How we quit our jobs, packed our bags, and took off on a trip around the world
Ayvalik, Aegean Idyll
When you think of “Mediterranean fishing village,” the Turkish town of Ayvalik and the nearby island of Cunda (pronounced “Joondah”) are what you have in mind. Twisty cobblestone streets, shady grapevine arbors, white boats in azure harbors (ok, maybe not the party boats, but still) and a quiet, tumbledown sort of charm. We spent several days knocking around here, working on the blog, heading to the beach, reading, drinking tea at our local place, the Seytanin Kahvesi (“Satan’s Coffee”), having picnics by the water, and eating way too many olive oil cookies.
Here are a few photos from our days there.
Guesthouse guard unitOlder Turkish gents at a teahouseThe owner of this tea shop is a sweetheart — he kept our camera safe and sound when we left it on the table and didn’t realize it until hours laterHer family bakes these yummy peanut loaves using the residual heat left in the ovens from baking the ubiquitous simits (sort of like a sesame seed bagel/pretzel).On Ayvalik harborGenteel decreptitudeHouses like this were for sale all over Cunda islandLove these address markers — how they’re mismatched, the evil eye on the left. If we had an address or a house that belonged to it, we’d have bought some.View of the Aegean from the top of CundaTea stop on CundaSimit bakers — these guys are legit!A hapless attendee of the weekly Ayvalik marketBecause in 2013, the local farmers still bring their produce to market this way.Delicious lunch stop for corba (soup) and kofte (meatballs) run by sweet ladiesHomemade dondurma with an unusual flavor — mastic gum, the stuff that also makes this ice cream stringy, chewy and slow to meltThese yummy olive oil cookies had a very crumbly texture. We think it’s because they are made without sugar or eggs (olive oil and grape juice are used instead).Sunset picnic shotA pretty good price for those sweet strawberries — roughly $1 a pint.
