Kat & Mat's big bike trip
Day 93 Izmir
Our last full day of cycling... We will miss it but at the same time we are ready to stop and very much looking forward to exploring Istanbul and meeting friends there.
We set off through rural back streets, got chased by a couple of dogs but they couldn't be bothered to run very much. We've seen lots of dogs and an unbelievable number of cats here in Turkey, mostly sleeping or wandering around doing their own thing. A dog spent a noisy 10 minutes next to our table at dinner last night devouring a section of ribs and vertebrae.
We then joined a highway along the coast which was busier but a good size. Saw a couple of touring cyclists going the opposite direction and a pack of road cyclists.
Mid morning we stopped for a coffee and snack - Mat's waffle turned out to be more than he bargained for but he managed with a little help from Kat.
After passing several enormous military bases we followed a path along the coast and over a narrow land bridge that took us through a huge park into Izmir. We had a little celebration as we passed our 3500th km!
Izmir is huge, the third largest city in Turkey, but the entry through the park then along a seaside cycle path was idyllic. The EV8 carries on up the coast but we said goodbye to it and headed to our apartment.
We're staying in a hotel full of suites and the owner couldn't have been sweeter. He welcomed us in, upgraded us to an even bigger suite and carried our bikes down to the basement for safe keeping. Thank goodness for Google translate which we used for our entire conversation.
Love, Kat & Mat x
On the day
👀 6 yellow cars
🐾 2 dogs chasing us
👀 1 pack of cyclists
🐾 1 herd of goats
👀 2 tractors
👀 4 vet clinics
All reports
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026