Day 46 - October 19, 2023 Izmir and onward journey to Greece

After breakfast at the hotel, I drive about an hour to Izmir and find a space in a parking garage. Then I walk along the lake promenade, watch the anglers, shop at the Port Alcohol Center and go into the city center (Alsancak district). There are great cafes here and I can't resist having a second breakfast. Then I get stuck in the clothes store and get weak, but everything is spotlessly cheap. Now we go back to the car and onto the slopes heading north. My intended destination is Canakkale. The first part is on the motorway, but then it's about 60 km on a narrow old track through the mountains, an adventure. I reach Canakkale around 4 p.m., too early for a night's camp. According to the navigation system, it's only 90 minutes to the border with Greece, so we continue. The highlight is the great bridge over the Dardanelles Strait. Of course, like in old times, I had to pay bridge tolls. Then I'm quickly at the Turkish/Greek border. Things happened relatively quickly for the Turks. They have positioned a large army on the border, which is also acting offensively. In Greece I was greeted in German. I was also really happy to be back home in the EU. We always complain, but anyone who has struggled with the corresponding adversities for 7 weeks in countries that are not part of it knows how to appreciate the EU. Furthermore, the Greeks absolutely harassed Turks entering the country in terms of customs. After the border, another 15 km and a nice picnic area in a small forest served me for the night. 12533 km