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Slow in the hills. Sprint on the flats. Off the freeway into tranquil, peaceful and hilly Black Sea Turkey. But time marches on. We make the distance sprinting towards Giresun on the freeway with the spectacular mosque and orange-pink panoramic sunset at our back.

The sunset near Giresun

Yesterday the freeway was noisy, plied by fast travelling and impatient trucks, hurtling along the Silk Road towards the east. The new tunnel (not on the map) yesterday was dangerous. I felt vulnerable on the bike, just waiting to be swept up by a truck being passed by two others with no roadside to escape to. James and I decided to avoid the long tunnel between Fatsa and Ordu and take the coast road that circuits around the mountainous peninsula.

It was like someone had turned on the colour switch. I was taken from the speed trance of the freeway, and started experiencing again. The birds were tweeting, the people were working on the side of the road, and the villages were alive with people.

Jason’s church

Black Sea coast

But it was hilly, more strenuous than on the freeway, and very slow going. I had a bike maintenance date at the bike shop in Ordu (great guys!) to replace the handlebar stem on my bike. And then another 50km to our warm showers host in Giresun.

Ordu bike shop

So, we ate, took the freeway, and then went like the clappers.

Ayran and salad

We were met 30km out of Giresun by Kadir – our wonderful warm showers host who cycled back with us back to his home. At our backs a sky of fire was unfolding. It was a special time, cycling along the straight, flat freeway in the warm evening, constantly turning to see the spectacle behind us.

Mosque

Sunset near Giresun

Kadir has a hazelnut farm perched high on a hill overlooking Giresun. We sat on the balcony before bed looking at the Giresun lights twinkling below us, with the Black Sea extending out on the horizon.

Me, Kadir and James