

Lampi beach on Patmos island.

While Patmos is relatively far from Turkey, Leros is much closer. It is also much bigger than Patmos and there is a lot to see. As we got off the ferry in Lakki, the refugees were hiding from the sun in the shadow of empty buildings and a park. It is indeed a sorry feeling to pass them by and head to your hotel. We stayed in Aya Marina at La Maison des Couleurs, a beautiful mansion with few rooms. When staying there, swimming in Panteli beach is an option but it can get crowded in its narrow strip. If you walk down to Aya Marina, dinner options at Taverna Bratsera or Mylos are highly recommended. In fact, the whole Aya Marina Bay is quite nice with cafes. Walking by the refugees filling the patio of the police station there in full evening do is an embaressment, at the same time, it is an opportunity to see their situation and face the consequences and delusions of European political decision making. An example is a restaurant owner's accussatory tone who said that they were coming to Leros from "us" ignoring the fact that "we" already had two millions of them in Turkey.

Vromolithos beach in Leros island.

Breakfast table at La Maison des Couleurs at Leros.

View from Mylos Restaurant towards Aya Marina, Leros island.

The famous wind mill at Mylos, Leros island.

In our short stay, we loved the Vromolithos beach. It was like Bodrum in the 1980s which gave us a sad feeling. In fact, walking by the beautiful summer houses in Leros, most of which are either for sale or empty and crumbling, one also sees opportunity in the economic crisis: it is possible to run away from the calamities across the border to here, not only for the refugees but also for us. Unlike them, I would rather stay, rent a place in a totally serene world, with pristine waters and an unspoilt coast. In fact, we are so lucky to have Greece to have in our immediate reach. All you have to do is to go to Bodrum and take the ferry.

The Lime Bar at Merikia, perfect spot to end the day.

The French playing petanque in Merikia Leros
right in front of the War Museum.

Italian architecture in Lakki, Leros island.

As with many of the Dodecanese Islands, Leros has an interesting history. Italy's occupation of the Islands left its mark not only in terms of Italian identity cards (see picture) but there is Italian architecture to be seen around especially in Lakki. In Merikia, close to Lakki, there is an interesting  museum from the Second World War that we could only see from the outside due to being open only half a day. Ironically for the European venture though, the French were playing petanque in its very vicinity.

In defense of Switzerland

Room with a view in Arosa, Switzerland.

Sunny side of Grindelwald, Switzerland.

No visit to Switzerland is complete without
a cheese intoxication  aka fondue.

Switzerland gets so much blame for its banking secrecy and complacency in money laundering (according to die Zeit, lately through its art scene, health tourism and boarding schools, see here), its other beauties do not get enough credit. If one of those is the chocolate and the Swiss watches, another one is definitely the Alpine mountains and the various ski resorts scattered in and around them. Whether its Gstaad, Samedan, Arosa or Grindelwald, the scenery is picturesque, the runways are well kept and marked with signs of wind and avalanche warnings and the valleys are connected to each other through all sorts of gondolos, ski lifts and chair lifts. In fact, the skiing facilities and the mountain resorts are so well designed and thought about, they constitute an industry. At the same time, for all the talk about tourism killing the mountains, there is barely any building that violates the natural setting of a mountain town. Despite the not so easily affordable prices, it is a destination to go for peace of mind and good service.

Everything in the Swiss mountains is geared to
accommodating life with snow, Arosa, Switzerland.

Hotel Bernina at Samedan, Engadine region, Switzerland.

Laderach in Grindelwald offers irresistable goodies after skiing.

Notice the helmet holding hooks at the luncheon hut
in Berner Oberland.

Ski lift at Ischgl mountain, Berner Oberland, Switzerland.

In fact, your average Swiss has an amazing know how of mountain conditions whether it is the direction of the wind or the altitude or risks of avalanche. By the way they are skiing, you may even think that they are not only cool but even passionate, until ofcourse you realize that most of them are like other staid and reserved Euros (sorry). Nevertheless, one has to respect the nature and the Swiss do. The rules in skiing is a little bit like sailing, never play games with the sea (remember Schumacher and do not go off piste), always observe, exercise caution and double check. In case, you are not into skiing or the weather is too cloudy for skiing, there are also other options at the Swiss alps. You can go to a spa; marvel the architecture and the Helvetian culture of the Engadine region or even visit the Nietzche Museum in Sils; indulge in shopping in the stores of Gstaad. In other words, as always, the Swiss always have something to offer that they can then turn into money. Grüezi!

