So today was our last day in Turkey. When we entered the country, which in some ways feels like yesterday and in other ways years ago, we were put out that we had to purchase three months of car insurance. I guess fate knew more than us; it runs out at midnight tonight!
I hope we are only saying au voir to Turkey and not Goodbye. We have become comfortable here, picked up some language, can shop reasonably competently, have enjoyed the weather (apart from the floods) have enjoyed it's ever changing scenery, marvelled at its history, acquired a taste for its cuisine, paddled in all of its seas, viewed its major rivers, including the Bosphorus and the Euphrates and delighted in the company of its people (well, apart from the bit in Eastern Anatolia!) Turkey has been a great to visit and one that wouldn't take too much persuasion for us to return to!
The road to the Greek border takes us past some very wet fields. In the distance are a lot of large, black birds pecking about. They look rather like turkey's? Whether through curiosity, or simply that we were dawdling our way out of the country we have become so fond of, is debatable but we take a detour! Down the track we go until we meet these strange, large, black birds that look like turkey's. They are turkey's!
A last bit of shopping and a last lunch, of baklava and Turkish coffee, then we are in Greece. The man at passport control gives us two tangerines as we leave. Just to underline how friendly the Turks are!
Having looked at the calendar and the weather, we have made the decision that Greece will be a future venture. Realistically, we have two full months at latest, before we need to be heading home. Based on how long it has taken us to see Turkey, then we cannot do justice to Greece and it's Islands in that time. Apart from which it's ferries are expensive, we have I sited more ruins than you can shake a stick at and the sun isn't shining! There is a motorway that goes right across mainland Greece to Italy. Maybe, by taking the motorway we won't get sidetracked?
With the intention of spending the night in a motorway service station, we drive on. However, this is not to be so. There are no service stations! Not even any lay-bys. What do you do if you should need refreshment, a comfort stop or fuel? The only option is to take an exit and find your way into the nearest town. I hope no one ever feels poorly or over tired on this Greek motorway, because there is nowhere to stop!
We get ourselves to a quiet piece of waste land between the back of a school and the beach. It is Sunday tomorrow so the school will be shut. Now all we have to do is find our way back to the motorway in the morning!
Sun 23rd Nov
By night fall we are the other side of Greece. As we enter Igoumenitsa we see a ticket office still open. The girl inside is very helpful, had we wanted to go to Anconia we could have been straight on a ferry tonight! The Brindisi ferry could take us but not Fay and the Bari ferry could take Fay but not us! Instead we opt for tomorrow nights ferry into Brindisi. The helpful lady draws us maps of where we may like to visit locally while we wait. We almost feel bad about not staying longer in Greece but there is a promise of more sunshine down in Sicily! Ironically, had we taken the ferry to Anconia, we could of been in Morocco before the end of the week! Hey ho, fate has served us well so far, let's see what she has in store for the rest of our trip???
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