Well we have arrived in Ayvalik the Turkish port near Mylintini ( or Lesbos as it is commonly known).

We have cheated a bit for this stage since we caught the ferry over the Sea of Marmara to Bandirma… then caught the bus to Ayvalik…. the prospect of mountains/high hills on the way in the heat proved a bit too much…. so the only pedalling on this stretch has been to the ferry terminus in Istanbul and from the long distance bus station at Ayvalik which is 5km outside the town.

As we travelled to Ayvalik we passed what looked like forests of Olive trees….  this area is renowned in Turkey for producing most of the domestic crop of olives and Olive oil.

Ayvalik is quite an interesting place… as we came into the town on some backroads from the bus terminal we came down cobbled streets and what appeared to be very ramshackle and poor neighbourhoods. Ayvalik is a bit of a holiday destination for Turkish people and the seafront is busy with excursion boats and a few boutique type shops… quite a contrast to the areas we came through.

Apparently until the late 20’s Ayvalik and the surrounding areas was Greek, and only became part of Turkey under a deal when the Turkish state was formed and people of Turkish descent on Crete were resettled in Ayvalik, and people of Greek descent were resettled in Greece or the Greek islands.

Perhaps that explains the Cretan windmills we saw as we explored the town and the surrounding area. Reputedly the cuisine and culture is very Cretan influenced.

We explored the ‘almost island’ of Alibey Alasi on our tandem, marvelling at the crystal clear waters of the Aegean…

Of course we hade to take a swim near a glade of olive trees that came close to the water’s edge and providing welcome shade. Although reached by a dirt road it was clearly popular with the locals who started coming out in force by car as the afternoon cooled down.

In the evening we took a ride to a local, very popular, beauty spot, or Şaytan Soufari or the Devil’s Table to you and me. It is a hill of around 100 metres high, that overlooks Ayvalik and the surrounding coast line. There is a bare bit of rock which is alleged to be where the devil trod when leaping across to Greece.

It was a very attractive place with wonderful panoramic views and we could understand why so many people visited, just a shame they were all there the same time as us!

 

27th June to 11th July 2016

Well – Istanbul is quite exotic and we are spending quite a few days here being tourists.

First off we went to a Hammam which helped to ease taught muscles after our long ride….

Then we used the Big Bus company tour to orientate ourselves and see what the city looked like before delving into the layers of history that are all around.

Visited quite a few mosques….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited quite a few bazaars….

The Grand Bazaar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We absorbed lots of history in this multi-layered metropolis….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we glimpsed a bit of Istanbul life….

 

28/6/16

Readers of our blog will know that we were not able to cycle all the way to Istanbul after all. In Vize, about 120Km from Istanbul the rim on the rear wheel split…..so to reach Istanbul we had to use another means of transport.

We packed our tandem into its two carry bags, booked into a hotel, and bought a coach ticket to Istanbul for the next day.

We had planned a route that would have come into Istanbul from the north west,  avoiding what many cyclists have described as a hellish way to enter the city from the south. We had researched quite a few blogs and discovered a good route to the centre. It would have followed a road classified as a national road, but not a trunk road, and taken a minor road from Kemerburgaz to Sarayay  on the Bosphorus via a forest road and then followed a corniche local road along the Bosphorus right to the city centre. Longer,  but it had the promise of being a very pleasant way in.

Having caught the bus we arrived at the massive Istanbul coach station with our 11 items of baggage… 2 tandem bags… 2 front panniers…..2 rear panniers…. a “sausage bag”…. front and rear bar bags… a rack bag and an “onya” bag with water bottles. We were soon found by a man with a trolly willing to help us find a taxi, of course for a small fee. He wanted us to stop at his cousin’s leather shop on the way, but we managed to decline the invitation.

We found a taxi and using the gps on our phone were able to direct the driver to our airbnb accommodation not far from the Blue Mosque.

Our intention was to stay sufficiently long in this huge but fascinating city to allow either a new rim and spokes to be sent to us or a new rear wheel….

However, we posted a request on a touring cyclists forum as to whether anyone had any experience of a cycle repair shop in Istanbul that might be able to help us out. One bike shop kept on being mentioned. Bisiklet Ghezgine.

