Leaving Asia

Before even breakfast we headed on up to the ski area- up about 25km of fairly icy roads. We were disappointed when we got there to find none of the lifts running and only one car ouside of eash of the huge hotels. There were people about so we asked and, through gestures, understood that there was not enough snow so the resort wasn't open. It was true that it was less than a foot deep by the road and seemed to be melting to slush so we had a picnic breakfast and started off towards the boarder, about six hours away. I didn't mind too much- less time skiing here means more time skiing in Bulgaria. We had already decided to bypass Istanbul. I have hread so many good things about it that I felt we could not begin to do it justice in the day and a half we could dedicate to it so I intend to fly there sometime to explore it more fully- anyone fancy joining me, maybe next autumn? It sounds like a city best explored without the hinderance of a car. It's interesting that I now view a trip to Istanbul as one to explore the cultures and peculiarities of that city, not of Turkey, as I once would have. I suspect is far removed from all that I now associate with the ever changing landscape and peoples of Turkey that I would barely recognise it as the same country. I spent the rest of the motorway journey typing up blog- it was great to re visit the early days of Iran, I was amazed how much I remembered, even without the propting of my notes. I've got to typo and spell check them so they won't get online tonight but they are coming. I have however filled in most of the wee gap before the Iran boarder. Alex remarked as we went over the Bosphorous that we had now left Asia, which seemed a shame. There is so much more of it we haven't seen. The write up about accomodation in the Turkish boarder town of Edirne was dispiriting so we headed instead to a campsite... which was shut. We looked around for some other ones to no avail so headed into town anyway. We headed for the chepest place in the book as they were all quite expensive but ended up parking opposite another one. The parking warden managed to get accross that if we weren't staying in the hotel opposite there was an hourly charge so we took a look around it. It looked fine but expensive, however, on saying we were going to checkk out other hotels the price was dropped twice to a reasonable one so we took it. I checked the guidebook and it is in here after all- at the first price although it says the free breakfasts are something to be feared! We shall head out shorly to a resturant for some of the local delicacy- deep fried calfs liver with toato, onion and hot chilli garnish...