Istanbul to Yalova – 5th September
Distance: 52.3 km – Elevation +310 m -330 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 29 degrees
Today I moved from Europe to Asia, or more correctly to Asia Minor, the Anatolian peninsula which holds most of the present day Turkey. After three days’ rest in Istanbul it was an easy day to restart my pilgrimage. First a gentle stroll to the ferry port at Yenikapi. I needed cash so I used one of the ATMs at the ferry port, only to find that once I had started the withdrawal process there was no English language option and I had to quickly seek assistance from a nearby Turkish man before the machine gobbled up my card as it had done in Greece.
The sea was calm as the ferry crossed the Marmara sea to Palova, a journey that took 75 minutes. After disembarking from the ferry, and whilst walking to the town centre I met the two Dutch cyclists, Bart and Barbara, with whom I had enjoyed supper in Istanbul. They had arrived on the same ferry that I had used and were cycling through Turkey to reach Iran. We were joined that evening in Istanbul by Tom the American, and Maud from Belgium who had taken me across the Turkish border at Ipsala and now we are all going in different directions!
I had booked into the Serif hotel located close to the town centre with views of the Marmara sea. It was a good quality and inexpensive hotel and the staff were very friendly and helpful. It had been an interesting day’s travel and I felt very relaxed and at ease as I explored the town and later joined the people of the town as they took an evening stroll along the tree-lined promenade and I dined in one of the many restaurants found in this part of town.
