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Europe 2026
  • Pat Esler
  • Tracey Esler
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  • Pat Esler
  • Tracey Esler

Europe 2026

An open-ended adventure by Pat & Tracey Read more
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  • Europe 2026
    2

    South Cappadocia Tour

    May 26 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today we visited a huge underground town. The full extent of it is 17 square km. Used by various people over the millennia to escape persecution and murderous invading Mongols.
    After the tour we were transferred Nevsehir airport for our flight back to Istanbul. Picking up the hire car was a bit of a nightmare. We ended up having to pay in cash with a stack of lira 4cm high. Never use Nissa Car Rentals. Wanting a one-way hire to Kas, and coinciding with the Eid holiday period, we had no choice.Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Airport ist
    Our cave hotel12

    Ürgüp (Cappadocia)

    May 24 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today we start our three day tour to Cappadocia with Bellaturca Travel. We were picked up at our hotel and dropped at the airport, about an hour drive. We are staying at a cave hotel in Ürgüp for two nights. Dinner at the hotel restaurant was good. At least you can't hear the 4:30am call to prayer in a cave room, but we'd rather have some windows.Read more

  • Europe 2026

    Blue Mosque last day in Ist

    May 23 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After a slightly more leisurely start, we headed straight to the Blue Mosque, along with a thousand other people. A beautiful but overcrowded place!
    Passing through the Hippodrome (think chariot racing, lynch mobs) and various obelisks, Theodosius's being the best, we followed the Lonely Planet walking tour and visited a few lovely old mosques . The oldest and most beautiful was notable for its exquisite tiles and peaceful emptiness. Heading home, we stumbled across a cafe with gluten-free Granola & decent coffee - a real find in this city.Read more

  • Europe 2026
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    Istanbul wanderings

    May 22 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Our first visit this morning was to the Basilica Cistern, about 100 metres from our hotel. This is an absolutely incredible water storage built underground 1500 years ago (!!!) by the Romans.
    We then started to follow the Lonely Planet walking tour until someone told us the Blue Mosque is closed Friday mornings, so we jumped on a tram and had a wander through the Grand Bazaar.
    This is an enormous complex of little shops, all under cover with arched roofs over the walkways. Eventually the cigarette smoke in the air got too much for Pat so we headed for fresh air.
    We took the tram(s) to the end of the line, over the Galata Bridge to Kabatas, then took the underground funicular up to Taksim Square.
    Searching for a good gluten free lunch had us wandering down steep narrow streets among the stray cats. We shared a surprisingly good chicken salad at Art Salad, a tiny shop with one table out the front. While we sat there probably 20 food delivery motor bikes went past.
    Back to Kabatas and onto a ferry across the Bosphorus Strait to Uskudar on the Asian side. We had a coffee and Pat had tiramisu at a little upstairs cafe, then home by ferry and tram.

    NB:Basilica Cistern had just been closed to the public.
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/istan…    Read more

  • Europe 2026

    Istanbul

    May 21 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We are staying at The And Hotel right in the heart of Sultanahmet. We have a spacious corner room on the fifth floor. Out our northeast window we can see bits of the Topkapi Palace, the Ayasofya Mosque, and across the Golden Horn to the Galata Tower.
    Today we visited the Palace and Ayasofya.    Read more

  • Europe 2026

    Istanbul arrival

    May 20 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The flight wasn't quite full and we had three seats! Turkish Airlines is very good. The toilet on the plane was more spacious than our ensuite last night, except no shower of course. The flight managed to find it's way between all the war zones and landed safely and on time. We are in Istanbul for four nights to de-jet-lag and see some must-see stuff.Read more

  • Europe 2026
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    Singapore

    May 20 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Overnight in the land-side airport hotel Yotelair. If the room was any smaller we would have had to put our luggage in the shower, but the bed was ok. No window of course, but half the price of the Crowne Plaza. In the big round building with a giant waterfall fountain in the middle.
    Very close to our check-in with Turkish Airlines this morning, which was very pleasant.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Over WA somewhere.
    Leaving Aus between Broome and Port Hedland.

    Denpasar transit

    May 19 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Our direct Jetstar flight to Singapore had been cancelled and we had to transit through Denpasar, making our Melbourne start three hours earlier. The transit was ok though, basically just doing a quick lap of the airport on foot then getting back on the same plane. Good DVT prevention, and keeping our daily steps up.Read more

  • Europe 2026
    We had to buy four litres of gin to get the 20% discount.

    Melbourne

    May 19 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    After a beautiful last Aussie meal (roast lamb) the night before with Matthew, Mary, the grandkids and Seren, Matthew very kindly dropped us at the airport nice and early. The flight to Bali was like a flying daycare centre, with every seat taken plus about 50 pre-school aged kids. Fortunately we like kids.Read more

    Trip start
    May 19, 2026