We attempted again to buy dog food. Was this going to be another HGS saga? When last in Izmir, I’d found a deceased pet store. As we left Karaburun, I found another shop. A telephone call to a lady with perfect American. Only basic dog food. Back into Izmir. Roadside parking and came away with a 15kg sack of I brand I’ve previously bought. It was the only high protein at the pet store, so I guess not much in demand at £65. Should last most of our trip.
Traffic hold up. A helicopter dropping water. A car had caught fire and ignited the hillside.
Onto Sardis. We had decided not to visit many more ancient sites. At c. £25 for the 2 of us and 4x what the locals pay, we could easily give them a miss. But I’d read that Sardis is where the first coins were ever minted, so special. And it was less than £3 pp. Guess not on the main rip off the tourist trail then.
Similarly, my tea, with yogurt pot water, and James’ water were a non tourist price under a £1.Paint shop water troughsMassive synagogueThehuge gymnasium
J and Corrie rested in the shade. I checked out the huge Synagogue and Gymnasium. A Roman street with shops and latrines. Still being excavated.
The saying Rich as Croesus comes from here. King Croesus of Lydia 585 BC had silver and gold coins minted called Croessids, which were the first true gold coins, with standardised purity for general circulation. No museum showing the coins, but definitely worth the entry.
The control panel fell out. Glue and blue tack are melting as the internal temperature is 44C.
A short drive to shade near a waterfall. tried to walk to it, but the track was barred. Another Zeus Alter; blocked with no reason given. I did read the sulphur springs have been largely exhausted by extraction. We had passed a huge thermal springs hotel complex. Despite the lack of access to the waterfall, I’m now watching my second lot of pre wedding photography, folk who obviously think the scenery photo album worthy. Busy evening here with family and friends picnics. I commented to J that as little or no alcohol involved, we stood less risk of being bumped. And staff were out the next morning collecting bags of rubbish.
Cool picnicKeep picnic are clean: happiness lawNowaterfall access but nice path to the thermal spa hotel I’d spotted a pide place. Like a flat crusty pizza. Yummy. Our first in 5 years.
Amazing Aphrodisias
26/07
Slow drive to here. Main roads, but rattles, as against bumps. Had to swap story book for rock music as the rattles deafened us.Then the necessary music volume did!
Decided this site would be special as it was known for its fine sculpture. UNESCO. So I paid my €12 whilst J and Corrie dozed in the shade.
The sculpture school provided scholars a better understanding of marble production anywhere in the world. Sadly the museum was closed for restoration so I could only look at the few info board images.
Aphrodite temple 3BC, followed by a civic city 100 yrs after. Civic structures included temples, huge agora, theatre, 2 bath complexes and a huge stadium (better than the one at Olympia). In 400 AD they got bored with traditional athletics and adapted one end of the stadium for men / beast entertainment!
A long walk in 38C but worth it. And no problem to stay the night in the shade.
Well over a hundred sarcophagi. Bet the best ones were in the museum!The end adapted for man and beast entertainment The largest most intact Roman stadium I’ve ever seen. Seated 7000 with the city wall along one side. Bigger than Olympus which I ranin the rain with an umbrella. No, I did not run this in 38CThe Odeon used for civic meetings and small performances The larger performances were held here. Archaeologists have learnt a lot about theatre construction from this site. The main baths complex. Most of the statues were in the museum … sighThis ornamental pond / urban park was huge. It would have had columns, statues, fountains and date palms all around. So many areas of bits of column, arch etc piled up.
We battled the massive intersections and traffic to get to a large city Izmir Post Office / PTT. A Google review said they’d been helpful getting the HGS motorway pass. Sounded promising, give our lack of success in Eceabat and Canakkale.
After parking in a port car park (£8), we walked the 2+ km to the PTT along the water front, passing 2 ports and keeping to the shade as much as possible.
PPT lady said none to be had in all Izmir and to try another town. We then started discussing our planned trip, being in a large camping car. Oh says she, hang on a moment. You’re class 2. We have one left of those. I almost felt joy. She then suggested a chilled place with nature. It was not where we were headed, but who are we to ignore a local’s suggestion.
It’s loaded with a fair bit so hopefully we won’t struggle toreload it!Brunch in Izmir to celebrate. My first menemen since we arrived – yummy.
Karaburun
23-24/07
Rejected parking
We stopped initially at a P4N spit in Karaburen. Steps either side down to sea, but no beach shower or cafe. We had passed what looked like a camper stop so returned. A teen girl was encouraged to help with excellent English. Actually she needed no encouragement. Having established there was a shower, two sit down toilets, a cafe and sea access, we booked in for 2 nights (£15 pn).
So for the rest of the afternoon and all the next day, we chilled, ate and drank and took the odd dip. Other than being rescued by a Turkish family, as if I was an ‘old lady locked in the lavatory’ (my grandad used to sing this), we did not a lot.
