The Black Sea – Karadeniz

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Black Sea region.  It was amazingly beautiful.  It looked as if someone had set the ocean down right in the middle of Chester County, PA.  We visited Safranbolu on the way to the water in Amasra.  We stopped for breath-taking views of the countryside as we enjoyed a glass of hot tea.  

We spent the night at a charming hotel in Amasra, Ceylin Otel.  The hotel was right across the street from the water.  Although the rooms were very small, the hotel was immaculate.  It recently opened, the owners were lovely, and breakfast was included in the price.  (50-65TL per person per night.)  On the way home, we stopped in Cakraz for lunch.  

The end of the trip was my favorite part – getting “lost” with the GPS.  If you go there, trust your GPS, but only if you want to avoid the highways.  Apparently it doesn’t recognize the new roads.  Once it literally wanted us to turn right into a big ditch – where no one would find us unless they happened to be walking by and searching the 20′ drop.  But the country roads that took us to rolling hills and green fields, that turned to dirt and gravel, where cows crossed our paths, was like any small farm town U.S.A.  Just gorgeous!