#Fethiye

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting a Turkish couple in #Alanya, Meral and Omar, who run a wonderful seafood spot called Karides. They lived in the Netherlands for many years before recently returning to #Turkey, and you can really feel that blend of perspectives in both their food and their hospitality. There’s no fixed menu; just a kind of daily, evolving kitchen. You begin with meze and rakı, and for the main course it’s whatever fresh catch they have that day, often served simply, sometimes with their own twist on fish and chips. As a cook, I’m not easily impressed, but this food was genuinely exceptional. What stayed with me even more than the food, though, was the spirit behind it. Meral and Omar are both travelers and bikers, and as a biker and traveler myself, I connected with them instantly. There’s something very open, grounded, and borderless about them. From the moment you walk in, you feel at home, t felt less like visiting a restaurant and more like reconnecting with old friends I hadn’t seen in years. Meral was also kind enough to share tips on beautiful spots along the road to #Fethiye, which made the journey even more special. I think one of the greatest rewards of traveling is meeting people like this. They go beyond nationality, they’re simply, genuinely human.

Drove 650 km from #Doğubayazıt to #Kayseri in a single day, what a route. The scenery was stunning the whole way. #Turkey feels incredibly green and lush compared to #Iran, which is mostly desert aside from the northern and western regions. Funny contrast too: Turkey has little oil, while Iran has plenty, sometimes feels more like a curse than a blessing. Road trip day 2

The only thing that kept me going during the war was cooking and experimenting in the kitchen—it helped my creativity flow and took the edge off the pain. But with no internet for nearly three months, I couldn’t share any of it on Nostr. So here it is now. #foodstr #grownostr

There was a lot of hassle at the border crossing with the car, but the view of Mount #Ararat shrouded in clouds made it all worthwhile. Road trip day 1

Set free, if only for a while, Beyond the border. Road trip day 1 #Iran #Turkey #Bazargan

Friday #foodstr

#foodstr

Luna #dogstr