A couple of weeks ago, I was ecstatic to be invited to one of the most exciting blog events I’ve ever been to – the #5SensesOfTurkey event, hosted by Thomas Cook Airlines. I used to work in travel myself and being ex-cabin crew – the Travel bug never leaves you and will always hold a special place in my heart. When I first found out about the event, I knew this was an event I couldn’t miss.
On the day, with a tummy full of butterflies (I’ve been to so many events, but this one made me nervous!) I headed up the big smoke, where I truly felt a seaside girl out of my comfort zone as I tried to find the venue, which was in Paradise by way of Kensal Green… where on earth is that?! I still don’t know, but Google Maps and the blogging goddesses got me there safely and I was ready to soak up the Turkish sensory experiences, one by one. As I walked through the door within seconds, I met so many lovely bloggers with beaming smiles and had a cocktail trust into my hand – the nerves soon faded and the night began.
TASTE: Turkish Wine – First up on our sensory experience was Turkish Wine Tasting (I must naturally gravitate towards wine!) Unfortunately for me, I had to drive so I couldn’t indulge to the max but I did get a few sips of the delicious wines Turkey has to offer and will be pouring myself a glass of that rich, deep red on a day when driving isn’t on the cards! We also had a fun ‘Guess how many grapes inside the lantern’ competition, which got the conversation going.
SOUND: Turkish Music – Throughout the evening the venue was filled with the upbeat tones of Turkish Music, which if I let my mind wander took me straight out of Kensal Green and right into the heart of Dalaman or Antalya, I saw lots of bloggers moving to the authentic Turkish beats, you just couldn’t help yourself. Of course, I was on my best behaviour, but part of me just wanted to break into a belly dance across the room, shimmying to the beat… probably a good thing I only had one cocktail!
SCENT: Turkish Scents – I loved stepping into the Turkish Apothecary to try my hand at guessing the signature Turkish Scents. A table of beautiful glass bottles, every sniff of the delicate scents took me deep into the Turkish Grand Bazaars and back again.
SIGHT: Colours of Turkish Costume – we all had the opportunity to don the traditional Turkish outfits, hats and swirl about, a hilarious opportunity to snap the perfect ‘#5SensesofTurkey’ selfie (which formed part of the evenings competitions – see the hashtag for more entries!). I loved the bright fabrics, a way to brighten up any outfit – that’s for sure!
TOUCH: Turkish Body Scrubs – Next up was my favourite activity of the evening. We were shown by the lovely Naomi of Midas Touch Crafts, how to make 100% natural face and body scrubs. My body scrub, made with sea salt and rose water smelt deliciously like Turkish Delight and made my skin sooo soft.
Of course it wouldn’t be a proper blog event without food and most importantly cocktails! We all indulged in the vibrant colourful mezzes and drank cocktails into the evening (well, I had one as I was driving, but it was a bloody good one!)
All in all, it was a wonderful evening – had by all. I’ve been dreaming of Turkey ever since. I think my dream holiday would be to visit Antalya, with it’s gorgeous turquoise seas, golden beaches and historical sites to keep me occupied – plus it’s an area of stunning natural beauty too, what more could you ask for? I would love to go one day!
Thank you to the lovely team at Thomas Cook Airlines, Talented Talkers and these lovely people for taking my nerves away and making it a fab evening – hope to see you all again soon!
Photos Courtesy of the Thomas Cook Blog
