I think we all agree; 2016 has been a tough year in every way. I can’t say that I started this year very well, as I felt tested most days and spent the first quarter with a deep depression.. In the first months, while I was wondering why things were going the way they did, it’s not hard to guess that my good days were only when I was traveling, since I was too caught up in it.. An interesting situation; You live with awareness of everything, but when you try to shake it off, a strange laziness comes over you.. you can’t do anything. After spending a few months perching in the right-hand corner on the light gray sofa of the house, things started to turn for the better.. At such times, we can wake up from very irrelevant things while we are fighting with ourselves.. Well and fortunately.
It’s not just about me, of course nothing. The fact that everything around me and my country, full of unhappiness and hopelessness, came and got tired of wandering around, ended after a while when I realized that when I put my head on the pillow at night, I became unable to carry myself.. Of course, you watch your can’ts and what you want to do collide while your brain is preoccupied with the months’ don’t do list.. Sometimes you also experience wanting to do a lot and not being able to do anything.. Yes, a person wants to do so many things together, his heart beats for so many things, but how many things he gives up just to do one thing, or how much he wants to do everything together but can’t do anything at all.. 2016, which started with such hopes, was a big piece of garbage in the first half, while the rest was waiting for me to become useful.. In the middle of summer, I realized that one of the most beautiful things that motivate me in this life is travel, and if I live in a period when I don’t travel, I am mostly unhappy; because I can’t heal myself.
Luckily, the Liguria tour that I dreamed about for years and that we took with Okan in mid-September healed me faster than I expected.. I was lucky that I started counting the days for other beautiful cities.. Now, hours before the end of the year, when I look back, I remember my trips that were very good for me in the first place.. For each of them, I say it’s good for a reason, and now I’m leaving a mini summary here for a tour together.
Milan Cathedral , Duomo
Welcome to the Year in January / Second House: Milan
Our first trip in 2016 was to Milan, which I love and know very well by everyone who follows me.. As I explained in my Vienna article, I can lose my mind in campaigns launched by airline companies.. A small mistake (!) I made while buying the campaign ticket, when it revealed my one-way international ticket, forced me to choose an affordable location and look for a return ticket.. Of course, Okan was not very happy with this job but I was very happy because I killed two birds with one stone.. Together with the Vienna ticket, we also bought a ticket to Milan.. Of course, the fact that most places are cheesy in January hasn’t changed in Milan either.. We had a gray mini trip as usual with lots of rain. However, these don’t matter much where one sees it as their second home.. We used the bad weather as an excuse, we visited the new venues of Milan in January.. We didn’t pay for transportation as one of the tickets for this excursion was bought for free and the other with credit card miles.. Since our hotel was under renovation at that time, it came to 550 TL for 2 nights.. We spent 1200 TL including accommodation in Milan, where we visited many places.. While preparing this article, I realized that I did not add an up-to-date travel article about Milan to Journavel.. My first job in the new year will be to prepare it as 2 separate articles together with the venues.. Until then, you can benefit from this travel article I shared on themagger.com and my list of the Best Ice Creams in Milan.
Cioccolatitaliani , Milan
January / Winter Vacation with a Spring Look in Surrealist Barcelona
The story of our trip to Barcelona goes back to the previous year. When we found a tour for 2 people for 870 TL in the summer of 2015, we bought it without thinking much.. Because when we looked at the tickets on the same dates, the transportation budget of only two people was 1300 TL.. As you know, since Barcelona is more southerly than many European cities, even in January, which we call the most winter, you can hardly see anything like autumn, so ticket prices are halved.. With that being the case, it made sense to buy the tour package.. I think you understood our plan Our aim was to cover transportation and accommodation with a tour if the hotel is in the center or close to the center and travel by ourselves.. we already had such a busy itinerary for 3 days that it was not possible for us to participate in a tour that would carry 30 people behind us.. We paid the tour until the new year came, it’s over. We saw that the hotel is also very far from the center, it has become obligatory to do a little browsing on Booking.. We were lucky; We spent 3 nights at the hotel Hesperia Ramblas, in the heart of Las Ramblas.. Due to the season, we paid 710 TL here, and together with the figures we gave to museums, we did not exceed the 2,500 TL limit we set for 3-day trips.. Here is the detailed article of our trip that we brought to Barcelona in 30,000 steps during the day, you can read my location notes here.. If you’re going to the city for the first time, I also recommend the Barcelona for Beginners article.
