ATHENS, Greece

Wed		Hi: Low:	15° 14°	Athens 17°C
Thu		Hi: Low:	15° 13°	Athens 17°C

Having booked this through Motorroads from the UK, I didn't know what to expect when arriving at Istanbul IST with bag, helmet and no back-up plan but all went smoothly. Hassan and Co were at the airport on time to meet me with the bike and sort all the paperwork - very quick process. I rode down beyond Terkidag, met some friends (who had shipped their bikes to Sofia) and we caught the ferry from Gallipoli (via the coast road) to Cardak then on to Balikesir on the most amazing mountainous roads - then through Ayfon, Konya and on to Cappadocia (via the salt flats around Eskil) for a couple of days. Great mountainous or high-plain roads, beautiful landscape and lovely, friendly people. Surprisingly, given the rewards, there were very few tourists and even fewer bikes. After a long ride back to Istanbul (500 miles), I Dropped the bike and the guys removed the side panniers from my bike for the mad Istanbul traffic. They couldn't have been more helpful and friendly... washed the bike, gave me coffee and a tour of their workshop. 2400k completed in 8 days so I paid a bit for excess mileage but this was reasonable. On the last day, the chaps came to pick the bike up from my hotel. I highly recommend Motoroads for their straightforward and friendly service! Simon2019-02-10