Kayseri is a major city in Central Anatolia, is one of the gateways to Cappadocia.
Bergamo is one of the most beautiful cities in northern Italy.
Buenaventura is a seedy port city on Colombia’s Pacific coast. It’s not a touristic destination.
Popayán is one of the most well-preserved colonial cities in all of Latin America and known for its religious traditions and unique local cuisine. It’s located in the Cauca department of Colombia.
San Antonio is a fun city that blends rich history with vibrant culture. From the Alamo to the lively River Walk, it’s a city that tells the story of Texas with charm and flavor.
There really isn’t too much to see in Belo Horizonte, but I was pleasantly surprised by this city. It was clean, friendly, organized, and in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains.
Paraty (pronounced para-CHEE) is an open-air museum of Portuguese colonialism in Brazil. Wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting the art galleries and shops, and eating at one of the many good restaurants in town is well worth a visit for a day.
Thessaloniki is the culinary capital of Greece and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, but where can you eat? There are plenty of options in the city center for every budget and taste. My favorite place to eat and be entertained is at Ladadika, which is covered in a separate post.
The Turks are the most hospitable, friendly, and helpful people I’ve ever encountered. They usually go well out of their way to make sure their guests feel welcome in their country or city. I’ve always met people curious of foreigners, many eager to ask questions about me and compliment my bad Turkish, and others who happily want to practice their English for a few minutes. When I rolled into Afyon, I was expecting the same, but Afyon is different. Afyon is a Turkish parallel universe.