From Dolomites to Turkey passing through the Balkans: Discovering Turkey

 

We have 20 days available, we would like to travel by motorcycle and stop a few days somewhere in the sea.

After many wanderings over the network, decide for Turkey, thinking you can combine culture and leisure sea ... Refer to the guide of the Italian Touring Club and Lonely Planet, the Internet we find some interesting trips, especially on sites of campers, we must thank for the material to disposal.

Join enthusiastic, Barbara (sister of Simona) with her boyfriend Nicholas, makes us very happy, to travel in company, and sharing the long road ahead.

Initially we wanted to reach the sea via Turkey, from a Igumenitza through Greece and reach Istanbul .... Then we opted for the 'journey' overland through Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria. We live in the north-east, and miles to be at Istanbul in 1800, compared to the 1500 'route via Greece.
We have read the wonderful book by Emilio Rigatti: "The road to Istanbul" that was the inspiration and guide for planning your trip.

We start with the booking of ferries to move from Turkey to Greece, and Greece return to Italy.

To arrange the rest of us every day, allowing a flexible travel.

Cavalese - Slavonsky Brod - km 680

Finished their preparations, loaded the luggage on the bike, we have more than in previous years, the reservoir bag, which allows us to start moving in space.
We start at eight, to Ponte nelle Alpi, Belluno, site of 'appointment with our traveling companions, starting at Trent, we pass to step S. Pellegrino (fà cold 8 degrees).

Point as the Swiss ... riapartiamo to Trieste, we pass the border of Slovenia, Zagreb, the Croatian border, highway, little traffic, we are at 17 to Slavonski Brod, the goal today. Stay for the "Garden Pension", a short distance from the gate

Slavonsky Brod - Sofia Bulgaria km 606

Return on the motorway, after a hundred kilometers to the border we are to enter Serbia, we were expecting checks and long waits .. Fortunately, we spend in ten minutes.
Another 100 km and we are in Belgrade, the road passes near the city, traffic is intense.

We stop for lunch in a "motorway" Serbian, resembling more an area to stop for the caravans: restaurant, banquet with fruits and vegetables, negozzietti, but with fuel distributor ultra modern.

Resume the march, and after a few km, we are familiar with the Serbian Polis, fortunately traveled plan ... We carefully monitor the motion, files, we report an irregularity on the license of Nicholas, (is not shown the letter A for driving the motorcycle, but only B). The situation appears to be critical .. station, thousands of dinars fine, sequesrto the half, forced back on the train ...... After half an hour of negotiations, prepared to offer a "tip", the polizziotto change your mind ... and we hope dismisses good trip .. still fail to understand the meaning ...

The landscape is beautiful, we pass before hundreds of kilometers of fields with corn and sunflowers, a rainbow of colors and beautiful landscapes.

Let Serbia to enter Bulgaria, also in this case pass without problems and in a short time, about half an hour for the various controls of documents, etc. ..

At 20 we are in Sofia, we find a good arrangement all 'Amphora hotel, on the road to the monastery of Rila, the stage tomorrow.

Sofia - Rila - Plovdiv Bulgaria km 395

Calm to start with 10, we are on the road connecting Bulgaria to Greece, from Sofia to Thessaloniki. Crossing abandoned industrial areas, a clear sign of the fall of the socialist system, the roads are traveled by carts pulled by donkeys and goats that go to the pastures.
We arrived at the fork to the monastery, we enter the picturesque village of Rila with stone houses adorned with balconies and wooden verandas. The road narrows and begins to rise gradually, a real pleasure, after all highway, bend, acellerare, climb ....

The monastery stands in front of surprised us, after yet another curve ... The impact is strong, immersed in the green, we are in a valley that descends from the mountains Rodotopi, with peaks reaching the 3000m. The complex looks like a fortress ... Parking the motorcycle, crossing the first portal, and enter ... a large courtyard surrounded by four wings of 3 and 4 floors, including 300 monks cells, centered on the church with beautiful frescoes and sculptures in wood, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin and the tower dell'orlogio. The contrast between the dell'intonaco white and red, ocher and black brick arches enhance the charm of the place.

