As we walked back through Foca after watching the sun set the council workers were busy with a tractor mounted scraper, JCB and dump truck clearing up all the market litter before jet washing the entire area and leaving us in peace for the night.
We headed off stopping north of Dikili where a short track saw us parked right on the beach with a calm and warm sea proving too much to resist. Later we cycled back in to the centre on a good cycle path for an excellent kebab in a cafe on the bustling main road through the town.
Market day in Ayvalik the following day made for an interesting couple of hours having walked down through the back streets from our parking up on the hill before we arrived at a secure paid parking in Geyikli Port. We were lucky enough to be able to park under the only tree and then walked over to the jetty to enquire about crossing over to Bozcaada the following day. £2 return each, free bike transit and hourly crossings gave flexibility to our plans so we walked along the long sandy beach noting that as well as private sections with umbrellas and loungers for hire there were free public areas as well. We took another dip and after cooling showers back at the van we enjoyed a couple of drinks in a beach bar as the sun set. Next morning we joined a surprising number of foot passengers and a full car deck for the half hour crossing to Turkey's second largest island.
On arrival we were away through the port village and following a circuit anti clockwise round the island with my 1:25,000 SatMap map making route finding easy. Out on the north coast a few turbines were spinning in the welcome breeze as we looked out across a blue Aegean with a few dozen cargo ships awaiting their turn through the Dardanelles. Further round a beach restaurant tempted us in for cold drinks and a superb mezze of various cold dishes served by very friendly staff. Swallows were nesting in the roof and seemed oblivious to the presence of the staff and guests. Another few miles with views across to the large Greek Island of Lesbos saw us approaching the port again but a sign outside a house tempted us in for fresh homemade lemonade in their shady garden. The two young girls were keen to try out their English and said they were on the island for the summer which would be a huge change from their home city, busy Izmir.
The return ferry was fairly empty as most people stay on the island for a break and back at Geyikli the van was cool despite the temperature being in the low thirties. The friendly parking guy was happy for us to fill up with water as we left paying just £12 for the two nights and he was delighted when we gave him biscuits to accompany his cay.
Moving north on the toll road which we assumed would be covered by my as yet unused HGS RFID tag we crossed the 1915 Cannakale suspension bridge, opened in 2022 and currently the world's longest. It soared over the Dardanelles with the Gallipoli Peninsula away to the south which had been my first destination way back in March. Presumably the toll cameras weren't working as at the booth all traffic was stopping to pay manually which was no problem and before long we were at the spot I had stayed at on my first night. However it was of course much hotter and with little wind we decided to head further north to a small picnic place in the hills. It was a lovely spot with the possibility of tucking away under the trees but sadly as ever there was garbage everywhere. A couple of groups of local guys were having a beery picnic but were friendly enough and we were amused as the final three left, clearly well lubricated and perched on their tractor. We walked out to where a new concrete lined irrigation canal was being constructed and later watched as a herdsman brought his dozen or so cows back home. The lane was surprisingly busy during the evening but quiet overnight and we slept well before heading north again and stopping at Kirklareli which would be our final Turkish town. In the centre stood a statue commemorating Ataturk and a cool tree lined pedestrian avenue down to the old station which was now a cafe. Alongside was a substantial steam loco and nearby the old water tower and huge grain silos. We had lunch, bought cherries and made our way to the stopping point for the night reached by a short steep climb up a track to a stunning wildflower meadow with plenty of trees for shade. Ten minutes of litter picking transformed the idyllic location and we had another peaceful night ready to head the ten miles or so to the Bulgarian border the following day.
The tiny nearby village seemed to have exactly the same old men sat at exactly the same tables I had seen on Street View as I had investigated the possibility of a gas cylinder outlet as our Turkish one had just run out. A couple of the guys were very helpful and disappeared off but could only source those with the wrong diameter thread so we thanked them and headed off through wooded hills to the quiet border crossing. Our vehicle documents were checked and passports stamped and that was it re Turkey. Fifty yards further on our passports were stamped again and the V5 inspected but as Bulgaria joined the EU in January of this year we did not require insurance but did have to buy a vignette which was €15 for a month, probably more than enough but it was €9 for just a week. The process was very simple using a multilingual ATM type machine that took the card payment, noted my vehicle details and triggered off an email confirming all was well. The final procedure was a €4 disinfectant bath that achieved nothing as none of the lateral or overhead jets were working, again payable by card at the small booth.
