Bolvadin to Sultandagi – 24th September
Distance: 34.0 km – Elevation +190 m -190 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 28 degrees
It was a warmer night and a warmer start to the new day, so no jacket was required this morning, just two layers, and that became one as it became really warm later in the day. After an excellent breakfast which was served in the adjacent restaurant where I had enjoyed supper last night, I started out walking on a newly surfaced road not yet open to traffic at 8.30 pm.
About 5 kilometres from the town centre I passed by the local university campus (AKU Bolvadin Vocational School Kırkgöz Campus) just as students were arriving for their daily studies. There were several small shops close by and I called into one to buy a couple of bottles of water.
As yesterday the road was devoid of vehicles so it was a stress-free walk as I crossed the Akar stream heading first to the town of Çay. Most of the morning I was walking through an urban environment, and one of the advantages of doing so is an abundance of cafes along the route, so for once, I was able to enjoy a proper lunch rather than bread and cheese. The cafe I chose for lunch was the Yeşilbahçem Sucuk Evi which translates into English as the Yesilbahcem Sausage House, and in the afternoon I stopped at the Çilekli Bahçe Mola Park services for a refreshing glass of tea.
For the remainder of the day, I was walking between two mountain ranges, on my left the Emir mountains I had left behind and on my right the Sultan mountains. The land here is very fertile and the climate is suitable for fruit growing, especially sweet cherries. I passed numerous orchards and in the late afternoon I rested beneath the shade of the trees in one of the orchards. I arrived in Sultandağı just before 6.00 pm and found a room in the Yaşar Otel.
It is now 116 days since I left Rome and during that time I have had just one day of rain! Well, the forecast tells me tomorrow might be the second.