From 1961, the complex is a national monument and UNESCO has added to the list of world cultural heritage.

Fully satisfied with the deviation made to reach this place, we start, after eating with a few euros in a restaurant on the banks of the river, just below the monastery.

Not return to Sofia, which would be the shortest route, but we decide to bypass the Rila massif. Directions in Cyrillic there are a great help, we are translating the names of the countries that intend to cross the waitress of a bar ...

Transiting Doupnitsa, Razlog, from here, the road climbs to a plateau at quota1800 meters, passing for small agricultural countries, the locals trying to sell small berries along the road .. we are surrounded by trees, it seems to be at home .. we see the first minarets, mosques, alongside a tiny ... Velingrad to descend into a narrow valley carved into the rock, until the bottom, where along the highway, we reach the city of Plovdiv, Rodopi hotel to sleep.

Istanbul - Goreme km 763

We start from Istanbul to 9, we expect a long transfer, voremmo get to Goreme in Capadocia ... Easily emerge from the city traffic, following the signs for 'Highway, fortunately on a green background signs as in the rest of Europe ... through the Ataturk Bridge along the suspension bridge, which we admired yesterday browsing.
After 400 km of highway we are close to Ankara, the capital of the country, we decide to take a back road, not the most direct route and traffic passing by Kirikkale, follow the signs to Adana and 15 km after turn to Golbasi Bala.

We will be rewarded by the deviation from beautiful landscapes, on a street without traffic, in the middle of the fields, climb to altitude, passing slow trucks and tractors full of grain, is in full swing the harvest, which in these heights (1500 m) is lagging behind the rest of the country. Here tourism is far away, our passing has to be an event, we all look and friendly welcome ...

Kirsh around the traffic increases significantly, fortunately also the size of the road ...

We are undecided whether to stop for the night ... we have exceeded the time ... consulto fast .. it continues, we are in Goreme to 20, the first taste of this popular area is opening before us down, shortly after Nevsehir while the sun is setting ... a show.

There systems by "Backpacker's cave pension" ... the price is very low, the rooms nice, but we would have gladly spent a little more and have greater cleaning ... we are tired, and we camp.

Goreme Cappadocia

Cappadocia is an absolutely fantastic place.
Rather, the triangle of ten kilometers on each Side enclosed in Avanos, Urgup and Uchisar is a place, the one where you feel really out of everything in a kind of magical country. Violent volcanic eruptions, which took place three million years ago covered the plateau surrounding Nevsehir lava, ash and mud.
The wind and rain, eroding these brittle rocks, have created a fascinating landscape: rock-shaped cones and chimneys, of pinnacles, with colors ranging from red to gold, from green to gray.

Goreme is a nice country, with dozens of houses (still used) determined mainly by digging into the rock at the top of the village that, despite increased to meet the demands of tourism, still retains much the original appearance and charm.

We start walking from our house, and a comfortable walk to the museum we are all 'open pearl Goreme area, with dozens of churches carved into the tufa rock dotted by beautiful murals and decorations for the most part carried out by the monks who lived in these places .

The valley is Zelve near Goreme, we see from time eroded pinnacles, tall columns of tufa, which give the valley an almost fairy-like appearance. These columns are called "fairy chimneys" because legend has it that the rounded boulders on the summit have been laid by the celestial deities.

To conclude the day, inforchiamo bikes, which discharges baggage we seem to float sull'asfalto, give us a pleasant trip in this unreal scenario: rocks carved with stairs windows, balconies, pinnacles, with tufts of pink rock that seem created by a bizarre confectioner. Let small cultivated fields, on roads and streets deserted, tourist groups are far away, we discover places not "besieged" by the stands ......

Goreme - Bozayazi km 487

We leave these enchanted places, after a visit, close to Avanos, the caravanserai of Hani Sari.
The caravanserai, built in the thirteenth century as a caravan stop in the past there was one every 30 km of road around, ie the path that the camels could cover in one day.
See by way of the rock dwellings Cavusin, dug in a wall of tuff up to 100 m in height.