Not like a normal mojito Love this yogurt drinkJez back leftChilled and in the shade
We crossed the ferry to Canakkale, hoping the bigger town would have a PTT large enough to sell the HGS motorway pass. After being bumped from PTT to every bank, we aborted. Will divert in a few days to Izmir, where we bought one 5 years ago. Coffee and cake.
We attempted to walk to Zeus Alter for its views and of submit offerings! Cor rie saved from being our offering, as unfortunately the path was closed until September. So we did 180 and walked into Adatepe. Pretty stone houses which had been abandoned when Greeks were forced to relocate to Greece.
Wealthy Turks are now properties up.Expensive tourist price lunch, but we didn’t need to eat again.
Desperate for clean knickers, we parked near Ayvacik on a perfect waterfront flat area and deployed the twin tub. Only the spinner is working, so I hand washed 😮. I thought it had too much sand to close the drain properly, but I’ve subsequently flushed it through. Still worth keeping as the spinner is very effective. It cost £100 about 10 years ago, so it doesn’t owe anything.
We moved to the road side lay-by above, as signs stating no Motorhomes. Shame as was perfect and loads of room.
Perfect pitch but not allowed
Percolating at Pergamon
22/07
Didn’t need that early start having been worried about parking in Bergama. There was loads of parking space. But it did mean we did enough of the ancient site of Pergamon before the crowds and it got too hot.
We could have walked up and down but it was steep and hot. Cable car £26 for both of us!!! The entrance was a further £26. Not a cheap morning.
Wandered the main parts of the site. Various occupiers since 281 BC, including, of course, the Romans.
The steepest theatre we’ve ever seen. What goes down must come up, so we didn’t!
We had a quick wander of the town passing the Red Basilica, but deciding against the Askeplion (healing centre) or Roman Baths.
We drove past one of the old bridges
With temperatures predicting around 40C this afternoon we headed N to a forest road with water fountains. We put out the awning and read in the shade. 42C in the van. Other than cicadas, the only disturbances were trucks trundling down with the most huge rocks (2 per truck as that big), and locals filling containers with spring water. One chap used our watering can to douse his overheating engine; he also had no back to his driving seat!
I got a fit of the buzies, having been sat all afternoon and did a little hand laundry, washed the floor and then attempted to get the Sahara Cretan orange dirt off Jez. I didn’t go on the roof as I’d had 2 glasses of wine and no phone signal. That would have been foolhardy! J showered outside with me pouring spring water over him. I don’t know why he complained about the cold – he went to boarding school! I put the hot water on and showered inside!
A friend of ours crossed Indian S to N in an ancient TukTuk. The Adventurists also organise a London to Mongolia race. Simple rules, buy a crap car, set off together and arrive by a certain date. This car is driven by 4 Aussie, much tattooed, miners and cost £1200. Heading to Istanbul to have work done to wheel alignment, suspension and to reinforce the sump. Shows how much smaller the world is. They have to put their car on a train and cross Azerbaijan separately and the race now terminates in one of the Stans as they can’t cross Russia.I had especially wanted to see the campaign film at the museum. But closed to mere mortals as as Jandama (civic police) and army visiting. At least we knew Jez was safe!The later Australian Governor witnessed the Turks call a cease fire and one carried a wounded Officer over to the Allues line. Fighting then resumed. Trenches were so close to the Turkish, as little as 20m. Both Turkish and Anzac cemeteries and monuments. Very much defined by the nationalities that stopped at each!View over Anzac Bay, main landing beach. Mustafa Kemal was photographed and now immortalised in bronze. Too many people attending the annual Anzac memorial, a new bigger site was built. Anzac Bay with remnants of a concrete structure and landing pier. The beach now for picnicking and swimming Turkish families…
Stand out moments were: How close the trenches were to each other. How little ground was gained then lost. The huge loss of life and injuries. How narrow the beach at Anzac Cove the main landing area. And an older New Zealander over heard, saying to his wife, Grandad was here.
We joined the families under the shade of pines, until it was cool enough to return to bonkers Boomerang Bar.
24 days in the UK for me and 14 for James. Maddy and I actually got on well! I did a lot of cleaning and sorting… my daughter and son-i-l are both messy, well compared to most! We met up with a lot of friends and saw all the family, which is great. I won’t see family till November.
We had the Easyjet flight from hell on Thursday. 6 hours late landing. Broken aircon was fixed. Then, crew out of hours. Then, another 2 hours to get an air traffic control slot. I guess they thought that our flight was so late already, we went to the bottom of the queue.
We should be due £350 pp in compensation, but won’t forward spend it, as it will probably take months! And we don’t want £700 in vouchers … that would be more trips than we’d ever book!
Arrived in Chania Crete at 1.00 a.m. Cancelled our friend who was due to collect us and booked a taxi. Only €48, normal rate, despite the late hour. Bonus of 2 snoring 5 year olds on the rear seat.
3.5 nights at home. Not ideal, but we are getting close to having had the motorhome in Greece for 6 months.
