Rob and I spent 2 nights in Izmir, which is Turkey’s 3rd largest city (behind only Istanbul and Ankara). The ancient city of Izmir was called Smyrna, but it was officially changed to Izmir in 1930 (according to our tour guide, the name “Smyrna” was difficult for the Turks to pronounce). We didn’t get to see too much of the city because our days were spent touring two different ancient ruin sites (more on that later). But our hotel was a short walk to the waterfront along the Gulf of Izmir which feeds into the Aegean Sea. So we spent our evenings cruising along the waterfront.

It seemed as though the entire coast was lined with waterfront cafes. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a beer and people watch.

Most of the cafes provided board games upon request and we saw a lot of people playing backgammon. I really wish I remembered how to play because it looked like a fun way to relax and enjoy the scenery with good company.

Most of the cafes also offered hookahs. Hookahs are water pipes used to smoke flavored tobacco called shisha. I had never tried a hookah before and since I couldn’t play backgammon, I figured I would give this a try instead. The only problem was the Turks don’t call it a hookah, as we so ignorantly assumed they would, so trying to order one was a bit of a challenge. But our waiter finally figured out what I was trying to order and flipped the menu open to the nargile (NAR-gee-lay) options. I decided to try the vanilla shisha and I must say I quite enjoyed it!