If the thought of leftover sandwiches and sprout curry leaves you cold, then why not head off to Turkey for a few days? As a largely Muslim country, it’s pretty much a festive-free zone and with temperatures of up to 200C on the coast, it’s a lot warmer than here…
Obviously, you could simply head to a five star all-inclusive resort in Marmaris or Antalya and spend a week sipping cocktails in a heated pool, but Turkey – or Türkiye as the rebrand has it – has so much more to explore. Start in Istanbul where the Ottoman Topaki Palace and the Hagia Sophia mosque will top your to do list alongside some of the city’s museums.
Make time for a trip on the ferry, visit a traditional hamman Turkish bath for a steam and rub down, explore Kadiköy’s café and bar scene, pick up a painting or two from the galleries in the Beyoğlu district or work on your haggling techniques in Arasta Bazaar near Sultanahmed Square. If high end shopping’s more your Hermes Birkin, head for Istinye Park or the Zorlu Centre, where you’ll find every brand from Gucci to Vuitton.
Explore more widely with a trip to see Cappadocia’s alien landscape of cave dwellings, underground cities like and Derinkuyu and eroded fairy chimneys would make the perfect setting for an episode of Doctor Who.
Foodies should head for south eastern Anatolia, where the city of Gaziantep combines some outstanding Roman museums, a castle or two, a zoo and some of the country’s best cuisine. You can’t go far wrong in a city whose unofficial moto seems to be, ‘If the world was a home, Gaziantep would be the kitchen.’ Sign up for a food tour, or just max out on meze.
Now doesn’t that sound like a better way of spending your winter break than unwrapping socks and watching endless repeats?