Letter to the nice people I met in Greece and Macedonia

Dear friends..
I came to Greece on 18th of May Tuesday at 22:00, stayed at Alexandroupoli one night.
It was 320 km from the office in Istanbul.


Next day, I started riding towards Edessa.
I got out of the highway at Komotini, in order to pass through Logos Vistoriada.


It is a lovely place which looks like 'Büyük Çekmece lake' nearby İstanbul.


I stoped at Xanthi, saw the watch-tower.

I met turkish men there.

I continued towards Kavala.
When I felt hungary, I stoped at a small village at the seaside, by chance this was Nea Karvali.


This village was built up after a group of Turkish-Greek people pushed to immigrate from a village named Gelveri near Cappadocia. http://guzelyurt-gelveri.com/

I met 5 men when I was looking for a place to eat. They were very friendly, they gave me food for lunch.
We had a nice chat mixture of turkish and english.


I passed by Kavala and Thessaloniki without stopping because they were the spots I was going to stay on the way back.

I reached Edessa in the evening. It is such a green and watery small, lovely place..


I loved the waterfall. Although I have seen Niagara falls 3 times in 3 different season 24 years ago, I was still impressed with the waterfall of Edessa.


From Alexandroupoli to Edessa it took 420 km.

On thursday, I left Edessa towards Ohrid.
I passed Florina and Niki, entered Macedonian customs. Just after customs was Bitola where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had gone to school in his youth.


Bitola is a small town but with lots of small streets one way directions and heavy traffic!

I visited the clock tower and took pictures, same as a dear friend of mine had done exactly 2 years ago in May.
you can see the similarity!


By a Turkish citizen's help, I was able to find Atatürk's school, which is a museum now.
That was very impressive to be there. I was in tears.. With the feeling respect, love and craving. For such a great statesman.

After these emotional times, I reached to the target of the day: Ohrid, via crossing the mountain, under rain.
That day was reasonably short riding, only 200km.

Ohrid is such a lovely town on the lake. I enjoyed the silence and peacefulness.





In the morning I walked around. the pedestrian area reminded me a place in Turkey; Side.


The actual plan for Friday was, to go to Skopje and from there to go down to Thessaloniki, but the exhaustion was building up.

So I cut 150 km down, and from Ohrid I went back from the same road I rode.

It was a good idea, because on the way coming I did not spend time in Resen, where turkish population was high.


I stoped for a cup of tea at a coffee house, and had a tea-mint mixture to drink, and some chat.. I was mostly on the way by myself, and I was not have much chance to talk to people.



That part was the toughest ride I have ever had! It was rainy, fogy with maximum of 15-17 meters vision, very deep and short curves, and the worst was the road not asphalt but rough cobblestones!

Although it was tough, I still enjoyed it.. I love challenges to myself.

From Resen I came back to Bitola and this time I wanted to see Turkish Consulate. Unfortunately it was closed in the afternoon. Consulate is on the pedesterian road. It was raining again.


I was hungry, went to the italian restaurant next to consulate, met nice people working there.

I rode to Thessaloniki, entered the city. riding on the Egnatias street, thinking how shal I choose the hotel, there very plenty of hotels. I saw a young nice girl riding a choper bike, I went next to her at the red lights, and asked if she can advise me a nice hotel. She took me to the hotel over the sea: Makedonian Plaza. It was nice to have good view.


I enjoyed the big nice room with a beautiful view. It was like Tarabya Hotel in İstanbul, on the 'water'.
This was a treat to myself after such rough rides.

It was 290 km from Ohrid to Thessaloniki.

On saturday morning first, I walked around, then got the motorbike and searched for Turkish Consulate, and Atatürk's house where he was born.


This was the second emotional episode; same as in Bitola, his school place. Respect and need of such a statesman on this time, having unnecessary people managing the country terribly!

I hadn't have the breakfast yet, I went to seaside,
choose one of the many nice cafe's. I ate a delicious tost with orange juice. After that, was the time to direk myself to Kavala, via Serres and Drama.

At Serres I had disappointment because almost everywhere was closed!

I could not find the old bazaar which my friend had advised, and could not find any turkish person to chat.

I did not waste more time, and directed to Drama.

Drama was a lot nicer, people were around.
I sat next to the park to a cafe type of place.

The owner of the place was a biker too, he had sympathy for me that I was riding by myself around. This was the same reaction I got all the time during this journey whenever I talked to the people about what I am doing!

In the evening I reached Kavala, such a nice seaboard city. I enjoyed the harbour view a lot from the hotel I stayed.
The owner of the hotel said, it was the first hotel of Kavala.


This day was also not tiring, short riding day about 220 km.
I had dinner at a restaurant, again with the advise of my dear friend Turgay. He has been there before many times.
There was a man at the restaurant who used to live in Turkey, speaking fluent turkish.
I had a nice, delicious dinner.

Next morning I had coffee and pastry at harbour cafe.

I went up to the old town. I took lots of nice picture again.



At Kavala, there is an interesting road sign: 'Konstantinoupolis 460'

It gives me the information how far away I am from home!

After Kavala, I decided to say 'hi' to the new-friends in Nea Karvali. It was a nice and warm feeling to see some acquaintance.

I had a small break with them, had my breath, get some water, and back to road.

I prefered the minor road in stead of express highway till Komotini.

At Komotini I felt hungry, it was time for a lunch, which was going to be last meal in Greece for this trip.

Luckily I found a good place with a turkish man working there.


Food was very delicious.
From Komotini to Alexandroupolis I had taken the highway. Because I was told the alternative tiny road was not good quality.

At Alexandroupolis, I looked for an opened gas station. All of them were closed!

I started to go out of Alexandroupolis, there I found one. I filled the tank because it was a lot cheaper in Greece than in Turkey.

I headed the customs to go back home.

For sure this will not be the only time to Greece,

I loved the country, the people, the feeling.

I will come again and again, this was what I told to the man at the customs exiting from Greece.
From Kavala to my home was 500 km.

It was almost 2000 km from-to İstanbul.

At the begining, it was such an unknown feeling to go to 2 countries I have not been before.
But now, it is so familiar and warm and frienly.