The Greek island of Lesbos is only a few miles away from Izmir. Many people there still refer to Turkey as Asia Minor. Before the population exchange in 1922, after the Greco-Turkish war, around half the city’s population were Greek. Today Izmir is a city based in Asia, but with a very European feel to it. It’s no further away than the Canaries and becoming a popular tourist destination with direct flights from many cities in Europe.

Nonetheless surprisingly many people speak nothing but Turkish. I always learn a few words of the local language because it brings a smile on people’s faces. But I wished a had learned a bit more. The car hire company was supposed to “meet and greet” us, but didn’t. When I phoned them the explanation was in broken English and pretty useless. Thankfully someone from the airline could translate and we found our way to the car and eventually to the hotel.

The breakfast buffet had a distinctly Turkish twist and I loved the savoury pastries, sausages and cheeses. In fact everywhere we ate, the food was very good. Turkish cuisine is obviously known for its kebabs, but it offers so much more. We had only excellent culinary experiences whether it was fresh fish in a harbour in Urla (about 45 minutes away by car) or Köfte (meatballs) in melted cheese in a small village eatery. So if you’re a foody Izmir is for you.

History is also big in the Izmir area. On day one I visited the ruins of ancient Smyrna as the city was known in Greek. Humans have settled here for 8500 years. The Persian empire and others had control of the area in the past, but most the historical ruins that can be seen today are from Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman times. The buildings around the old agora, the marketplace, are in ruins and bits of columns etc. are piled up in heaps. However work has started to re-erect some pillars and arcs where it was possible to make use of the original pieces. Where necessary new parts have been added to make the pillar whole and these new parts are clearly identifiable, but fit well into the ensemble. At the top of the hill, Mount Pagos, sits the ruined Kadifekale Castle which was founded in the 4th century BC, but visiting it seems to be a safety issue and I decided to enjoy it from down below.

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