We aim towards the sea .... We want to visit the west coast, which has been recommended by Maurizio, a friend who has been in a few days in these places, to return from a trip to Iran.

The road cuts the sliding Anatolian plateau to the south, around Ulukizla crossed the road Konya - Adana, traffic increases dramatically, we drive with caution. Fortunately after a few km the road becomes Highway, heavy traffic ... descents to put a severe test of the brakes sovracarichi tir ... in the final in a lush and wild, rocky gorge.

The sea is silhouetted in front of the curve after a sudden ... We are in Icel (Mersin, the old name in Turkish) large industrial city, we continue to the coastal road, passing yards, started and never completed, we risk falling arriving in a stretch of road where they are laying asphalt turkish (strange mixture of gravel and tar). We pass to seaside resorts, where there are a large tourist complexes, is not what we seek, so we continue ...

The road leaves the sea .. moving inland, above and around in a continuous up and down curves, the roughness of the coast. You're doing late ... Find a ... but we do not see anything interesting, perhaps at the next village. Silifke, Tascu, Aydincik .. country after country ... curves, climbs and descents, we get tired at Bozayasi. I am 21, have done many km, on beautiful roads, but at very low speed, under a scorching sun. We give up before the 'Otel Zeysa "a family pension, simple but clean and economic, frequented by young Turks.

Bozayazi - Side km 210

Are taking up the coast road, which gives us continuous postcard landscapes, sometimes we are just a few meters from the sea, we enter the woods, and leave in a fabulous view, it seems just a painting, and we are on the ...
Today we do not want to get very far ... scrutinized in search of a pleasant place to stop us, we prefer small pensions, the enormous Albergoni and villages, we overcome Alanya friendly and lively village.

Transiting countries where there are so massive, huge greenhouses in which plants grow luxuriantly loaded with bananas.

We come to Side.

Side

Side is a concentrate of the qualities and defects supplied by Turkey, a beautiful beach, greek-roman ruins around the town, inns and restaurants in large numbers, a nice atmosphere, but also hordes of tourists (mostly Scandinavian and German) that, especially at night, leaving the big resorts, placed at both ends of the country, to invade the streets of the historic center.

We stayed well into retirement "Sevil" in a quiet area and close to the sea, left the street, running after the small mosque.

Side relax

The beautiful beach of fine sand, about 2 minutes to walk through the ruins of the East End. There fun to splash in the waves of the clear turquoise sea ....
Spend two pleasant days of sunshine in this beautiful country.

Side - Oludeniz km 390

We decide to move to the west, closer to slowly Cesme (last stage of the journey).
Pass without stopping Antalya, famous and crowded (thanks to the nearby airport) locations in the area.

Passed a major one opening before a show: a promontory of land that stretches towards the sea, creating two bays, with a country at the center, set like a precious stone.

We are in Kas, we stop for lunch near the obvious too small mosque, which fails to contain all the faithful gathered for prayer on Friday, to pray facing Mecca in fact, all 'external ...

Kas seems like a quiet town, where tourism is not the main source of income, even if there are other facilities, and many shops and restaurants.

The road sliding, enables us to travel fast, perhaps too .... the radar of the police is lurking hidden in the woods. Shortly after we stopped by the patrol ... We are wrong: 107 km / h, the limit 70, 180 million Turkish lira (about € 90) we pay the fine .....

At 16 we arrive at Fethye, from here comes off the road that leads us to the famous beach of Oludeniz. The photo of this beach is present on all the tourist brochures of Turkey. Indeed the place is very beautiful landscape, a language arched white sand (pebbles), continues in the open sea, creating a bay of rare beauty.

Turn quickly to the place, which appears to us now, little turkish but built specifically for tourists, bars, restaurants, shops and botique one another without interruption .... Nevertheless, we decide to stop .....

We visit various hotels, very beautiful from the outside, we can not say the same room, it always evaluate carefully before slowing down.

