An important milestone (Iznik – Gelibolu)

We passed an important milestone yesterday on the road from Amasra to Iznik—we are halfway along our route.  Dora has carried us and our goods more than 1250 miles, with a bit less than 1250 to go.  Yesterday was also our last day along the Black Sea, and we feel as if we got a good look at the coast during the past week, its towns and mountain villages; its variety of roadways, from super-highway to steep, unpaved tracks to farm roads and the streets of beach towns.

Lake Iznik was calm as we left town, stopping to give Dora a wash after yesterday’s dusty drive.  Of course we discovered the road outside of Iznik is being re-made, so we immediately picked up a patina of fine dust and crept along for a few kilometers until we hit the red road.  (On Michelin maps, in case you don’t know, red roads are “improved” or “national roads” and yellow roads are “local” or “scenic.”)

At our tea break we looked at the map and decided to drive for Gelibolu, crossing the Dardanelles by ferry on Thursday instead of sleeping on the Asia side of Turkey and crossing the following day.  Our timing was lucky and Dora boarded the 3:00 PM ferry at 2:58.  We were in the fishing village of Gelibolu a half-hour later and checked into a pretty hotel a half-hour after that.

We wandered through the streets and around the two harbors while the evening cooled down; then we found a waterside restaurant for dinner, watched the sun set, and called it a day.