Al Jami – الجامع A brilliant morning in mid-April, 1930, riding along the west coast of the Peloponnese. A group of adventurous British tourists is cycling up to old Olympia. No acommodations are available with the difficult conditions of the postwar period, so they stay with a family in a derelict stone house near the ruins. Plain but delicious dinner prepared by the lady of the house. Near the fireplace, her husband tells stories of the war against the Turkish in his broken English. The following day, the eldest son offers to guide them to the ruins. In the afternoon, the group resumes riding on the dirt roads to visit the Kaiafas hotsprings. You decide to stay behind. Your are on your own in the desserted site. You are haunted by the broken columns, the sun-bathed stones where a myriad of multi-coloured flowers captivate your thoughts. Some inscriptions may be guessed on the stones here and there. The stadium is splendid, with its arched entrance for the athletes. Glorious t...
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Bikes & Cultures: Turkey - Georgia - Armenia - Iran (2025)
2 April - 31 May 2025 From Istanbul to Teheran along the Black Sea coast and the Caucasus April - May 2025 Linking Turkey and Iran on two wheels has always been a dream for long-distance cyclists. In 2024, after a three-month ride, I arrived in Istanbul from Granada. It was a great adventure. For the following spring season I wanted a change of landscape, maybe going back to the north of Africa. My plan was to cycle the Mediterranean coast of Algeria and Tunisia in springtime. I applied to the Algerian visa at the consulate in Alicante but it was a waste of time and money. The frustrating process lasted six weeks and it never happened. They considered that a lonely traveler on bicycle could be a danger for the national security (not a joke!). Finally, the choice was the eastward route from Istanbul to reach Tehran before the summer heat. My original plan was to ride through the Turkish highlands directly to Iran. But weather was so...