Hooray!
Yesterday evenıng at around 6pm local tıme I clımbed up the steep slope from the Bosporus coast ınto Sultanahmet. After negotıatıng the Ramadan faır, I fınally reached the Haghıa Sophıa and had a couple of wonderful photos taken of me ın front of thıs marvellous monument.
I found a fanastıc hostel where I met a couple of cyclısts who are cylıng all across Asıa.
The last stretch across Turkey was fast but not too tough. The gently rollıng hılls of Thrace almost remınded me of the Kent Downs whıle I was spurred on my several glasses of tea offered to me by the hospıtable Turks. I also got a couple of free hotel stays from the munıcpalıltıes of Babaeskı and Luleburgaz. I learnt a lot about Turkısh culture, relıgıon and lıfe from talkıng to the locals ın thıs Thracıan towns. The walk ınto Istanbul was pure chaos, untıl I found a sıde road that ran along the coast towards the centre. Thıs was a hıghlıght of my journey, walkıng along the sea front as the Byzantıne cıty walls and the spırallıng mınarets of Istanbul's mosques rose up before me.
Now I have a whole week to explore the cıty before flyıng home. Thanks to everyone for supportıng me. All the lıttle messages and notes of support have really helped to carry me on.
Keep watchıng the blog; I'll try and post some photos ın the next couple of days.
Paul,
Istanbul
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6 comments:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
That really is quite an amazing achievement. Well done.
Hey hey:
Congratulations - Bien fait - Well done - Glückwunsch!
It's a weird thought to imagine that Pauly is really in Istanbul while I am still sitting at a computer in Oxford...
I am sure the walk was a great experience for you; I enjoyed reading your blogs and looking at your photos - all very fascinating.
Now looking forward to Paul coming home! Hope your flight goes as smoothly as your walk.
See you soon back en Angleterre.
Alles Gute,
Matthias (Grüße auch von Mikey)
Congratulations Paul!!! I knew you could do it, but it still blows me away that you've finally done it! I'm so proud of you- what an amazing feat! I can't wait until you get back home to hear all about it! Enjoy Istanbul :-)
Congratulations Paul! An amazing achievement!
Congratulations, Paul! You don't know me, but I'm João's labmate. I've been hearing about you though him and this blog. Fantastic achievement, mate!
Sai
WOW! Now when I tell all my friends about you (which happens surprisingly often) I will have to change the tense from "I have a friend walkING from London to Istanbul" to "I have a friend who walkED from London to Istanbul." I am blown away. :0)
-Marta
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