Back until the end of the country, and we find a great accommodation to the 'Hotel Arlik "clinging to the mountain with a beautiful sea view. Initially there was a proposal that we rejected the room, whereupon the manager, he fixed upon another and entirely different aspect, in addition to just 'hotel .....

Oludeniz - Selcuk km 315

We continue on 'approach to Cesme, while reducing days at our disposal, Thursday from the ferry to Athens .... Renounce to visit the scenes of Marmaris and Bodrum .. will be for the next time ...
We rely on the march, led to the ruins of Ephesus. Under a scorching sun, the thermometer touches 40 °, we arrive at the step of Sakar 650 m, from which we enjoy a beautiful view over the bay of Gokova.

Mugla overcome, and Cine, around Ovaymiri begins the highway, but we decide to travel the state, the six arrived at Selcuk, we choose as a place to stop.

Very enjoyable 's "Beautiful Hotel" in front of the basilica of St. John. We relax until dinner on the panoramic terrace, with a nice library with many excellent tourist guides and books on Turkey, pc with free internet access, and view of the nests that storks had built on top of a telephone pole...

Selcuk - Ephesus - Cesme km 210

In the morning we visit the site of Ephesus,
Of a thousand ancient cities that are located in Turkey, Ephesus is the best preserved.

Inhabited since the antiquity ', 129 in the City' became the capital of the Roman province of "Asia" were many emperors who built monuments and public buildings, many of which are in ruins but still visible.
We begin our visit starting from the top, we see the odeon, temples and portals. We walk on Arcadia Street, paved with marble, pass in front of the mighty temple of Hadrian, a series of fountains, pools, brothels, libraries, public baths, the library of Celsus and listed building restored to its former splendor, we arrive at the theater, which declined gently towards the eastern end, where we conclude the visit.

Although not particularly attractive from archaeological sites, let 's old city very happy.

Cia expects the transfer to Cesme ... resume the journey, not loving to travel on motorways, we choose the normal way, unfortunately, the road crosses the entire city of Izmir, we lose a lot of time ...

Cesme to arrive at the 18, we visit some hotels and discarded, we stop the 'Hotel Mert "two kilometers from the center.

Cesme

Cesme is a surprise .. a lively and vibrant holiday resort, with shops, restaurants etc. ... spend the last day at sea on the beautiful beach of Altinkum, close to the town.

Cesme

Today the return trip .... Wait for the ferry in the company of two Indian riders aboard older Royal Enfield motorcycle, and a cheerful combricola friends the Turks in Istanbul, designed to Mykonos, with their new polished and Harley and BMW.
At 9 we board, the boat is very small, crowded and uncomfortable, certainly not at the price paid for the ticket: almost a hundred euros for a motorcycle and two people. After an hour of crossing, with a rough sea and wind abeam, we are on 'Greek island of Chios. Customs formalities will undertake a good hours .... We did not rush the next ferry to Piraeus (Athens) to Part 22 ....

Lounge on the island ..... 21 to enter the port in the great ship that will be our passage into Greece. The ship leaves on time at 22, we place on almost comfortable armchairs, to face the night ...

Athens - Patras km 230

Landings at 8, spend some time to leave the port and take the road to Patras.
Athens has a very high traffic, and disorderly, we are also close to the Olympics ... we follow the road that we lacked to complete the full tour of peloponesso, made last year.

We see that they have reached the goal, when we see the great suspension bridge "Harilaos Trikoupi" from Rio to Antirio joins the Peloponnese to mainland Greece.

18 to depart on board the Europa Palace (Minoan).

Ancona - Cavalese km 500

We are in Ancona at 14, after a pleasant browsing, this year we have traveled in the cabin, and the comfort is worth the price of the ticket.
Around Rimini, large masses of dark clouds do not promise anything good, in fact after a few km, the first drops ....

The wear-resistant, boots and gloves ... At least we have not taken a walk for 5000 km, for anything, the rain will accompany us to the house, where we come to the 20th Putting an end to this wonderful journey

More info and photos on my site
http://www.mvanzo.it/viaggi/Turchia/Turchia.htm