Pilgrim’s Blog
Distance: 38.4 km – Elevation +780 m -420 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 22 degrees Whilst waiting for dinner last night I was reading about the rich historical past of this now modern city. It is one of Turkey’s most ancient settlements, with a history that dates back to the 10th century BC when the Hittites ruled in Anatolia. After passing through the hands of the Phrygian, the Lycian, the Persian and the Hellenistic empires, it
Distance: 28.3 km – Elevation +130 m -1280 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 33 degrees Ĺast nights hotel was clean and comfortable and cost 80TL (£11). I slept well and left before breakfast at 7.30 am. It was a cold morning with a brisk wind giving a distinctly autumnal feel, a 3 layer start to the day but by 10 am summer had returned, the wind had dropped, and temperatures rose to reach 30 degrees. Whilst
Distance: 13.4 km – Elevation +190 m -150 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 32 degrees I slept well and woke as dawn was breaking. Looking out from my bedroom window, the landscape and the distant Mağras Dağı were bathed in a glorious and peaceful golden glow. I couldn’t have wished for a better start to my day. There was no breakfast available at the hotel but Mut was a relatively short distance away and I knew
Distance: 35.1 km – Elevation +390 m -460 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 32 degrees My plan for today was to walk to the village of Kargicak which at a distance of 35 kilometres was approximately midway between Mut and Silifke. If I couldn’t find a bed for the night I would catch a bus to Silifke and return to Kargicak to complete the walk tomorrow. I started walking around 6.00 am before daybreak, just in
Distance: 34.4 km – Elevation +490 m -670 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 36 degrees When I woke this morning, the thought of returning to Kargicak and walking the 34 kilometres back to Silifke was not at first appealing. However, after a good breakfast and being fortified in mind, body, and spìrit I decided to take a taxi to Kargicak, I had missed the early bus and the next didn’t leave for another two hours. Kargicak
Distance: 11.2 km – Elevation +50 m -50 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 37 degrees Today will be my last day of walking in Turkey. A journey that started 52 days ago when I crossed the border at Ipsala, a journey that started with expectations but also a good degree of uncertainty and trepidation, a journey that has fulfilled that expectation, a journey full of surprises, beauty, and love. There is so much in this beautiful
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 37,37 degrees Taşucu is a small coastal town with a population of around 10000 and like so many places in Turkey it has a long history. Originally named Holmi when in the occupation of the Greeks in the 7th century BC. In the 4th century BC it was captured by Seleukos I, who moved its population to Seleukeia (Silifke). In the 1st century BC it was in the hands of the Romans
Distance: 126.0 km – Elevation +510 m -480 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 33 degrees The ferry was the Via Mare, a RoRo / Passenger ship. It had originally been built in 1976 for P&O Ferries to ply the ferry route from Dover to Calais. I made several trips across the English Channel around that time and, although I have no specific recollection of having done so, I may well have travelled on this ship before.
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 31 degrees After a really good night’s sleep, I rose at 8.00 am and joined Nelly for breakfast in the gardens of the hostel, after which we walked into Kyrenia to visit the harbour and castle. It was a warm sunny day as we walked with the temperature approaching 30 degrees. Like yesterday in Bellapais, the harbour area of the town was relatively busy with visitors. Small restaurants lined the old harbour
Distance: 121.2 km – Elevation +520 m -480 m Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 29 degrees After another good night’s sleep, I rose at 8.00 am and joined Nelly for breakfast. I spoke to the staff of the hostel about getting to Famagusta and was told we needed to book seats on a minibus that stops about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The earliest bus with seats available was 12 noon, and as Nelly’s ferry