27. Istanbul to Gonen - INTERCONTINENTAL

Funny (weird) day today.

Iain left.

And then it was Martin and I setting off…apparently on the ‘back to Collioure’ bit! Actually…I am really only a third of the way through the trip overall….and we will get considerably further South…and indeed further East than Istanbul before we really start the ‘back to Collioure’ bit!!

I had been worrying for a while about our exit from Istanbul…for sadly you cannot cycle from Europe to Asia. Not on the bridges…nor (thankfully) in the tunnel!

A ferry it had to be…..so I had opted for the ferry to Bandirma…across the sea of Marmaris. But..I tried and tried booking tickets on line…..but “no e-bikes allowed”. So I had phoned them up….and they confirmed: no….”no e-bikes allowed”.

Such a weird call!!

So we called in to the ferry terminal at Yenikapi on our way into the city. And….”yes”…no problem!

So I had bought the tickets. But…..I worried that the earlier information might be correct!

Will they let is on the boat? …knowing that if not..then it was an extra 250km of cycling..which would wipe out at least two rest days!!

As it turned out…there was no issue!! So…it was with some glea we climbed aboard…for a fast trip across to Asia! Nearly 110kms in just two and a half hours!! (…and yes that distance is included in the daily total above!). Bikes on board…yeeeha!

But the ferry was not scheduled to leave until 12.30…so it was not really until 3.30 that we really got going. And so…it was going to be an unusually late one! Arriving in Asia! (Looks exactly the same to be fair!)

Hence the lack of photos as we pressed on…to our planned overnight in Gronen. A truly rural ride….which was such a pleasure after the manic arrival into Istanbul!! Small villages….fruity smells..(is there a season for muck-spreading?)…

No booking made (..no Booking.Com!!)..but we found a neat hotel.

Great restaurant for beers and food…just down the road!