It never ceases to amaze me that I can travel to a country carrying about 5-8kg of gear in a backpack (assuming I am not cycle touring) including my tent and sleeping bag. But I always head home with much more. It’s not even like I buy souvenirs or gifts. But, somehow, the return baggage…
It was a long drive from Safranbolu to Istanbul. Not much happened. I still have 2GB of data left on my Turkish sim card (getting data in Turkey is easy – just buy a sim card) so I spent the drive listening to Ted Talks (on audio – not watching them) about all sorts of…
To say that Sari’s Pension is gorgeous would be an understatement. It’s the very place I need to be right now as I head into my final few days as a digital nomad. My mind is spinning with ideas, possibilities and things to look forward to on my return home. I can’t believe I am…
I wake in the lovely large apartment with an amazing view of the Black Sea out the windows. Even on an overcast day it is gorgeous out there. I am glad I didn’t sleep in the car somewhere on the roadside or try to set up the bivy in the rain. This is a far…
I am reticent to leave Samsun. I really like this town and the Hotel Necmi. It’s relaxing and easy going. But I must head west towards Istanbul if I am to make my flight home on Friday. It’s already Sunday and this next section of road along the Black Sea could take me a while.…
I wake in my monastic room at the absolutely delightful Hotel Necmi and start the day with a run along the Black Sea followed by a delightful breakfast served by the hotel owner. I love that pretty much every hotel in Turkey includes breakfast and that the breakfast is always good. Today I go out…
I wake again to the sight of balloons. But today the sky is blue and the colours of the balloons more vibrant. I watch as they bob higher and lower on the air. A flash of flame illuminates the balloons from within and changes their altitude or direction subtly. Some balloons fly high while others…