And that was it.....both our phones on O2 soon picked up the free roaming limited to a reasonably useful 25Gb per month and we followed a quiet road through wooded hills towards Burgas before turning off to coastal Sozopol where P4N indicated a place to stay on the headland between the two beaches and handy for the small town. Workmen by the barrier moved their tools so we could line up with camera and then the barrier lifted for us to park on the edge with a stunning view of the blue Black Sea. We walked round to the north bay and were tempted in to a simple restaurant by a friendly guy whose daughter studied at Portsmouth Uni and is now living in Fleetwood. We ate very well and walked back to the van via the port and main centre to chat to a German couple who had just arrived.
The following day we drove out and then back in again as the limit is 24 hours with the ANPR system working well, parked parallel to the coast for the best view and then set off on the bikes for a thirty mile ride passing through Primorsko where again we found a great place for lunch. On a quiet back road to Yasna Polyana we saw a variety of wildlife, mostly in 2D, including large snakes, small tortoises and a marten of some sort. In the village we stopped for water and watched adult storks feeding their young who were just about outgrowing their ramshackle nest and reached the van in time for a swim on the south beach. The following morning a steady breeze had stirred up the seas and the lifeguards were preventing swimmers from going in unfortunately. Thus after a paddle we packed up and decided to drive back to Yasna to fill the van with water under the inquisitive eyes of 3 local kids and then drove to a point on the coast we had seen during the bike ride that offered us an exceptional park up right above the beach. The waves were rolling in but with no lifeguards around we were soon out there enjoying the battering after which I fetched my mask and fins to do some snorkelling. It was a sublime spot enriched by a strawberry moon with just a couple of other vans a few hundred yards up the coast.
Plenty of showers to rinse off the sand meant we returned to Yasna where the same boys were friendly and very excited when I returned from the shop with a choccy bar each and a packet of biscuits for the group of old ladies sat in the shade of a tree.
Burgas was on the list as a service stop with the first port of call being a basic little set up who were happy to refill my Turkish cylinder for £4, swiftly followed by a car wash where much foaming followed by a prolonged session with the power washer saw the van looking smarter than it had for months. A small and superficial patch of rust on the NS B pillar will be seen to in Brecon along with a bumper scuff caused by an over enthusiastic scooter rider in Bursa a few months back.
A town centre parking area had the same ANPR payment system so £5 saw us parked up for 24 hours just 5 minutes walk from a laundry. This turned out to be part of a hostel run by a friendly French guy, Michel, who moved here a decade ago from Normandy. He says it is busy for four months of the year after which he is free to travel for 8 months and regularly visits Morocco. Anyway he said our laundry would be ready in 90 minutes so we nipped back to the van for lunch, responded to his text that the wash was done (£5) and after draping it round the van set off to explore Burgas. There is a large park along the coastal strip with artworks and gardens plus access to a long pier with busy beaches either side and kite surfers out to sea. Large cargo vessels were awaiting their turn in the port area and a few yachts also passed by.
In an ice cream booth a young lad made coconut and then strawberry ice creams for us by first chopping up the relevant ingredient and then pouring over a helping of cream, all this taking place on effectively an ice cold aluminium dish. He spread the mixture thinly enough for it to freeze and then scraped it up in to tubs, remarkable and delicious. After a rest in the van we walked back to the main part of town and selected a pizza restaurant for the evening meal. It was fascinating watching people go by as everyone was dressed to their best and families were enjoying communal meals. Ours was excellent and as the sun set we returned to the van for a night slightly overshadowed by the local seagulls having an all night party.
Today we returned to a different gas man in error who was equally happy to fill a CG907 for a fiver so we now have more than enough gas to get me through to Germany and probably even France where exchanges are possible once more. In under an hour we stopped at Pomorie for a look round and are now parked up at Old Nessebur, a UNESCO World Heritage town sited on a peninsula where overnight parking on the north side has given us a cool breeze and peace and quiet. We walked in to the town for a look at some of the old churches and will return there later for the sunset.
Tomorrow we start to head west and north through Bulgaria and on in to Romania and Hungary before I look towards the Channel Ports. I have 5,000 miles left on my van insurance and as the direct route according to Google Maps is 2,000 miles I will have to stay more or less on track. I had considered ringing my insurance company as the 4,000 miles in Turkey, Georgia and Armenia where their cover didn't apply should perhaps be ignored but as I think I have enough and won't be going far in the UK before the September renewal I have left it for now.
Heading away from the Black Sea means that the next coast will be the Channel so with lots to look forward to that will do for now......
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