{"id":10316,"date":"2025-05-17T07:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T05:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/?p=10316"},"modified":"2025-10-31T17:34:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:34:28","slug":"once-to-europe-and-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/en\/2025\/05\/17\/once-to-europe-and-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Once to Europe and Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We cannot look that fast: into the harbour of Cannakkale, tickets in hand, onto the ferry across the Dardanelles and we have already left Asia Minor behind us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Dardanelles ahead<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two hours later, we are back where we came from, in Cannakkale, in the Asian part of Turkey. This makes up 97 per cent of the country. We stay another night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Cannakkale<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"
Cannakkale harbour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With our Michael M\u00fcller travel guide ‚Turkish Mediterranean Coast‘, the 2006 edition, we cycled for almost three weeks along the rugged coast with its mountainous hinterland, a good 1200 kilometres. Now the book is travelling back along the route with a Dutch camper van. We are delighted that it has lightened our luggage and will be used again. It contains great map sections and is still very much up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the Lycian coast, the mighty Taurus Mountains, the rugged coastline with sun-seekers from many European and Asian countries, we now cycle along the Aegean. Here we find beautiful landscapes, wild flowers that can only be found in nurseries at home and a fantastic bird world; Turks, farmers, shepherds, men in tea rooms, women in tea rooms, children running around in schoolyards in small towns, pubescent teenagers who like to take selfies of themselves and still largely empty campsites, families in picnic areas, delicious bakeries, countless kebab and b\u00f6rek shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ada Camping between G\u00fczelcamli and Kusadasi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Dilek-National Park, with the Greek island of Samos in the background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We take a break in a lonely mountain village. We sit in front of the market (right) with a Coke. The owner is pleased to see us visitors and gives us some chocolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
In the pub opposite, the atmosphere is reaching its peak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
This sleepy village has a pretty mosque.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We see megacities such as Antalya and Izmir which are constantly growing, with modern shopping and cultural centres, tourist conglomerates with everything the recreation seeker expects, and rural areas, small villages that look like they are from a bygone era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Flamingos in the salt flats near Izmir. Bee-eaters fly here, but are too far away for our lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Riddle: Who knows this bird and what is its name?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Fo\u00e7a, reminds us very much of Greece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Fo\u00e7a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We pass ancient cities such as Ephesus and Pergamon. We visit Assos and the Troja Museum and take in the sights after the day guests have departed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Assos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Troja Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Troja Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Cyclists are rather unknown objects in Turkish traffic. Nevertheless, the car and lorry drivers treat us with consideration. Apart from travelling through Izmir, there were never any dangerous situations. The major roads are well tarmaced and have a wide hard shoulder, which is great for cycling. The smaller roads mostly have rough tarmac and there are often cobblestones. We also take gravel and dirt tracks. It is bumpy more than once and there are plenty of potholes – but it is a lonely ride. We like to take turns. If the road gets too bad, we take another stretch of motorway. Motorways are taboo for us cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On one of these country lanes, Simon calls out ‚Where are you going?‘ ‚Where are you from?‘ ‚Are you lost?‘ ‚Do you need help?‘ ‚Have you time for a drink?‘ until we turn round and accept his invitation for a drink. We walk up through the bushes and fields to his house, where he lives with Yasmine and the twins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Turkish-New Zealand couple have bought land near Ezirim, built a small house, grow grain and vegetables and are happy when someone comes along the unpaved road to invite them for a chat. The girls are very excited to see people other than their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With radishes, broad beans and salad freshly picked from his garden in our luggage, we continue our journey to Troja in good spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mulberries are already ripe in the south. There are also pomegranate orchards on the Lycian coast, the orange and lemon trees are in bloom and have an enchanting scent. Sometimes last year’s fruit is still hanging on the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Instead of the kebab shop, we discovered lunch or dinner at Lokantasi. They serve delicious cooked food. We can choose everything directly from the counter. Rolf prefers one of the soups, such as lentils. Astrid has chosen a delicious mussaka in Eceabat. If we are not camping somewhere remote, we like to have breakfast at the Mam\u00fclleri. There are delicious pastries, savoury and sweet, simit, sometimes also egg and orange juice. It tastes great, is served with love and, if available, cannot be topped by breakfast in the tent. Our seasonal drinks are tea and Ayran. In the first three weeks, we ate out more often than at the tent. The more than favourable prices make it possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ho\u015fgeldiniz, Merhaba, G\u00fcnayd\u0131n<\/strong> (=Welcome, =Hello, =Good morning)
The hospitality, helpfulness, appreciation, openness and tolerance of the Turkish people is boundless. Mostly in our colourful cycling gear and shorts and skirts, we are easily recognisable as strangers. We have never been judged. We were always welcomed in a friendly manner and with a smile on our faces. It is the people in the markets, pubs, accommodation and on the street. It is the people waiting at the bus stop, riding past on a motorbike or moped or coming towards you in a car or ambulance. They wave, honk or shout something friendly at you. Whether traffic police or Jandarmerie, they also welcome us to their country and sometimes say goodbye with a handshake, not without asking for our name and age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1001 nights in the Ottoman Empire with its lovely people – we are nostalgic and sure that we will miss it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We cannot look that fast: into the harbour of Cannakkale, tickets in hand, onto the ferry across the Dardanelles and[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[388],"class_list":["post-10316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-turkey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10316"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10409,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10316\/revisions\/10409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rapl-kiste.de\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}