A marvelous motorbike adventure trip across Turkey

SHIP IN ANCONA Igoumenitsa (Minoan BOOKED CAR FROM SITE)
CROSSED IN GREECE DD 1, DD AFTER TOUR FROM TURKEY
WEST COAST WITH A LITTLE 'RELAXATION OF THE SEA, Capadocia, Istanbul
THEN AGAIN WITH STOP AT THESSALONIKI GREECE AND SHIP DEPARTURE ARRIVAL IN ANCONA X

WONDERFUL TRIP IN ALL RESPECTS (landscapes, monuments, PEOPLE, KITCHEN)

finally came the moment of the trip more exciting, the one with the means of transport more uncomfortable and more dangerous: the bike
Since the VS site on several occasions has been a great inspiration for the organization of travel "DIY" or rather "do it ourselves", this year I decided to write the story of our experience which I hope will be interesting and maybe useful for anyone wishing to visit this wonderful country
SUMMARY
Departure: August 7, 2010
Return: August 22, 2010
Motorcycles: Ducati Multistrada 2010
Total mileage (including travel): 4500 54-hour trip in 15 days
Total cost: 3500 euros
Cost of gasoline at the time of the trip: about 1.90 Euro / liter (3.34 TL)
Euro / Turkish lira at the time of travel: 1 euro = 2 Turkish lira

We had booked all the hotels in Italy, on the one hand this choice does not allow to stay an extra day in a particularly interesting but the other side (having borrowed time) allows you to meet the milestones fixed and not wasting time search of the hotel upon arrival at their destination. However, if you have some 'elasticity with days to go quiet because you'll never find a place without having booked: in tourist hotels and pensions are also quite marked and there are almost everywhere the tourist offices that provide information about accommodation and availability.

The tarmac roads have not always reliable in the sense that it is very slippery and made of very coarse gravel and sharp that often comes off the ground. In many places the asphalt is completely absent because of the endless road works: in these cases you have to do even a few kilometers consecutive "dirt" with so much dust raised by the trucks and inevitable shocks and a slow pace and, in some cases, one is forced to travel on newly laid tar liquid resulting in splashing of motion and occupants.
There is a lot of police around so watch the speed limit and it is better to go slow because in 90% of the cases the transition from road-paved asphalt road-not-not previously reported!
We were absolutely amazed by the absolute friendliness of the Turks. Especially in inland areas, we met people of such pure kindness, friendliness and availability of complete, sometimes even embarrassing. It 'been a dip in another dimension: no rush, lots of smiles and chatter capendosi little or even nothing. It 's always time for tea, and, what made me think a lot, anything, not even a morsel of bread, it is conceivable that is consumed in the foot.

 

starting August 7 from ancona ship takes off 21:30 to 16:30 Minoan Lines junior suites booked by email to the company ... and 'a dream, queen bed with cotton sheets .. bathroom with huge shower window and TV ... August 8 to 13 igoumrnitsa to disembark ... and so near Komotini aleperandroupoli direction. Highway to your destination a2 Ignatia odos free and beautiful, with corners larga.liscia racing .. we travel 680 km in about 5 hours. pass landscapes of mountain and plain. thessaloniki ... before the thermometer starts to score 40! arrive at Komotini hotel booked by cris & eve booking. (good quality 'money) the country very nice and the center filled with tourists for a walk, have dinner in a tavern (24 Eur.) August 9 slept very well, it starts to move the border and the Dardanelles. 150km to the border, customs controls at 4 and here we are finally in Turkey. e90 vs. Canakkale, the road skirts the sea and take the ferry to arrive in Canakkale. E550 direction ezine - kurcukkuyu boutique hotels have Hunnap Hotek booked by booking ... beautiful stone farmhouse recently renovated, delicious buffet dinner .. a lot of dishes based on vegetables. hotel 'in a village as it once was, the street and' stone and for this very bumpy route and the animals ... and the chickens are free ... for my bad luck day for a long long road traveled ... but now we rest qc days. relaper for 3 nights August 10 looking for a bit of relaper the sea ... the road that runs north along the kurcukkuyu sea and 'lined with olive trees, across the hill and' full of olive trees. we find a beautiful beach hotel on the beach ... oren otel and 'the beach of this hotel equipped with beds, dock for diving into the transparent plate and the Aegean Sea, with Turkey 25lira day relaxing with music and New York-style cafe del mar the beautiful and lunch included. 11agosto after waking up at 5 from the sheep on the streets around our beautiful boutique hotel we have a relaxing breakfast in the garden of 'hotel and the falls we head vs. .. hot hotels listed by the owner to the falls, swimming in fresh and frozen He takes no one there .. then again relaper dell'oren the sea beach, we had found so great) August 12 reload and restart the bike towards Ephesus and hotel booked for two nights in Pamukkale. (500km and 8 hours travel highways because zero) we come to pieces, but what a day full of emotions! day's journey through the most .. in the long coast to Izmir, in a crazy hot, the thermometer touches the 50gradi the bike. arrive in Ephesus in the early afternoon was hot and we decide to undress in the parking lot and visit the site in slippers and shorts ... otherwise we'd fainted! on a visit to the site worth the effort .. we remain open-mouthed by the wonders that have remained still intact! we depart for Pamukkale, seemed close, but since it's all normal road we employ other 4 hours and arrive in the dark. Hotels are all reported / melrose hotel) booked with venere.com ... simple .. nice and friendly as the Turks all the way there are surprising for their hospitality.

