Tuesday July 24, 2007

 

DATE: Tuesday July 24, 2007
ROUTE: Kardzhali, Bulgaria to Edirne, Turkey through Greece
DISTANCE: 82 miles
TIME: 7h 15m
CEG: 3500’
WEATHER: HOT HOTTER HOTTEST 111 degrees

Well, as you can see, the temperatures have not decreased. Today was a record for me --- and one I do not want to break. 111 degrees makes you feel like you are the Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven. Half of the group made other plans: taking the local bus to Edirne, cycling to Greece then taking the van, or riding in the van to Greece then cycling the rest of the way.

I had been looking forward to this: three countries in one day. Nancy was thrilled with her birthday helmet and was determined to wear it as long as it would last.

We traveled through the Balkan foothills with beautiful views in every direction. We saw many more wagons pulled by donkeys than cars. As we got closer to Turkey, the Moorish influence became more and more apparent. After 55 miles, we were at the Greek border. The temperature was 105 degrees. We said goodbye to Alec, our Bulgarian guide, and had a quick drink. We expected the next 20 miles in Greece to be hot but not too hard. The route was on a rolling, lightly traveled, smooth freeway with wide shoulders. But the heat on the black pavement really had us suffering. My temperature gauge registered 111 degrees. Yikes! At 13 miles a gas station with air conditioning brought us back to life. We drank sodas and water and cooled off. Before we departed we soaked our heads and shirts. We reluctantly went back in the oven for 5 more miles then exited the freeway to cross the border into Turkey.

Entering Turkey was similar to entering Russia: waiting while nothing seemed to happen. We were required to buy a Turkish Visa for $20 and have our passports inspected and stamped. Things progressed slowly but smoothly due to the help of our new Turkish guide, Sahli. Things did not go so well for the van. It seems some obscure paperwork concerning spare bicycle parts was required. We said goodbye to Michele and Sahli and hoped we would see them, the van, and our luggage at the hotel when we arrived.

Only 6 miles to our hotel --- a piece of cake! Not so. Bridges undergoing restoration, 4 miles of the hated cobblestones, and chaotic traffic slowed our progress and often had us walking. The temperature had decreased to a bearable 108 degrees. Nancy, Stefania, and I were warmly greeted with cold water and cold sodas. The van had not arrived so everyone sat in the courtyard and told stories of the day’s adventures. When the van finally arrived, we quickly unloaded the luggage and headed for the showers.

We are really in an exotic and fascinating place! Our hotel was built in the 16th century and used as a caravan stop. It has been beautifully restored with functioning air conditioning. It is located near the center of the city next to the Selimiye Camii, one of Turkey’s finest mosques. The mosque is the masterpiece of Mimar Sinan (1490-1588), court architect to three sultans.

We ate dinner in a waterfront garden restaurant with a lovely view of the Roman Bridge spanning the Meric River. This was the same bridge we had crossed entering the city --- under construction and open only to pedestrians and bicycles. We celebrated Nancy’s birthday with wine, cake, and song. The shadow photo was taken walking back to the hotel with the moon and streetlight behind us. Michele is pretending to douse my head with water --- a very common occurrence these last many days.

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