Safranbolu, Turkey travel tips
Where we ate:
- Esra café 2 – Though they seriously undercooked the eggs in Todd’s sausage and eggs at first go, they fixed it without grudge. Their mantı (meat ravioli in yogurt sauce) was served Iskender style – with tomato sauce, spices and butter – which upped the flavor factor dramatically: YEH
- Arrsta Kahvesi – The yayim was a bland pasta with butter dish that would have pleased a picky three year old, but the corba (tomato soup) and yaprak dolma (stuffed grape leaves) were very good. Most seating is outside and they have problems with bees: YEH
Where we stayed:
- Bastoncu Pasiyon – This place is taking it’s listing in the budget category to a whole new low. Overcharges for rooms that are half occupied by storage. Tortures travelers by having the tiniest bathrooms we’ve seen in this world – every showered while straddling a toilet? The breakfast atmosphere borders on depressing: NAH
What we saw:
- Kale (a.k.a. The Castle Hill) – Where the castle was but is no longer, the only thing up there is a sad little city museum: NAH
- Kaymakamlar Gezievi – One of the restored houses, this one measures high on the kitsch scale, especially if you’re into recreations of traditional Turkish life using heavily makeuped and blond mannequins. The tourist board video (you may need to ask the staff to show it to you) is unintentionally hilarious: YEH
- Hidirilk Tepesi – Though there’s an admission charge to the small park on top of this hill, it includes a cup of tea (or five) and a wonderful view of Safranbolu. Say “Hi” to Ahmet for us: YEH
