King Midas and the Gordion Knot: We made a detour near the city of Polati to see the site of Gordian, the former capital of the Phrygian kingdom. What is left of this great capital is located in a small village in the middle of the Anatolian plain. The western road leading towards that village […]

Along the Marmara Sea: We managed to tear ourselves away from Istanbul after over 5 weeks. Five weeks to tour the city, take in its sights, apply for and wait for the Iranian visa, receive the last of our vaccines, and especially wait for our packages at the post office. Mom’s package with my allergy […]

The Grand Bazaar: Wandering the streets of the Grand Bazaar is one of the highlights of any trip to Istanbul. This covered market in the center of historic Istanbul has 4000 boutiques, mosques, fountains, restaurants, banks, and workshops bunched together along several kilometers of streets. Each profession has its own street or section of the […]

The People, the Religion, the Dress, the Customs: Religion: Although Turkey is a secular state, religion plays a large role in the lives of most of its citizens. Over 99% of the country’s population is Muslim, mostly Sunnite. Istanbul is no exception. The term “Muslim” means “one who has submitted himself to the will of […]

The Arrival: The previous day I had wished for a hot shower and a glass of cold juice. I had gotten both. On Thursday I wished for a truck to stop and to take us and the bikes to Istanbul. Stephane told me I was dreaming. “Okay, then,” I said, “let me have my dreams.” […]

The Arrival: It was only 5 km. from our camping spot at the small church high in the mountains to the Turkish border, but it seemed like 50. It was extremely steep and very, very hot. Reminded me of the heat wave we had in France last year. As before, we passed vineyards, mountains, forests, […]