On contacting them we discovered that just 4 days previously  they had swapped a rim on a bike a customer brought in who wanted a different hub fitted. It just so happened the rim was just what we needed, a 40 spoke rim with reinforced spoke holes and the correct wheel size…

Our rear wheel was duly re-built, fitted with our brake disc and gear cassette and so now we can ride our tandem again ready for the next stage of our journey to reach Greece and Italy before returning home by train.

Whilst at the bike shop we met Gideon and Clare, two intrepid cyclists about our age who are on a 2 year journey cycling to Australia. Puts our little trip across Europe into perspective! They have a blog which describes their route and experiences ( http://2silvercyclists.net ) they came in to Istanbul the way we had planned.

In the meantime we will be spending a week or so exploring what Istanbul has to offer.

26.06.2016

Yesterday’s tail wind turned into today’s side and head wind. At times we even had to pedal down hill to keep going. So progress was slow. More hills, not as high, but with the head wind, hard work.

Diana began to consider sewing all our clothing together to make a sail and try tacking down the road! However sensible Simon pointed out the other traffic might present problems.

There were extensive fields of sunflowers, which were lovely to see.

Our destination for today was to be Saray, but we were passing through another town about 15km away , Vize, when there was a loud BANG, CRACK. On checking the cause of this, we found the rim on the back wheel had split. Thank goodness we were not going at any speed and were in a town.

We unloaded and moved to the pavement to consider what to do. Thankfully the first person Simon asked if he spoke English and where there was a bike shop was able to assist. Off they went with the damaged wheel. But came back with the verdict it was beyond repair.

SO, the tandem was dismantled and put in its bags. Everything loaded into a taxi and we were taken to a local hotel.

Here we have booked a coach to Istanbul and our accommodation. Once again we have contacted our trusty tandem shop in Yorkshire to discuss what to do about that wheel.

So close, yet so far ………Istanbul is just 120Km away….

Kirklareli to Vize: 34 miles

Distance travelled so far: 2786 miles….

25/6/16

Malko Tarnova is a small border town, very quiet, and surrounded by forested hills, with a few old  timbered buildings here and there.

The road to the border, which was around 9km away was through the hills, gaining height to about 600 metres. Hills covered with trees and we were blessed with a quiet road . So during the (many) stops to catch our breath, we could hear the wind in the trees and sometimes the faint sound of cow and goat bells in the distance.

At the border there is usefully a place to change money, so we gave our remaining Bulgarian Levs in exchange for some Turkish Lira.

Passing through the border into the tenth country of our journey, the checks were straightforward and the electronic visas we had purchased in the UK before we started our trip proved to be valid to earn an entry stamp into our passports.

We noticed large fences going off into the forest on either side of the border crossing, covered with huge rolls of razor wire. Part of the measures taken by Bulgaria to limit the number of refugees crossing  the border. Simon took a photo, when we realized we were being watched by an armed border guard – however, he didn’t seem to mind and gave us a friendly wave.

On into Turkey and towards our night’s stop, Kirklarleli, up and down more hills, again with plenty of stops on the ups. The road was wide, decently surfaced and fortunately very lightly used by traffic.

Our lunch spot was next to a roadside water supply which seem to be provided at intervals on this road. The cold water was really very refreshing on hot feet.

The hills we were passing through now were less tree covered and the grass and vegetation was beginning to look rather parched.

 

 

Arriving in Kirklaleli we wibbled our way around the town until we found a small hotel where we checked in.

Diana was looking forward to hearing the call to prayer for the first time. It is Ramadan right now, with many people fasting during the day…. fortunately a few restaurants were open to serve food, and we were able to sample Turkish cuisine in Turkey for the first  time. By the time Ramadan finishes we will be in Istanbul, although we need to be aware of the effects of the 4 day national holiday on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th July, celebrating the end of the Holy  month

Nerd’s Corner

Malko Tarnova to Kirklaleli: 36 miles

Distance travelled so far: 2752 miles.

Total height climbed today: 880 mtrs.