As we continue our hotel/Airbnb nomading journey with my wife Monica, seeking to discover more places off the beaten path and connect with friends we have made over the years from around the world, we found ourselves renting a car to travel to the Black Sea region, which borders the country of Georgia. We have some Paraguayan friends; I have known the husband for 15 years, and they invited us to come and visit.
We rented the car in Istanbul and set out on the adventure. We decided to stop halfway to sleep in Trabzon and found a great budget hotel right on the highway. We even had time to hop over to Samsun and see a beautiful sunset.
One thing that one should never miss is trying out the local food in every location. At the Grand Atakum Boutique Hotel, the food was of good quality, and we got to try the Kofta (Turkish meatballs) and Çay (tea, which one has to have with every meal here). We also had a delicious Kahvaltı, which is something every visitor coming to Türkiye cannot miss as it is a bountiful spread of cheeses, meats, vegetables, eggs, olives, and different varieties of bread.
On the second leg of the journey, we discovered a paradise on earth. The vegetation abruptly changed, and we found ourselves gazing at the beautiful Black Sea (which, by the way, is not black) and, on the other side, lush green vegetation covering the hills with small villages and towns nestled within them.
We stopped on the way in Trabzon and visited the Hagia Sophia, which has been one of my favorite places so far to see and learn a little about history.
As we seek to be salt and light…..so that everywhere we go with our presence we can add flavor and hope and trust that we have a positive impact….we are also impressed by the beauty of this area and the hospitality of its people as well. Oh…about the Hagia Sophia……….