So after trudging through quaint villages and old historic cities, it turned out that this was a week for fine wining and dining. Perhaps it’s a good thing, so as to rejuvenate before our next expedition tomorrow to the ancient city of Hierapolis and the thermal springs of Pamukkale.
We started off on Monday, with a dinner at the Nobili Park Balçova which is located half way up a hill and of course there were extraordinary views of the city below and sea in a distance.
Food ranged from fried calamari, chicken tacos and cheese rolls to the traditional Turkish appetizers, a cheese platter, several salads, a perfectly made Chicken Schnitzel for the main course and we finally had to skip over the Tiramisu and chocolate mousse so as to try some of the renowned Turkish desserts. 
Goes without saying, we didn't leave till we got out Turkish coffee. And it was served with a dark chocolate mousse.
Escaping from work on a Wednesday afternoon has never been more pleasurable for we discovered a hidden restaurant in a secret garden. In the back garden of the French institute of Izmir was La Cigale, a very contemporary style restaurant with a varied European food menu. Finally a Turkish menu card with some translation.... well, just my luck it had to be translated to French not English!
After a fab chicken pasta and lemonade, I ended that meal with a chocolate cheesecake. Then I totally broke tradition and indulged in my first cappuccino since I'd arrived in Turkey.
Boğaziçi, was something extraordinary all together; not just another a seafood restaurant situated on a pier. On Thursday evening, we were seated on the first floor glass balcony of this very classy restaurant where you could see the city lights all along the coast and the lights on all of the ships anchored across the sea.
Whether it was the ambiance of these places, the excellent views, the food or just the great company, each one of these outings were truly memorable.
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