Vagabonding

It's hot again today, just like always. 🤷‍♂️Wir get up early and do a lot of kicking and sweating - same old story. The body has got used to it and at some point it's no longer uncomfortable, you have other things to worry about 😂.

In the late afternoon, we look for a place to sleep and roll up to the town mosque. Flo and Julie (🇫🇷) have camped here on the lawn of the mosque and we would also like to spend the night on consecrated ground.
An elderly gentleman greets us and shows us the meadow behind the mosque. Ideal. We sit with him, chat for a while and wait for the imam to make a decision.

A man in a shirt and waistcoat arrives. We have no idea how imams dress here, but this could be him.
He talks to our companion and then leaves.
Our companion sits there and stares into the distance. Finally, I ask about the outcome of the conversation.
He has no idea either and tells us to contact the police. 🤷‍♂️

We trudge off to a branch of the police. Two passers-by are briefly asked for directions. They stop an expensive car and point out the driver. He nods and will probably take us there.
Two kilometres further on, he drops us off in front of a well-secured base.

There they suggest a campsite 7 kilometres away and in the opposite direction. Not impossible, but we already have an 80km stage tomorrow. 😬
I remember that someone once recommended a 'really nice' campsite in a nature park. It was already dark and the campsite in question was 25 km away and 300 metres above me 😱. But it was really beautiful. Drivers estimate these distances differently. The well-known rule 'objects (in the mirror) are closer than they appear' doesn't apply when cycling 😄 .

We bring up the municipal mosque; they would have referred us to the police.
We are at a loss. Everyone is lost in thought. A policeman suggests we could spend the night behind the mosque (Yes! Please!🙏). There is disagreement.
It's quiet, everyone is thinking.
One of the policemen brings up the idea of the mosque again.
They say 'yes, maybe we can do that'.
Meanwhile, Bruno is told to phone a friend of a policeman and explain the situation again. This has happened to us before, the Turks seem to have relatives and friends in every region (no wonder with this openness and hospitality!)

We are one step closer to a solution. We are told to get our bikes and then a solution can be found.
I ask to clarify the situation: 'and then we take the bikes to the mosque?
They reply: 'No, the mosque is closed.
I am at a loss. I don't understand the situation. 😄

A policeman calls an English-speaking friend and hands me the phone. They want to help us and ask what they can do.
I explain the situation and that I think we can come to the police with the bikes.
He explains this to the policeman.
One of the policemen asks me:
'What are you doing now?
I understand the situation even less. 🤯
We've just found a solution, haven't we? 🤣
I reply that we'll get the bikes and come here.
They confirm: get the bikes.
Well, at least we've agreed on that. 🤞

We get the bikes. A new face greets us at the police station and suggests the campsite again. By now I'm dreading the fact that all the policemen have changed shifts and we've lost the little negotiating progress we've made 🤣 and are experiencing the same situation as on Groundhog Day all over again. 🙄

Fortunately, a familiar face comes out of the building. They briefly explain the situation and obtain authorisation for us to stay overnight.
Then everything happens quickly: we are led behind the old police station and invited in for tea to celebrate the successful conclusion of the negotiations.
Instead of sleeping on consecrated ground, we are now well protected behind the police station.Leggi altro