Tuesday 11th October. Afyon – Atlintas 42.38miles.

​Gave a Turkish dog some bread this today, in return for her photograph. She was wary to begin with.  I felt bad about getting her hopes up for more. 
 
I’m sitting in (yet another) café drinking strong black coffee and I’ve been given my first Turkish delight.   Tiny sweet, chewy cubes of peppermint, rose, vanilla accompany the bitterness of the coffee.    Am contemplating how much more there is to go to Istanbul.  Just a little bit more up then it’s mostly downhill to tonight’s hotel:  I’m looking forward to that.   Feeling quite tired and just want to sit and gaze off into middle distance, listen to the hum of traffic coming and going, feel the cool breeze.  Best get going.
 
It wasn’t the best downhill ride I’ve experienced because there was a mean NE wind blowing in my face all afternoon – slowing me down.    Inspired by Cheryl, I started trying to compose haiku as I pedal along, down up, down up.
 
It started to threaten rain as I neared my quarry – dark clouds looming,  but held off thankfully.  I said yesterday that the climate was like an English summer: too true! 
 
I’m completely exhausted and an early night is in order, methinks.  It seems all I’ve been doing for the last week is cycle along an endless D-650 through miles of drought stricken brown land with mountains in the distance.   Then I book into yet another soul-less hotel to eat, sleep after trying to blog with useless and slow wifi.  Strangely enough, I’m loving the experience.