by Dennis | September 8, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Fall, Orhaneli, See, Do, and Play
Sadağı Canyon lies hidden in the rugged mountainous area of Bursa’s Orhaneli district high up on Uludağ. The canyon is one of Bursa’s natural gems, and an accessible, 1.8-kilometer trail follows the babbling mountain stream that runs through the serene canyon. The...
by Dennis | September 5, 2015 | Eat, Shop, and Stay, Inegol, See, Do, and Play
About 45 kilometers southeast of Bursa’s city center, near the provincial border, lies the town of Īnegöl. With a population of around a quarter million people, Īnegöl has two current-day claims to fame: it is Turkey’s furniture manufacturing hub, and it is famous for...
by Dennis | August 30, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Fall, Kestel, See, Do, and Play, Summer
Nestled on Uludağ’s mountainside a dozen kilometers above the town of Kestel lies the hidden little village of Saitabat (Güvercinlik). Surrounded by plane tree forests, fruit orchards, and honey farms, the village itself is a sleepy little burg consisting of not much...
by Dennis | July 15, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Nilüfer, See, Do, and Play, Summer
Under the shade of sprawling plane trees on a warm summer afternoon, my family and I sat at a table in the cobblestone village square with our friend, Murat, who had graciously offered that day to take us for a drive through Bursa’s countryside. There in the square we...
by Dennis | June 26, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, See, Do, and Play, Summer, Yildirim
It was a sweltering hot mid-summer day down in the valley. The kids were wasting their time lazily lounging on the sofa in the salon under the steady flow of artificially cooled air from the A/C. My wife and I were getting tired of being cooped up in the house. And we...
by Dennis | April 28, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Culture and History, Iznik, See, Do, and Play
Just about an hour’s drive east of Bursa’s city center, hugging the shore of a freshwater lake and surrounded by olive tree-blanketed hills, lies the little town of Īznik. At first glance, it seems hard to believe that this traditional Turkish farm town was at one...
by Dennis | March 10, 2015 | Bursa's Neat Places, Eat, Shop, and Stay, Nilüfer
Originally published on March 10, 2015. Updated December 25, 2015. Update: As of December 2015, Organik Ev is no longer open to the general public as a walk-in cafe/restaurant. Organik Ev now specializes in hosting workshops, courses, and private parties. Please see...
by Dennis | February 7, 2015 | See, Do, and Play, Winter
My friend, Whitney, recently visited Bursa in search of wintertime excitement on Uludağ. In a two-part series, Whitney shares her experiences navigating Uludağ’s winter sport scene. In her first installment, she writes about Uludağ skiing. In this post, she shares her...
by Dennis | February 5, 2015 | See, Do, and Play, Winter
My friend, Whitney, recently visited Bursa in search of wintertime excitement on Uludağ. In a two-part series, Whitney shares her experiences navigating Uludağ’s winter sport scene. In her first installment, she offers some practical advice on Uludağ skiing. I grew up...
by Dennis | January 12, 2015 | Bursa's Delightful People, Eat, Shop, and Stay, Yildirim
“Gel, gel, gel,” Sadet said to my wife, Amy, with an inviting hand motion. “Gel” is the command form of the verb “to come,” and in Turkish culture it’s wise to obey such a command given by an elder. Amy, not sure what she was...
