Athena Pension

Of all the guesthouses in a month's travel in Turkey, Athena Pension was the best we stayed in. The owner is a fellow named Aydin, who treats you like you are a long lost friend coming back to visit. As the first guest who had checked into the pension, we were invited to his mother's house for soup when we returned from doing some shopping in the city. After soup (which actually turned out to be a meal), he showed us around the hills on his motorbike. When we returned to the Pension, there were two more travelers checked in. We all hung out, and the next day, Aydin took us to the market where we loaded up on food and proceeded to take over the kitchen to cook a feast.

Let's talk facilities. The house is an old Ottoman house. The rooms are very comfortable and kept spotlessly clean. The shared bathrooms are also beyond reproach. There is a sitting room which has a computer that Aydin will let you use. There is an open area with tables where breakfast is served in the morning. This breakfast is where Aydin's hospitality really shines. Most places make coffee and give you toast. His includes omlettes, several spreads for your bread, and if there are enough people (as there were the second morning), his mother may bake some Turkish pastries and bring them over. The pension is on a small side alley, so compared to the other places you may stay, there is no street noise.

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