Reaching the Mediterrannean Sea
I have now travelled from the Baltic Sea, to the Black Sea and then further to the Mediterranean Sea which I arrived to the 12 December. Contrary to common perceptions, rain was pouring down when I reached the Mediterranean Sea!
I also reached Asia. At least geographicallly Turkey on the easter side of the Bosporus is counted as Asia. Of course this lacks all kind of meaning and relevance. Only lines drawn on a map by people like me that like to classify and catagorise information with the idea that the world will make more sense in that way.
11 December
From Istanbul I took the ferry to Bandirma on the other side of the Marmara sea. It is a modern quick catamaran ferry and the whole trip takes less than two hours. There is a nice view, but a clear disadvantage is that you are not allowed to go out (guess that has to do with the speed of the thing).
From Bandirma I headed southwards. The first stretch was not so intereseting. It was a bit lilke being back on the plains of Ukraine. Fields were very big and then there were a number of very large chicken operations.
When I came to the town Gönen the landscape changed and there were gradually more and more mountains, Gönen itself was a pleasant town of 50000 inhabitants where they sold tractors on the main streat, They also had a pedestrian street. From Gönen the road started to climbed quite a lot and I was very tired when I reached the small town of Balya after a 102 km ride. In Balya I found food and a very basic hotel for 8 Euros. It appaeared to be more like a community or municipal centre having some rooms, But there was hot water and a bathroom and heating, the most essential things (OK, a bed is perhaps even more esssential but that is somewhat taken from granted, it is only once, in Mozambique, where II stayed in a hotel that didn't even have a bed!!).
The mountain area was very beautiful and I was surprised of how green it was.
Twice I went into a standard village cafe - where they don't serve coffee but tea. Both times I were not allowed to pay. First time it was the manager who hosted me and next time it was another guest of the cafes - see picture.
12 December
After Balya the road was a bit up and down for another 50 km and after that a long slope started towards the Mediterrannean Sea. I actually broke my previous speed record and came up in 59 km per hour - and the speed limit was 50! Weather was OK all until I actuyallly reached the Sea, then it started to rain. Victor at Bugday offered to come and pick me up by car this final stretch of some 30 kilometers. That was of course a nice offer, but being stubborn, childlish and macho in combination I just found that it would not be a stylish arrival to the final goal to be driven and have the bicycle in the trunk of a car, so I declined and subsequently got quite wet.....
But I did arrive - after 113 km - to the final destination where I will leave Margareta - the bike - for a while as I am going home for Christmas and New Year. In total we did 2662 km and the total time I spent in the saddle was 165 hours.
I also reached Asia. At least geographicallly Turkey on the easter side of the Bosporus is counted as Asia. Of course this lacks all kind of meaning and relevance. Only lines drawn on a map by people like me that like to classify and catagorise information with the idea that the world will make more sense in that way.
11 December
From Istanbul I took the ferry to Bandirma on the other side of the Marmara sea. It is a modern quick catamaran ferry and the whole trip takes less than two hours. There is a nice view, but a clear disadvantage is that you are not allowed to go out (guess that has to do with the speed of the thing).
From Bandirma I headed southwards. The first stretch was not so intereseting. It was a bit lilke being back on the plains of Ukraine. Fields were very big and then there were a number of very large chicken operations.
When I came to the town Gönen the landscape changed and there were gradually more and more mountains, Gönen itself was a pleasant town of 50000 inhabitants where they sold tractors on the main streat, They also had a pedestrian street. From Gönen the road started to climbed quite a lot and I was very tired when I reached the small town of Balya after a 102 km ride. In Balya I found food and a very basic hotel for 8 Euros. It appaeared to be more like a community or municipal centre having some rooms, But there was hot water and a bathroom and heating, the most essential things (OK, a bed is perhaps even more esssential but that is somewhat taken from granted, it is only once, in Mozambique, where II stayed in a hotel that didn't even have a bed!!).
The mountain area was very beautiful and I was surprised of how green it was.
Twice I went into a standard village cafe - where they don't serve coffee but tea. Both times I were not allowed to pay. First time it was the manager who hosted me and next time it was another guest of the cafes - see picture.
12 December
After Balya the road was a bit up and down for another 50 km and after that a long slope started towards the Mediterrannean Sea. I actually broke my previous speed record and came up in 59 km per hour - and the speed limit was 50! Weather was OK all until I actuyallly reached the Sea, then it started to rain. Victor at Bugday offered to come and pick me up by car this final stretch of some 30 kilometers. That was of course a nice offer, but being stubborn, childlish and macho in combination I just found that it would not be a stylish arrival to the final goal to be driven and have the bicycle in the trunk of a car, so I declined and subsequently got quite wet.....
But I did arrive - after 113 km - to the final destination where I will leave Margareta - the bike - for a while as I am going home for Christmas and New Year. In total we did 2662 km and the total time I spent in the saddle was 165 hours.
Kommentarer
Postat av: Erkki Pöytäniemi
Great trip - great story. Where are you heading after new year?
Postat av: Gunnar
Hi Errkis, it is actually not at all clear. See last posting.
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