Park Güell, Barcelona
March / Vienna, Capital of Taste in Central Europe
We arrived in Milan all of a sudden on New Year’s Eve. what about the delicious tour of Vienna that got me going! While we were thinking about where to go at the end of 2015, we gave up Amsterdam due to the weather conditions and found ourselves buying tickets to Vienna.. Of course, you can find more colorful cities to visit in March; however, only two cities met these conditions since we set a budget limit with some items in order to travel more.. Therefore, we opted for Vienna, sifting through the options and not relying on the March cold of Amsterdam.. Austria; a country I’ve always wondered about. It was also a good idea to start from the capital.. It’s clear we’ve had a delicious tour, but this is definitely not the time to go.. The city is shimmering with well-preserved imperial architectures.. Another reason to come here is the food alternatives that will put you in a taste coma and the unique cafes dating back hundreds of years.. I think it is very enjoyable to walk around in the spring months, when the trees are still green or shedding their leaves.. If you take this message into consideration while examining my notes, I’m sure you will come up with a plan that will make you happier.. In this city, there are places where you want to sit for hours without going anywhere, there are dishes where you can eat plate by plate even if you are full; We should not forget the supersonic clocks and the museums beyond concepts at Naschmarkt.. In the new year, I will add two more articles about Vienna.. Stay tuned!
Rathaus, Vienna
April / Alaçatı Discoveries by Girl
Before the summer, we organized a girl-on-girl trip to Alaçatı with my dear friend Simay.. As you can imagine, Okan can faint during some photo shoots.. Considering the concept of Alaçatı, we planned a tour with the theme of ‘girl on girl’, with lots of exploration, saying I wouldn’t do this torture to my dear wife.. We had our Alaçatı stay at Katre Hotel, which you can come across in the Instagram world, but unfortunately Katre is not where we know it right now Until the new Katre opens, here is my short summary of Alaçatı. This summer, I will go again before the season and re-experience their beautiful place.. Then you can be sure that I will be with you before the summer with a cafe and restaurant focused article! I would like to leave a small note with accommodation in case anyone comes across this article until the article comes.. If you happen to pass by here, I pass the Peremere Hotel and the kitchen of Yaya Raw in it alone.
Birdcafe, Alaçatı
May / 19 May Excuse, Bozcaada Wonderful
When Okan’s birthday is approaching, then I’m entering a period where I can’t make plans for a distant place related to work.. This is always the case without exception; we plan the sweetest trips on my birthdays, when it comes to Okan, the plans are ruined. But this year, we set out for Bozcaada, using May 19 as an excuse, saying that it wouldn’t hurt to disrupt the course a little bit.. I’m not saying we planned the trip; because when our dates got together with my dear little martha, it was like Özüm and Baransel prepared our tour a little bit.. You know, they are the headman of the island, so of course, I give my article suggestion from Özüm’s blog.. In addition; We stayed at Harmani Holiday Farm on a birthday themed trip in May, we didn’t have many alternatives as we were already in a very busy period.. It was very good for us to spend 2 days in this farm with plenty of oxygen, very clean rooms and a sprawling garden.. I think we will stay here again next time we go.. By the way, I made a note in my notebook to prepare a Bozcaada article in January, it will be with you as soon as possible!
Rengigül, Bozcaada
Rengigül, Bozcaada
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Weekend in July / Büyükada
As of the end of May, When the density increased, we took a break from the travels.. In any case, the Büyükada guide that I will prepare for the August issue of the magazine also required a weekend getaway; However, the plans were a bit disrupted as our country entered a period of political turmoil.. While we were only getting organized towards the end of July, which was full of stress, tension and wonders for everyone, it was clear at the planning stage that this break would also be good for us.. We planned our Büyükada tour especially outside the weekend; When Arab tourists are added to the constant crowd of Saturday and Sunday, the island can be a bit unbearable.. It was a very logical choice for us to visit the island during the week in order to be able to walk around comfortably, to walk on the streets normally and not to get nervous from the crowd.. We stayed at Sergüzeşt Hotel, which is the newest on the island, on our tour of Büyükada.. Contrary to the classical island architecture, this sweet mansion, which contains modern details, feels like we have reached our home here with both comfort and warmth.. Here I leave my article, where I share the newly opened places and points that bring life to the island life, and give some travel routes.
Buyukada, Istanbul
Buyukada, Istanbul
August / Pre-Autumn Happiness in Cappadocia
As August ends, Okan I was on the road again with him. Cappadocia; It is always good for people with its natural beauties and mystical atmosphere.. In Cappadocia, one of the must-see places for everyone who loves to travel and explore, this time I stayed at the Museum Hotel, Turkey’s first fairytale hotel with the title of Relais & Chateaux.. I know that my article, in which I describe the hotel in detail, will be good for you; However, in addition to the hotel, the historical and natural structures of the region and the romantic balloon tour are among the details that make this place special in itself.. Trekking and fairy chimney tours, which can be carried out in groups by participating in the programs of tour agencies, also offer different experiences to people.. If you haven’t seen Cappadocia yet, where you can still leave happily every year, don’t forget to include it in your 2017 plans.. It is highly recommended to be present for 3 days in spring!
