About Clunegapyears

Travelling around Europe with James in our motorhome

More Poop and Love (rose tinted)

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Clunegapyears

Love Valley

08/08/2025

Poop. Not pigeons this time, but poor J. So we’ve stayed put pretty much. We did manage a short walk into Love Valley.

*Fairly obvious why it is named Love Valley*

*… and looking across. Can just make out Cavusin*

Cavusin and Rose Valley

09/08

An easy day with J feeling weak so a short drive to Cavusin. Bit off put by all the quad bikes at the approach, but the village is lovely.

Walked Rose Valley first whilst J had some energy and before it got hot.

*Holstered up … water pistol against dogs that intimidate our Corrie. But there is a constant drip down my leg!*

*Rose Valley but it really needed the sunset for the rocks to turn pink*

*A few rock churches. Amazing how all the valleys rock formations are so different*

*More pigeon caves for their poop. Quite a few with external decorations, leave the pigeons to decorate the inside! And more actual pigeons than in Pigeon valley*

Cavusin was another rock cave village but big rock fall destroyed much of it. The way the remaining rock is so narrow, it does look like a case of over caving. Now, it is another construction site with many of the ruins being turned into hotels. Seems to be done sympathetically. The guide book was anti the development, but it was a habitation long before the guide book was published.

We walked up to the old castle and St John the Baptist church, with great views.

Having now exhausted poor J, we returned to our previous nights park up to ‘admire’ all the quad bikes going past.

Balloons and Avanos

10/08

J woke up still not right. But look what I woke up to. Certainly over 100. And so peaceful. Other than the amount of traffic queuing below us and people viewing the balloons, literally beside our van. I asked one lady why the traffic was so heavy … balloons. We have noticed with the concerts, that Turks just don’t give themselves enough time to beat the traffic.

*One family used the van shade for their breakfast, less than 1 m from our bedroom window!*

We moved to Avanos after lunch. I like it a lot. Big park. Wide river with gondolas. A pottery town.

With a bizarre hair museum. Last time I saw hair in a museum was at Auschwitz. But here locks of hair are given voluntarily. Stuck to small cards with a few personal details and then drawing pinned to walls and ceilings in 3 rock chambers. Free but no photos allowed. Love a bit of the bizarre.

*The pix don’t show how many long stands were hanging down that you had to dodge*

*Very happy to see McDonalds and a Kitkat McFlurry. Followed by a local rose*

So we’ve stayed put in the car park watching the locals all come out for the evening. And we can hear live music again.

Uchisar, Goreme & Pigeon Poop

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Clunegapyears

Uchisar Castle and Wine Tasting

06/08/2025

Most of the villages seem to have an old part which is cave. They sort of tumble down the hills.

We walked into Uchisar and up its rock castle, inside initially, then around the outside. Apparently too much rockfall to complete the whole ascent inside. A mere 275 steps. The castle is 1350 above sea level. Scarfell is 978 and Ben Nevis 5m lower.

We pottered and dozed the afternoon away. At 5 pm we tripped over to the wine tasting. Very excited to learn something of Turkish viniculture. But the chap was either tired or uninterested. Couldn’t get him to expand on what I’d read. When I jokingly suggested that Turkey is the 6th largest wine producer, but 38th exporter, and suggested that there must be a number of Turks who like their wine, he was very quick to explain that Turkey is a free country. Oh dear!Tasting was 2 red, 1 white and 1 rosé. Of course, we liked the more expensive at nearly £20 a bottle. So not much purchased. But at least the tasting was free, if miniscule portions … not really a 2nd sip even! So we were back a Jez much earlier than expected. And still thirsty 😆, so our own Greek box wine came out.

A few Turks came to picnic at our viewpoint and there was a little road noise during the night. Fabulous and unexpected to see the valley below light up. Special.

Pigeon Poop

07/08

We watched the balloon ascent first thing, but facing into the sun, so not brilliant pix. Had not anticipated so many balloons.

*Having done a balloon ride before and looking at the cost, we will admire from afar. J wouldn’t go up anyway*

We were up and at ‘em to walk before it got too hot. In the event, if did get too hot. We had decided to walk further on to Goreme village for coffee and cake. This slowed us up so a very slow sweaty walk back up! J has been quite poorly since … both ends. Think the heat and effort has done for him. Or God forbid the cake!

The walk itself was lovely. So many interesting (and some phallic) shapes. We both resorted to our bottoms to get down one part and were delighted to see dusty bums on all the fitties that overtook us.

