Helen and David Homewood
January 2012

Part One: Brindisi – Vlore – Saranda – Igoumenitsa – Ioannina

Here is the rather breathless account of a great motorhome journey, linking Italy to Greece in a different and more adventurous way, then on to Turkey. It was written by Helen on their tablet computer, battling with predictive text, using WiFi links as and when they appeared, and via a mobile phone SIM card. This is travelling at its best.

The occasional lapse into French is explained by the simple fact that the Homewoods live in France!

Other articles by the Homewoods on this website:

Guides to Travel In and To Morocco 2008

The Homewoods in Tunisia 2010

Helen writes:

“We have unexpectedly got an Internet connection at a motorway services just west of Thessalonika. Herewith a brief report of the journey from (the Italian port of) Brindisi to Greece, via Albania.

The ferry from Brindisi to Vlore (Albania) was fine: cabin like a French two-star hotel of 30 years ago  ... sheets, towels, very old but clean. It was the same price as the Brindisi to Igoumenitsa (Greece) ferry, plus around €35 each for the cabin, as it was overnight.

So glad you warned us about the tunnel leaving Vlore. We asked a bod at the port, he said: 'Turn right end of road, then right at roundabout, follow coast. There is a zhardina, with a sign about the tuneli about 2 km out of town'. And so there was. The notice board before the tunnel there is a load of Albanian, but the word that hits you is 'tuneli'. There is also a picture of the entrance to a tunnel, an arrow pointing left, and a no entry sign (the tunnel is one-way).  You turn left and climb on a little road behind some houses, then re-emerge later on the coast road.

Spectacular drive, perfectly good road, with men sweeping up rocks, they are so proud of it. Well worth it just for the views over the sea and then the mountains inland. There was even a white line, so when we were in the clouds we could stay on the road.

We took the road for Ancient Butrint but turned back as it was not tarmacked. So approached it from the south, on the lovely winched ferry. We were parked behind a car on this small rickety river ferry, even though we are 3450 kg max. We watched as a car and a bus went across, side by side!

At Butrint we parked up waiting for the rain to abate but next morning it was even worse, so we still need to see the ancient site!

NB  Don't take the sign for Konispoli, that is just to the village. The border post is at Qafe Bote.

No hassle at the border, so we drove into Greece and past our first ever camping spot at Sagiada - something I have wanted to do since we were there in 2008!

The Petit Fute guide book says Albanian is not far linguistically from French, and looking at the signs I would agree - easier than Greek in fact!

We would have gone for the road east towards Macedonia if it had been May

Once in Greece, we found it was Epiphany (6^th January) and a feast day, so we ignored Igoumenitsa and drove to PJ's Sosta at Ioannina lake for the night.

Ioannina seems a lovely spot. We did no more than check out its Byzantine museum with mosque and minaret. The white and black pleated woollen woman's traditional costume was straight out of Patrick Leight Fermor's description of the nomadic shepherds wedding in his book 'Roumeli'. The mosque inside the museum is exquisite.”

Part Two:

Ioannina – Thessaloniki – Turkish Border – Kesan – Gallipoli – Canakkale - Troy

“After Ioannina we took that super motorway, the former Via Egnatia, intending to visit Philip of Macedon's tomb at Vergina but we all ground to a halt where snow blowing from a plain between mountains to the northwest of us had covered the road.

We were all parked up while snow ploughs were brought in and it was 2.5 hours before we got going, and we were near the front of the queue! So will have to see Philip another day!

We parked overnight at the Olympus Plaza Services, some 40 km before Thessaloniki, at N 40.55461, E 22.54192. We also saw some good parkings with WCs along the motorway, perfect for cassette emptying and fine for an overnight in warmer months, for example N 40.117053, E 21.50613, just before the turn off for Kastoria I think. Also a couple between Xanthe and Alexandroupoli.

Fuel between the Greek and Turkish border posts was only 1.08 Euros; sadly we had just filled up!

We continued into Turkey, past the first town of Kesan, and overnighted in a peaceful tarmacked lay by, well back from the road and opposite a garage at N 40.65668. E 26.82115.

There are lots of possibilities on the Gallipoli peninsula, where we lunched at the harbour at Kabatebe: N 40.20064, E 26.27173 with free loos. We then overnighted at the Kabatebe Visitors Centre at N 40.21165, E 26.27685 where there is a fontaine of eau non-potable, which could be useful for washing, They turned it off at night - just as well, as it froze last night.

We managed to buy a 3G SIM card at Turkcell in Canakkale: 60TL for the SIM including one month's use and one Gigabyte. Another month will cost 40TL more, if we want it. Turkcell are just off the wide main Demircioglu Boulevard.

This morning we took the little ferry from Kilitbahir to Canakkale, which Lonely Planet say is the cheaper, but lands you somewhat to the west of the bigger ferry. We should have taken an immediate left but instead ended up in the small streets and at the gates of the Maritime Museum. They initially waved us away, then the 'Commander-in-Chief' of the museum took a shine to us and let us in to his capacious car park. He fixed us up with an English-speaking guide to the museum and to the replica of a 1915 ship they have there. How do you guys with the big vans manage, though? We get into situations like that all the time!

Also useful was a large Kipa supermarket complex on the Izmir road about 4 km out of Canakkale.

Now we're parked at the cafι outside the Troy Archaeological Park. They say they have water and loos, though David can't manage to hook up to their electricity. Cafe Wilusa: N 39.95604, E 26.24822. There is a small camping about 500 metres away to the east.

It's wonderful to put places to names. We passed Philippi of course; we slept with thousands of dead young soldiers at the Dardanelles; crossed where Leander swam the Hellespont; and we have just climbed all over the ruins of Troy.

That's all for tonight. We hope it gets warmer as we go south.”

Part Three

From Troy to Aliaga, just north of Seljuk

Today wasn't very interesting; all we did was drive, apart from my purchase of slipper socks! It has been below freezing every night and was snowing this morning as we turned inland south of Troy. There is a north wind which makes us think of the Mistral, one reason we don't much go for Provence. The forecast here tonight is "+1, will feel like -6 " .

We missed out on Bergama and Sart, but really think we should crack on south, then pick up on the sites on our way north when it is warmer. Can't believe there really are lemon trees at Selcuk, just south of here. . . certainly intend to spend tomorrow at Ephesus.

Part Four

To Dalyan

Just drove for the South yesterday; our overnight at Aliaga would have been quieter about one km further on or further back. Best to take the little service road by the sea, where the main road becomes dual carriageway. There is a wind farm nearby, so shelter from wind and road noise is necessary.

Now at Dalyan Camping: 25 TL per night including electricity, at N 36. 82805. E 28.63731, across the lake from the rock-tombs of Caunus. There are boats to take you over the lake if you like.

Dalyan is a sweet little tourist town, which the GPS took us to by about 20 km of potholed road, and the last 50 km or so of the main Mugla - Antalya road had been under repair, so was missing its top surface. We were pretty shattered when we arrived, together with a stray German motorhome collected en route, and a helpful local showing us the way on a motorbike. This made for quite a caravan! There must be a better way in!

This is the only campsite open here in January apparently, and cycling around we have not seen anywhere simply to park up.

The France Routard guidebook says the campsite is well maintained, which it isn't, but that's probably because the owners are on holiday in Istanbul, so it has not been opened yet this year.

Much warmer here though and we did 10 days' worth of washing and washed the van. This makes us feel almost human again.

(to be continued)