August 13
After breakfast ride to the center, snack room and go back 'cause the heat is very strong .. to the 15 we decided to start climbing the mountain ... it's beautiful white, flowing water and the soil is so porous that allows you to walk comfortably climb. the landscape is surreal! And the wonderful thermal water.
We arrive at the top in Hierapolis excavations of old where there is a thermal spring pool, the bathroom is exciting ... but effervescent boiling water in bottom of the pond .. and Roman ruins ... only dinner in town with 35 Turkish lira
August 14
... It starts with a day's journey towards Konya where we will sleep for days after the closest to Capadocia. Travel 400 km in 8 hours ...
Across the street is the provincial skirt 2 beautiful lakes, hills and plains are endless ... 2 radar and logically as a foreigner comes just fine!
We eat good kebab place in the street full of truckers and drinking water in a jug ... unfortunately, would soon start a stomach ache that accompanies qc days (with a lot of nausea and fever)
Once in a while Konya crazy 'to find the wonderful hotel on hotels.com DEDEMAN 5stars booked a room at 60 eur 7 floor with Jacuzzi and marble bathroom dark as> whole lobby. we dine at the buffet at the hotel with 5 star quality and variety of dishes ...
August 15
Konya - Urgup for ONLY 3hours TRAVEL TODAY
After a royal breakfast at the same dinner was served buffet where we taste the honey also inside the frame of beeswax. We depart for Cappadocia. The hard part is out of the city, as it always amazes us the courtesy of the Turks, a car which we have asked for info from us way out of town. After the road is well marked and as always all right ... go through the endless expanses of plain .. and we get to Goreme cave hotel where we booked directly through their site .. is another boutique hotel Kelebek

From the terraces of the hotel where there were tables and couches and pillows relaper breakfast was a spectacular view of Goreme (city-museum is open).
Our room is carved into the rock, and finally for this fresh without air conditioning
Moto GP look and relax before going to see the sunset in a position where you can go trekking in the middle of the canyon red
Dinner in the village sitting on comfortable cushions cost 24 Turkish lira
August 16
VISIT TODAY AND IN RELAper Capadocia
We sleep a little 'cave in the cool of our room and we head into one of the most famous underground cities. Kaymakli: 5 floors dug 30 meters 30 meters below .. in time of war were hiding and lived there more than 5000 Christians. Burrows ever lower, do not enter if you suffer from claustrophobia.
Dinner in the center of Goreme 26lira 24 Turkish lira and lunch.
August 17
Goreme - Bolu 600km around 6-7 hours
The road a little early ok 'bumpy and broken but resurfaced in the process of going to Ankara ... and overcome the highway to avoid traffic and smog and to get as close as possible to Istanbul.
We arrive late afternoon in Bolu is very touristy and we struggled to book hotels, hotel prestige ... found only ugly old man, with breakfast and dried egg stink. There is no air conditioning and saw it was time for Ramadan before sunrise we were awakened by the drums that went around the country precisely to awaken the Muslims who can drink and eat only until it is dark.
Dinner in the main street and walk back to the hotel waiting for us tomorrow .. Istanbul
August 18
Bolu-Istanbul
Stage shortest of the whole trip (2 hours) to take advantage of the day for a walk to Istanbul ...
all highway, the problem is when it ends it is not clear what direction to take to arrive in the central districts and tourist hotels Tashkonak behind the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet)
This boutique hotel also booked through their website ...
Approximately 1 hour in search of the neighborhood ... just right thanks to a gas station after giving us a tee and a hot sandwich offers to our way with his scooter to Sultanhamet about 20 km away ... we were nervous and traffic
We go on foot to Sultanahmet and elevated meters arrive in the new neighborhood to stroll through the shops and most beautiful in Europe. The historical part of town is very touristy and residential buildings are dilapidated and the wealthy locals do not live here.
August 19
... we enjoy Istanbul Blue Mosque, cistern, Topkapi Palace and souks ... where it paid for a lot of things to buy ... shoes, bags, original and beautiful pashmina scarves and bath linens to be pure.
August 20
Istanbul-Thessaloniki 780 km
On average, Turkish bad highway, do a 'last stop for a cup of tea in the cup turkish ...
border row ... lucky we are moving beyond description, and we pass by all ... the fines have not been registered in the trash and throw it just past the customs ...
Greece has a spectacular addition to highway access and they have fun in the corners a little overwhelming until we cross the mountains in Thessaloniki.
We arrive late afternoon at the 'hotel Lazaristes 5 stars booked by booking discounted cost ..
The center of Thessaloniki is very cute and full of young people eat at a tavern ... and this time we peel!
August 21
Thessaloniki-Igoumenitsa 340 km of motorway ...
We arrive early at the port and after changing your tickets and exchanged travel experience with a nice pair of Lucca.
Let's go for a swim in the sea near the port ... the meantime, we also have to return to our beautiful junior suites.

August 22
After a good night's sleep we arrive at the port of Ancona.
We are again happy to be in motion today is Perhati days of return and the line starts out from the parking lot of the ship and ends up ... maybe vs. Rimini
So in a few hours with our bikes we get home in Forli.

FINAL JOURNEY, WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, wonderful and special people.