Along the coast, morning light turns the water a deep turquoise, afternoons wash old stone in gold, and at dusk the sky over Istanbul turns pink above the ferries. Inland the palette shifts, with pale plains, ochre hills and mountains that keep their snow for months.

The weather follows the map. Mediterranean and Aegean shores bring cool, rainy winters and hot summers, while the interior turns continental, with cold winters and dry, sunny summers. Spring and autumn suit most journeys. A Local Friend can turn a list of places into a day that makes sense, choosing where to catch the late light and where to linger when the sky changes.