Places Loec Wants to Go

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be.

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

On the shores of Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul Lake, a family cooks a feast that tells the sad tale of a people's exile.

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.

Europe's only Temple of Mithras located in a natural cave.

This historic hotel preserves many treasures from its heyday hosting passengers on the Orient Express.

Wash down heaping platters of meze with raki at one of the city's best taverns.

One of the largest wooden constructions in Europe was meant to be a casino, but soon became an orphanage.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

The most metal church of all time was built in record time because of an international, pious pissing contest.

Step back in time and witness the fall of Constantinople.

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

This family-owned canteen has been selling goat milk ice cream since 1933.

Homesick Syrian refugees head to this restaurant for a taste of Damascus.

The Florence Nightingale Museum is home to the famous nurse's most treasured possession: her beloved pet owl.

The last four extravagant street signs of London's historic banking street.

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.