New UV vest, as white animals more prone to cancer And all because I decided to prune her
Out to dinner twice. A short early morning walk with friends. So quite social but a lot of unpacking, cleaning and repacking. We collected Jez at 0900 this morning for the final time from his private parking. Loaded. Had a late taverna lunch.
We are now on an Anek ferry at Heraklion. I was reversed, within inches, between lorry trailers. Now on deck with a glass of well-deserved 🍷. Lovely cabins. Anek really is much smarter and newer than Minoan, whose ship is adjacent to us … feeling relaxed and smug!
Really decent cabin.
Reoccurring Fridge Repairs
15-16/07
We managed to follow the sat nav around Athens from the ferry port and not get lost, for once. Probably too early for rush hour 😊 We were booked into Camper Club Athens motorhome stop and workshop for fridge and hot water on gas, or lack thereof. Arriving at 0730, somehow the gate opened for us. We parked on an empty shady pitch and filled with water. We’d emptied the fresh water tank on Crete as it had been sitting in heat going stagnant. Whilst parked up, the internal thermometer had registered 48C. Blue tack had melted! The workshop replaced the fridge / freezer component that switches between gas/engine and EHU. Got hot water working … too hot to check heating. Replaced in in-line gas filters. New fridge fans and placed the control switch inside, as apparently humidity is what killed the previous two sets of fan controls. Sorted the plug to the fan over the bed (think this had also melted). Bill was just under €570 and 20% of that was tax. Didn’t think to bring cash. Worth pinning as the mechanic knows his stuff.
With temperatures at 36C, we sat in the shade. The owner kindly did a coffee and pastry run (with lack of fridge, we’d no food and hadn’t passed any cafes on the way from the port).
We left at 3.30 and stopped at a large supermarket to provision up. The camper stop would have been €40 with EHU, so we drove for 3 hrs … parked at Thermopoli overnight … battles and springs. A small square with houses on one side. I asked at a house if it was ok to stay overnight. Lost in translation, he panicked, thinking I meant in his house! His young sons put him right, as he’d seen the motorhome.
Ladies, mostly, came out to dance once it got cooler
With daylight came the realisation that the fridge was no longer working on gas. We should have shelled out the €40 for the Camper Club camperstop to make sure the f’ing fridge was working. Camper Club suggested we drive back, but the instinct is to keep going forward. So we headed for Zampatas Camping megastore, Camper stop and workshop. The lovely Stavros worked on the fridge for 4 hours. Gave us homemade raki and a cake. He rang Dometic who basically said, you’ve tried everything. But he persisted. Problem seemed to be something to do with the exhaust. Have to wonder if the money was unnecessarily spent on a new controller, burner and source switch over the last 2 years.
The freezer was working so we left it on gas overnight. And stayed the night to be sure! Free!!! By morning the fridge was cold. Yay. We filled with water, emptied the cassette and paid €80 for all that labour. 😊
Fantastic Fanari
17-18/07
Brian recommended a beach stop at Fanari. P4N indicated motorhomes had stayed recently, which was reassuring. The concern is that Greece passed a law stealthily, essentially prohibiting campers from parking, just about anywhere. Public pressure had forced amendments to the law. But this hasn’t filtered down to all the police. It is an interesting way for the Greek government to effect change without lengthy and costly consultation periods … pass a draconian law, let stakeholders create a fuss, meet them halfway.
We started off dry, but the holiday mood won
Up to do Pilates, gosh I ached and was stiff after a lack of. Despite rescinding much of the law banning Motorhomes from parking, many police are still trying to impose €300 fines. I was nervous as I saw a police car cruise by whilst I was mid one leg balance. I mouthed kali mera and got a thumbs up. Phew.
We spent the morning reading the Turkey guide book and doing a few chores. After lunch we had an ice cream and had a swim. All very chilled. Dinner on the sea front was OK prices, but pretty rubbish wine and not marvellous food. The cool breeze was marvellous.
The Turkish Border
19/07
Fanari early dog walk
Up at 6.00. No one was around other than the fishing smacks coming in. J emptied the cassette in the public standing up loos and left them a lot cleaner. I moved the van to the beach edge where there was a convenient tap. Breakfast and underway by 0800. Lidl for 3 days’ worth of food. Fridge still working, so some meat into the freezer. 😊 Border all fine, other than waiting 30 mins in our own queue (campers and coaches). Insurance from a super helpful chap €195 for 3 months. A cash point and a Turkcell sim. And coffee and lunch.
We drove to the Boomerang Bar in Eceabat
We were here 5 years ago with David and Karen. A penultimate stop for 2 nights after our lockdown 1 extended Turkey stay. We had a mini tour of Gallipoli as David’s uncle fought here, injured, sent back to war, injured. But then died of Spanish flu. 😲
A walk and ice cream. People have said Tukey is not the cheap destination it once was, but a double scoop was just over £1.
Fascinating watching all the ships, mostly oil and chemicals. Apparently we still buy a lot of Russian oil but through third party countries.
Marine app to see their destinations across S Europe and N Africa.
Clune Gap Years 