Lucie Loves... Travel // #5SensesofTurkey travel blogger event with Thomas Cook Airlines at Paradise by way of Kensal Green
After a beautiful honeymoon on the Greek island of Kefalonia in late May, I’m already yearning for my next holiday by the sea.
When Thomas Cook Airlines invited me along to the 5 Senses of Turkey evening at Paradise by way of Kensal Green I was more than ready for a little escapism.
On arrival we were whisked upstairs to the fabulous conservatory space with tons of natural light – and the faint the patter of London rain on the roof.
The rustic walls were adorned with swoon-worthy Anthropologie-esq Turkish-style plates, a heady mix of familiar spices – their names still waiting to be discovered, filled the room and we swayed to the beat of traditional Turkish music.
We were kept fed and watered with little meze platters or food and invited to sample Turkish wines. The Barudi rose was ever so refreshing – perfect for at hot and humid night in Kensal Green.
We were also invited to make our own chemical-free face and scrub with Naz and her mum of Midas Touch Crafts - who run workshops to raise money for Cancer Research.
The room was packed with around 30 different travel bloggers - see my Twitter list for everyone who attended. It was great to see a few familiar faces and meet lots of new blogger friends too. We were encourage to try on some traditional Turkish garments.
My nose is a sensitive little thing and quickly led me over to the table bedecked with an array of colourful glass bottles in an assortment of shapes and sizes. I sniffed my way through sandalwood, oohed over orange blossom, chased with cinnamon, took comfort in cardamon (the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla), got really nostalgic over rose water, and enjoyed the memories of christmas that the scent of myrrh brought to mind.
Like a moth to a flame I was drawn to a pleated copper cape, which are known as wings and worn by traditional Turkish dancers, as they shimmy and swirl their arms and hips.
Thomas Cook Airlines offer cheap flights to Turkey for people wishing to explore destinations like Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum, and Dalaman, which is known as the Turquoise Coast and is where I’d definitely set my sights on going. Oh to sink my feet into its miles of soft sand and paddle in the azure waters. I know what I’ll be daydreaming about today at work… The ultimate Turkish escape. I’m all set on making 2015 my most-travelled year yet!
Say hello to my travel blogger friends and check out their pretty blogs:
- Laurie from newyorkermeetslondon.com
- Kate from fabricofmylife.co.uk
- Paige from paigejoanna.co.uk
- Katy from littlemisskaty.co.uk
- Kristabel from iwantyoutoknow.co.uk
- Erica from imbeingerica.com
Photography © Lucie Kerley (apart from the last two which are c/o Thomas Cook Airlines)