Eskişehir – 15th to 17th September
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 25,24,27 degrees
15th September – I slept surprisingly well after the exploits of yesterday. I must say the fall had shaken me a little, and looking at the damage in the mirror, the left side of my face was beginning to turn to a nice shade of black and blue. My left arm on which I had fallen was very sore. My glasses were somewhat twisted and the left lens was severely grazed. So I must have looked a wreck when I made my way to reception to ask about breakfast only to be told it had finished 5 minutes before. The hotel owner who was sitting in the lobby overheard the conversation and spoke with the restaurant manager and arranged for him to bring breakfast to me in the lobby, an intervention of which I was very grateful. After breakfast, I visited a nearby pharmacy to collect medication prescribed by the doctors at the hospital and whilst there I asked the pharmacist if he would be able to change the dressings for my eye and arm, but he said I needed to go to the hospital for that, so I bought fresh dressings so that I could change them myself. I then found an optician who was able to straighten my glasses but he was unable to do anything with the scratched lens, he made no charge for the straightening.
The hotel was located very close to the river Porsuk and In the afternoon I took a gentle stroll along the thriving and lively “River Walk” lined with cafes and restaurants. I stopped in one for a late lunch and was surprised by the number of young people who were enjoying conversations over a variety of drinks. The waterfront development looked relatively modern and I later learnt of the ‘Eskişehir Urban Development Project’ started by the Mayor, Yılmaz Büyükerşen, that has done so much to improve transport and infrastructure within the city.
16th September – This morning I rose in time for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I had arranged to meet my “good samaritan” (the one who stayed with me at the hospital) for a morning coffee but unfortunately, he never arrived. I had earlier received an email from the hotel I stayed in Istanbul advising that a package I had been expecting had eventually arrived and knowing there was a high-speed train service linking Eskisehir with Istanbul I walked to the train station to enquire about times and tickets. The station was packed with long queues for tickets and I was advised there were no available seats to Istanbul for 5 days! A wasted journey but an interesting walk and experience. A friend at home, Tim, told me of a contact he had in Eskisehir who had been in touch with him via Facebook when he was walking on the Via Egnatia. Tim thought he might be of help during my stay in Eskisehir, especially as he spoke English. So that is how I came to meet Alaaddin, a lecturer at Anadolu University, and to enjoy a Turkish coffee and a conversation about Eskisehir and my pilgrimage in a part of Eskisehir I would not have normally visited. Later that evening I dined in the Ciğerci Ahmet Restaurant, a traditional Turkish restaurant not far from the hotel. The food was delicious, the service excellent, and with live music, it was a thoroughly entertaining evening.
17th September – I was still recovering from the shock of the fall and decided to rest for a further day. I needed new walking trousers and found that there was a Decathlon store in Eskisehir situated about 1.5 kilometres from the hotel. So taking a gentle stroll I arrived at the Espark Shopping Mall, a modern shopping centre, where I was able to buy a new pair of trousers at a very reasonable price. In the afternoon I visited a vibrant bazaar not far from the hotel where you are able to buy anything you need, with its avenues of fish, fruit, vegetables and clothing stalls. There were also avenues of artisans such as cobblers and I found a shoe shiner who made an excellent job of polishing my walking boots. After supper in one of the riverside restaurants, I returned to the hotel and decided I would start walking again tomorrow.