*The caps are made from much harder volcanic rock*

We could just make out some of the pigeon caves. Many had large doors and then pigeon sized holes. Pigeons were kept for their eggs and mostly for the manure they make.

*Amazing coffee and cake; £15 but worth it!*

*We preferred Goreme to Uchisar with its rocks in the centre of town and more rock hotel*s

*Uchisar is currently a massive building plot. Lots of cave boutique hotels and the centre is being landscaped.*

Tonight is another parking with a view over pigeon valley.

Overground Underground

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Clunegapyears

05/08/2025

Caravanserai x 2

We drove along a trade route, stopping at two very different caravanaserai. Interesting to compare with those we saw last year in Morocco. Those were built using mud. These were massive stones. Functions the same – essentially an inn, providing lodging for travellers and merchants.

The Agzikarahan Caravanserai had an impressive portal; theft was prevalent on trade routes. An indoor area with a mostly intact roof … just the dome missing. And an outdoor courtyard with a mosque on legs. <£1 entry.

*The indoor area, huge stones and storage / accommodation areas. Just the dome roof missing*

*The mosque in the centre of the outdoor courtyard had worn steps* up

The Alayhan Caranaserai had an intact, much repaired indoor area and excavated foundations of the bathhouse and mosque. Perhaps aptly, now used to sell tourist tat. We didn’t stop long!

Derinkuyu Underground City

This is a major Capodochia attraction. The guide books advise arriving early. We decided to arrive late, after the coaches. Although, as I’ve said before we are surprised at how few tourists.

After lunch in the car park <£2, we went to sort out a problem with our Turkcell sim not working. According to the app, 9 gB remaining, but no data. Chap in the shop told me to reboot the phone. Which I did, but I’d thrown the unlock code. Nothing for it but to buy a new Sim. Although, not at the Turkcell shop. Despite being a large shop, he couldn’t issue new numbers!!! But Vodafone next door could. It will be interesting to see if Vodafone has better coverage. All this entailed 2 returns to the van, to look for the unlock code and fetch my passport… really should be more organised!

Ice cream reward after … domestic ice cream is different to what we are used to. Less creamy and almost chewy. And this was well away from the tourist places by the entrance to the underground city, so only £3.30 for 2 scoops each.

Derinkuyu Underground City does not allow dogs, so we planned to take turns. I went first to check it out, as J doesn’t ‘do’ enclosed spaces. Just as well, as it is predominantly low tunnels. Lots of them. And in and out the same way, so lots of bottlenecks where you are bent over in semi darkness with nose close to a stranger’s bum! J elected not to put himself through it!

The caves housed 20,000 people over 8 floors. Built from 1900 BC. They rolled big stones across the entrances to protect themselves from marauders. Still working are 50+ ventilation shafts. Even at the lowest point, you could see how much further they descended. All pretty impressive.

Selime – Silly Money

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Clunegapyears

04/08/2025

So the Selime Rock Cathedral may have a lot going for it. But €15 each was too steep. Yesterday’s Ilhara valley ticket would have covered it, but on the same day. Too much for us. So we missed the internal triangular kitchen etc. Just wandered around the outside.

*And had a gander at the (free) impressive fairy chimneys (pointy rocks).*

A short drive away was Asikli Hoyuk. Much older than all the caves. 100,000 years ago this was a farming settlement of several families. 25 generations of them. Not a lot to see but worth the stop. And free! Not that we’re always cheapskates!

*Recreated mud brick houses. Access by a ladder through the roof. Doors put in for us.*

*Adobe foundations covering the real ones*

*We roadside lunched outside the van by Celtek Church*

Celtek Church was a Byzantine brick built church, which is rare in the region. Lots of caves surrounding it. It would have been stunning in its day, with lots of frescoes and arches.

We have struggled to find fresh fruit and veg. Even the chain supermarkets seem to stock only onions, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers. We had a detour to a proper working town, where I managed to buy a few bits and some meat. And the best purchase … instant bond glue with its aerosol activator. Hab and fridge seals glued in place.

How Many Steps???

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Clunegapyears

03/08/2025

How many of our readers have heard of the film “the 39 Steps” ? Ok – K and I did the 382 steps today – twice! Up and down into the Ilhara Valley. Plus the 150 or so from the car park. Corrie also did 764 steps – whilst being admired by lots of people.

In the valley the churches in rock were very impressive – I waited outside some resting my slightly dodgy ankle from yesterday. We had a drinks stop – Coca Cola and iced tea and mini chocolate. Corrie drank from the river – until K threw her in!

Back at the same parking as last night, we showered and K prepared Haute Cuisine. Chilling…..