Alpine forests? Tea plantations? Billions of hazelnuts? World's oldest cherry orchards?
Turkey's Black Sea coast comes as a surprise.
The sky is often grey but the land is green from plentiful rain. Fat dairy cattle munch lush grass and produce the country's best milk and butter. Fresh sardines are a delicacy.
The Black Sea coast is never crowded because cloud is more common than sun, and the sea water is chilly. But that's fine with the adventurous types who come here for a few days to savor its deep history, its dramatic beauty, its special cuisine, and its prime legend: Jason led his Argonauts along this coast in quest of the Golden Fleece.
Concentrate on the coast east of Sinop a fortified town with a long history.
The coast's prime destination is Trabzon. Other towns worth a look, or good for an overnight are Ordu and Giresun. Samsun is big, bustling and mostly modern, with lots of services but little to see.
Starting from Amasra you can drive 130 km (81 miles, 2 hours) north to Samsun then continue 365 km (227 miles, 6 hours) to Trabzon enjoying the scenery, all in one day, but two days is obviously more relaxed, three gives you the time to explore in detail.
From Trabzon, head up into the mountains to the alpine spa and hiking village of Avder, then up onto the Anatolian Plateau with Erzurum as your goal. The short route is via Gumushane and Bayburt, the longer and more interesting route is via Rize, Hopa, Artvin and Yusufeli in the Kackar Mountains. - Tom Brosnahan
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