Last week I was transported by Thomas Cook Airlines back to one of my favourite holiday destinations – the hugely contrasting and beautiful country of Turkey. I dashed through the raindrops in the early evening gloom (lovely English summer weather) towards the neon beacon of ‘Paradise By Way of Kensal Green’. Once inside and whisked up to the conservatory, I was warmly greeted and stepped into another world. Drum beats filled the ears, tempting bundles of deliciousness were borne around the room, while my eyes swept side-to-side to take in the incredible decor and vibrant colours.
We crowded around the ‘Scent’ table, eager to learn about about the delicate perfumes hiding within glimmering bottles. From sandalwood to pomegranate to myrrh, each scent was unveiled with ceremony and waved under our twitching noses. I couldn’t guess many of them, but I had a lot of fun trying! It reminded me of my afternoon spent wandering the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, where the many spices competed to draw you in.
Just as fun was the ‘Taste’ station, with wines from Denizli. The Barudi Blush was my favourite, just begging to be sipped on a roof terrace watching the sunset. Next to them the crispy prawns with harissa and pillows of baba ganoush received the ultimate seal of blogger approval by disappearing in seconds. To further tantalise our tastebuds, custom cocktails and a mocktail with exotic ingredients like rose water and pomegranate were crafted behind the bar.
Also looking good enough to eat were the scrubs keen bloggers stirred together at the ‘Touch’ station, under the expert guidance of Midas Touch Crafts. Both face and body scrubs were made from ingredients like coffee, sugar and rose water – simple but effective! They’d have been the perfect follow-up to a soak in the hot springs at Pamukkale.
Kasha getting into theme
It doesn’t take much to convince me to dive into costume and once I spotted this incredible orange cape it was only a matter of time before I had it wrapped around me. The beautiful fabrics and colours at the ‘Sight’ costume table took me back to the piles of bright yarns at the Cappadocia weaving centre which were swiftly turned into the gorgeous rugs and carpets for which Turkey is rightly famous. The ‘Sound’ of the drums, cymbals, violins and more played by the talented duo nearly had me twitching my hips, but I’ll leave that to more experienced belly-dancers for now!
Thomas Cook Airlines fly to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir, four destinations that will let you use all your senses to experience the real Turkey. I’d love to visit Dalaman for its golden beaches and crystal-clear water, as my last trip only briefly touched Turkey’s stunning coastlines. I’m intrigued by sound of the blue lagoon of Ölüdeniz, which is reportedly ranked as one of the top 5 beaches in the world!
For more shots of #5SensesOfTurkey, check out the Thomas Cook Airlines blog here. Thank you again to them for such a fun night!