Museum Hotel, Cappadocia
September / 3 Cities, 10 Towns in 6 Days in Liguria
It was such a beautiful trip that it will be enough to describe it all I’m having trouble choosing words. I know that the first things that come to mind when Italy is mentioned are Florence, Venice and Rome; But in this romantic and delicious country that carries all the warmth of the Mediterranean, there are actually many cities and towns that are good for the soul.. In Italy, where I had seen 9 cities before, we put aside the idea of visiting every corner of the destination on this trip and planned a peaceful tour full of coasts that I have been dreaming of for years.. Our journey, which started with Genoa via Milan, took us to the colorful Camogli, Portofino, San Fruttuoso and Santa Margherita, and brought us to the fairytale views of the Cinque Terre from La Spezia.. If you want to look at what we saw and what we did during our 6-day trip to Liguria; I look forward to seeing you first for my towns article for Skyscanner Turkey’s blog, and then for my Cinque Terre notes for the December issue of The Gate.. If you want to read something about Genoa once in a while, I leave it here.. There will be other articles in this series that deal with different topics, let me tell you..
Portofino, Italy
October / The Most Romantic Birthday Present Paris
The arrival of September is also the sweetest indication that my October birthday is approaching.. My darling sweetheart is always very attentive to my special day; but we have changed the system a little over the years. On our birthdays, we make sure to be somewhere other than our home, abroad if possible.. If we enter our new age in a place we love and wonder, it seems like that year will be more auspicious for us.. This year, I learned curiously that Okan was in some surprise preparations, when the ticket he bought showed the airline logo.. As those who follow me on Instagram know, I did not have a chance to prepare in terms of plan, since I learned where I was going at the airport, but it was okay; because this time the whole route came from Okan. Just before going through passport control, I found out our destination along with the flight time.. The ready-made notes, which were worked out afterward, came to me with all the printouts.. We were also a bit lucky; because this was my second trip to Paris. Since I spent 7 days in this beautiful city before; I had a good command of districts, places and museums.. As a result, we joined forces (!) and left behind us another wonderful trip in October.. We also put a ‘tick’ on the title of ‘going to Paris together’, which is our common dream.
Eiffel Tower, Paris
This trip was different from the others. When Okan brought the Paris tickets, which we had been chasing for 3 years, to the campaign for the first time at THY, our tickets were bought for 800 TL.. Paris, one of the cities with the highest airport tax. Therefore, paying 800 TL for transportation for two people is a really reasonable figure for Paris.. We generally couldn’t match 2 people for less than 1,300 TL, of course, this may be related to the periods we looked at.. In addition, since our hotel was also renovated (how do we find them? ) we managed to stay on the back street of the Champs-Elysees for 1.000 TL for 3 nights, and I think we have signed a first in terms of tourism; because the first thing you need to do after buying a ticket in Paris is to arrange your hotel or the house where you will stay.. If you are late, you will find it very difficult to find a place, and you will have to pay a lot of money for bad rooms.. When we brought these two items, which always have high prices, we decided to visit a city for the first time since our honeymoon without having to worry about cutting the budget.. Indeed, we went to all the places we wanted to see together, and we had a full holiday without any calculations.. Apart from transportation and accommodation, we spent 150 Euros to enter Disneyland and 650 Euros for our general trip budget.. I would like to point out that Paris is not a cheap or affordable city; It is necessary to be prepared before coming.. A detailed series will come from here, even the first article about Saint Germain des Pres is here!
Disneyland, Paris
December / Christmas Market Themed Mini Bavaria Tour
We’ve come to his last trip. In another campaign period, we bought tickets to Munich with the idea of seeing the New Year’s Markets in December.. Since Okan and I both have a round trip ticket for 480 TL, we started this trip quite economically.. Our 3-day Bavarian route covered 36 hours in Munich, and 36 hours in Füssen and Schwangau, where we will pass to Neuschwanstein Castle.. We chose Munich for our accommodation because of the New Year’s Markets; but we missed a point. It turns out that Munich is no different from Paris in terms of hotels.. While I was struggling with the hotel that does not exceed our budget limit, I saw the benefit of refreshing the page at the computer every 10 minutes on this trip.. We were more than satisfied with Motel One City Süd, for which we paid 800 TL for 3 nights.. Although we normally choose lower prices, this was the most convenient hotel we found in the city.. Thus, we said goodbye to our joy that the flight ticket was less than 500 TL..
Marienplatz, Munich
Our watches in Munich we spent mostly at various christmas markets. There are dozens of places to visit in the huge city; but due to the period, we chose to go around in this way, and we completed our tour much more economically than we expected.. You can read my Christmas themed Munich travel notes here. Stay tuned!
Marienplatz, Munich
As you can see from my Instagram account; 2016 was a very good memory with lots of travel for me. Although it is not clear yet in the new year, I still have many dreams and places I want to see.. This time, I’ll write more and tell more.. Don’t forget to stop by Journavel before your trips! If you’ve read this far, happy birthday to you too! Happy New Year with lots of travel and lots of snow!
Sendlinger Tor, Munich
