(written by Dave) That’s it, we’re done – tomorrow we leave Istanbul – no really, we are going.  Today would have been a great day to depart as the morning dawned bright blue skies.  Tomorrow the forecast is for a chance of rain (which would make a good excuse to stay another day, especially if … Continue reading Wrapping up Istanbul

(written by Dave) We almost didn’t post today as we spent the morning planning the route ahead and that is never very exciting, even for us.  But then I thought I should make a few notes about dinner last night with my cousin Bruce and later our boring day turned into a very interesting afternoon.  … Continue reading 400 year old New Mosque in Istanbul

(written by Dave) Our teeth are clean and thankfully no big issues.  If anyone is looking for a good dentist in Istanbul we’d recommend Dr Elif Gϋndϋz.  She is a fluent English speaker, trained in Vienna and has her own practice in the Nişantaşi neighborhood (easily reachable by dolmus from Sultanahmet).  She seems very skilled … Continue reading A trip to the dentist and brekkie, Turkey-style

(written by Dave) Today we visited the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market, plus a bunch of stuff in between.  First up was the Grand Bazaar.  The Grand Bazaar has been trading in the same location for several centuries.  If the walls could talk…  We had been warned to be ready for a real rugby … Continue reading Bazaar day in Istanbul

(written by Nancy) First night in our pension went well so I think we have landed a decent spot to rest for a few days.  We heard a bit of excitement on the streets about 10:30 last night and suspected it was a result of the big football (soccer) match finishing up.  Sure enough, this … Continue reading Mosques and Mother’s Day in Istanbul

(written by Nancy) Our ferry didn’t leave until 11:30 this morning so we had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before packing up.  The ferry port was only about a 5 minute ride from the hotel but we decided to head down there early just in case there was any issue with getting the bikes … Continue reading Into the big smoke – Yalova to Istanbul (4/15,421k, 20m, 48k by ferry)

(written by Nancy) It was raining this morning as we packed up our bikes and the sky looked pretty grey and gloomy.  We knew today might be a bit tough with lots of backroads to navigate and some climbing to get to our intended destination of Yalova.  The rain had stopped by the time we … Continue reading Through the farmlands – Inegol to Yalova (88/15,417k, 570m)

(written by Nancy) Some days riding is easy.  Some days you struggle to get started and the k’s pass by quite slowly.  Today was one of the slow days for me and a bit for Dave as well.  It is always hard to leave a nice hotel under the best conditions… We enjoyed another fine … Continue reading Fraction day from Eskisehir to Inegol (105/15,329Ks, 485M)

(written by Dave) Pretty quiet day here in Eskisehir.  We were both so tired that we didn’t hear a single train overnight.  Nancy had read a couple of reviews on this hotel that mentioned the trains are particularly loud on the 1st floor, on the side of the hotel that we happen to be in.  … Continue reading Hanging in Eskişehir

(written by Nancy) We survived the night in our “lovely” accommodation in Sivrihisar.  Breakfast was not included but given the condition of the room and bathroom we decided to forego our usual substitute oatmeal breakfast and try to get something further on down the road.  We saw several petrol stations yesterday with attached restaurants so … Continue reading What a difference a 100k makes – Sivrihisar to Eskişehir (100/15,224k, 380m)