Stage 44: From Alexandroupoli to Tekirdag

Lotfi and Andrea had convinced me to cover the approximately 150 km between Alexandroupoli and Tekirdag in one go. That's why we went to have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. with Marianna, our Italian hostess from the hotel of the same name. A little later than planned and with threatening clouds, we went back east at a rapid pace, but except for a few drops, it stayed dry. Shortly before 10, we were already at the first border post with a kilometer-long line of trucks next to us. Only one of the four counters was occupied, but we were allowed to overtake the waiting cars. It went similarly fast on the Turkish side. Of course, nobody wanted to see the electronic registration form that we had filled out in advance.

The next 30 kilometers were stubbornly along the main road (with a wide shoulder) to Kesan, rather slow due to strong headwinds. In Kesan, I then separated from the guys in the afternoon. They were simply faster than me on the hill, and I didn't want them to arrive late in Tekirdag because of me. It was a mix of uphill and downhill, but at least in sunshine and without too much wind. With some music, the second half of the mega stage went surprisingly fast, so I arrived exhausted but happy in Tekirdag before nightfall. In the evening, the reunion with Lotfi and Andrea at the hotel. We are all very tired, but thanks to Fatma, the owner of a small snack bar, and Memo, who owns a cafe across the street, we spent a wonderful evening. Cigköfte, Dürüm, Ayran, and plenty of Baklava for dessert at Fatma's for €3 per person! Memo invited us for three rounds of tea, there was even more Baklava. Especially Memo bombarded us with questions about our travels and told us a lot about life in Turkey and football. Since he could hardly speak English, the Google Translator was always at the table, but it worked wonderfully!

At 7:30, the three of us sat down for breakfast, as the crazy Italians wanted to tackle the next big stage to Istanbul directly. I had a day off planned for myself, which was desperately needed! I spent half the day eating and lying around, but there was still time for some sightseeing. The most famous street in Tekirdag is Atatürk Boulevard, which runs along the coast. In addition to the pedestrian zone, there is also a large bazaar. Mosques with loudspeakers, so that you can definitely hear the Muezzin five times a day, must not be missing, of course. The city itself is very lively with many small restaurants but not very touristy. You get further with gestures and sign language than with English. I have decided to learn at least a few basic Turkish phrases in the next few weeks.