Samedan in the Engadine region has very pretty old houses
that kept its unqiue architecture.

Samedan in the Engadine region has beautiful architecture.

Stand out of Sinop's sunlight

Inceburun lighthouse in Sinop,
the furthest northern point in Turkey.

Sunset view from Sinop's fort.

One of the nicest things about being in Sinop was to remember –yet again- how big and diverse this country is. Located on the Mid-Blacksea coast of Turkey, it is as underrated as Denizli and definitely worth a weekend visit. Interestingly, it is the happiest town in Turkey when in world happiness indexes, Turks are close to the gloomy part of the list, (77th among 156 countries). One of the contributing factors to this happiness may well be that they might know how to live with the least number of things available. Indeed, Diogenes who famously lived in a jar was of Sinop (then Sinope). When asked by the Great Alexander what he could do for him, he famously have said: "stand out of my sunlight". 

All sorts of fish are freshly available
at Sinop.

Fjord like Hamsilos bay in Sinop.

Akliman Bay in Sinop.

Another explanation for the happiness may be the fact that it is in the furthest northern part of the country with the highest amount of sun light. Indeed, a visit to the light house in Inceburun -the furthest northern tip- is a must. It is one of the fewest places in the world where the sun goes up from the sea to also set into the sea. The easiest way to do that is to rent a car or drive to Sinop. When you head out of town towards the direction of the airport, İnceburun, Akliman and Hamsilos are all in the same direction. Hamsilos with its fjord like shape may also serve as the entry point into a hiking trail that is full of endemic birds. Indeed, natural tourism may easily grow in the area given the waterfalls in Erfelek; lake in Ayancik; natural park at Hamsilos and otters under threat of extinction in the area. There are already tour companies that offer it.

Meydankapi mosaics at Sinop archeological museum.

Another view from the mosaics at museum
of archeology in Sinop.

The Fountain of Martyrs at Yalı Kahvesi, Sinop.

The sea, fish and everyhting sea related is in the soul of Sinop. When the fishing prohibition is lifted as of 1 September, fish shops are full, for affordable prices. And restaurants know how to cook it. Fishermen sit around in Meydan Mahallesi and sometimes at Yalı Kahvesi. The latter is a place for everyone to sip tea or coffee and maybe eat a toast. Its humble ways should not fool you as a fountain nearby attests to its historical significance. Indeed, being the shipyard town and port for the Ottoman Navy came at a price for Sinop. When the Ottomans were "the sick man of Europe", the Russians raided the town in 1853 -known as the Battle of Sinop -as part of the Crimean War. Today, the monument for the fallen soldiers is located in the museum of archeology but at Yalı Kahvesi, the re is a fountain commemorating the event. The Fountain of the Martyrs was built with the moneys left in the pockets of the fallen soldiers. Apparently, the Pasha bastions -first built  in the 15th century- were also not much of help given the denseness of the fog. Today, the bastions are decorated with canons and there is constant sound of shelling in the background that makes it all the more real to imagine. 

Monument for the fallen soldiers
 of Sinop Raid of 1853.

Pasha Bastions in Sinop were first built in 15th century.

Street view from few old houses in Sinop.

If you go to Sinop in the summer, the beaches at Akliman, Karaliman and in the city are clean and thus of the few places in Blacksea coast that is so. Another sea related thing in the city is boat modelling which was initiated by two former inmates that were released from the Sinop Prison. Today, there are many shops but Ayhan Kotra seems to have started it. The other shops are all next to his at Iskele Caddesi. Sinop Prison (Cezaevi) is located next to the fortress by the Blacksea and many political and literary figures in Turkey served time here. Given that location, noone has been able to escape it and many movies have been shot in its alleys and corridors. The prison was closed down in 1999 and serves today as a museum. 

A view from the Sinop Prison (museum) today.

The shape of Sinop is like a peninsula but the locals call it an island. If you have a car, driving it all the way will take you to the other side of the city, amid stunning scenery. Along the way, visit Pasha Bastions and drive up to Boztepe where at low visibility, there is a fog horn that warns seafarers. The sea really is the soul of this city. But you can still indulge in meat and Turkish ravioli at Teyze'nin Yeri.

A view from Ayhan Kotra boat modelling shop.