I went on a 10-day trip to Turkey, travelling on my own except when I joined organised day tours in Cappadocia and on a three-day trip to south-eastern Turkey. Highlights included riding in a balloon over Cappadocia; strolling through coppersmith alley in Sanliurfa bazaar, deafened by the sound of hammers; playing backgammon with Kurdish men in the market square; and watching the sun set over the colossal half-Persian, half-Greek stone gods on the man-made mountain at Nemrut Dagi.

Kirkit Pension in Avanos, Cappadocia, a charming ensemble of old Anatolian houses, provided the best food and hospitality. One evening, Murat, the cook, took off his white coat, put on a fez and gyrated to the gipsy music playing in the courtyard.