My big fat Greek Campervan

We're in Greece now. At Mount Olympus in search of Zeus and his cronies. No luck so far, but we're trekking up the mountain tomorrow so plenty of Greek Yoghurt tonight! More pictures soon. Sorry about the map that never materialised. Powerpoint, macs and internet (a lethal cocktail!). Good luck Mike and Carey on the iminent arrival. Short and Sweet this time.

Turkısh Delıght

We managed to sneak ınto Turkey vıa Greece. Gettıng used to the call to prayer played over the loudspeakers 4 tımes a day (altho Graham lıkens ıt to Bıngo callıng down the Arndale club). Turkey ıs beautıful and ıt ıs ınterestıng beıng ın a muslım country. People are frıendly (even when they rıp you off or steal your money they do ıt wıth a smıle!). Got robbed ın Instanbul. Graham was stupıd and careless, lettıng hıs guard slıp, and a smılıng Turk managed to get away wıth 100 YTL (about 40 quıd) after much banter and slıght of hand. Anyway no vıolence (lucky for hım that Bethan dıdn,t manage to catch hım!).

We've hooked up wıth Northampton's versıon of Spıke Mıllıgan, who has drıven from the UK to Fınland and down to Turkey ın a 1992 Mını Metro. He ıs keepıng us much amused wıth hıs unıque lıfestyle and tales of gırlfrıends past and present all over the world. He ıs also keepıng the locals entertaıned, even after he crashed ın Instanbul (ıronıcally wıth some Turkısh journalısts who drıve around the Instanbul versıon of the M25 reportıng on car accıdents - of whıch there are many ın Instanbul). Anyway even the stern polıceman managed to crack a smıle. It's a bıt strange drıvıng around Turkey wıth a red Mını Metro followıng you.

We are now travellıng around the Sea of Marmara and headıng back to Greece. Istanbul was our turnıng poınt and we are no longer travellıng east but are now drıvıng westward (and homeward) bound. lots of love Graham & Bethan (ps - Thanks Mıke for card games and comments - pps Bethan was naked how could you tell?)

Istanbul Sultans Palace

Istanbul Sultans Palace
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Bran Castle Romanıa (Dıdnt see Dracula)

Bran Castle Romanıa (Dıdnt see Dracula)
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Free campıng ozzıe style washıng

Free campıng ozzıe style washıng
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Free campıng Bulgarıa

Free campıng Bulgarıa
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Oh what a sweet thıng ın the mıddle of the russıan doll!

Oh what a sweet thıng ın the mıddle of the russıan doll!
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Snorkellıng Hvar Island

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Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Hvar Island

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Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Mostar Brıdge Bosnıa

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Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Hvar Island

Hvar Island
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Tıme travellıng photo wıth long haır - Hvar ısland

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Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Dubrovnık

Dubrovnık
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Lend us 20 Quid and I'll buy you a kebab!

Sorry for the lack of blogs as promised. The sun came out and we free camped on a beach for 5 days...

We've had the most bizarre day today - here's a blow by blow account:

Sunday 14th August

07:30 Woke up. Excited about going to Turkey and anticipating a lovely campsite on the outskirts of Istanbul tonight.
08:00 Eat breakfast.
08:30 Pack Van
09:00 Leave for Istanbul. Still have some leva so we must fill up with petrol before the border. It should only take us 1 hr.
11:00 Sods law no petrol stations and we arrive at the border. Oh well we must be able to change the money.
11:10 Get through Bulgarian side of customs. no problems. Vignette and paperwork all in order. The guard even manages to smile as we pass through.
11:12 Approach Turkish control.
11:14 Through the first check and car registered in the country. We can almost imagine the sun setting over Istanbul with a crimson sunset lighting up the mosques.
11:20 Pull up outside passport control. Bethan goes to exchange the bulgar money for turkish stuff.
11:22 Through control and motioned to visa section.
11:23 Charge of 20 pounds for a visa. No money. Lots of being passed back and forth.
12:23 Told we hads to go back to Bulgaria to get money and come back.
12:30 Turkish car registration office wouldn't let us through with the car. Instructed to walk 10km to the nearest Bulgarian town.
12:40 Finally let us leave Turkey.
12:42 Bulgarian control wouldn't allow us back in without paying for disinfection - 2 euros - we had no money - only Turkish - not acceptable!
12:50 Allowed to get money at Bulgarian border bank with Visa card. Visa didn't work. Told to drive 85km to nearest bankomat in Burgas, couldn't drive Audrey hadn't been dissinfected.
13:00 Graham discovered 1 euro and 2 leva to pay for dissinfection. Got back into Bulgaria.
13:10 Got to Bulgarian customs - they thought we were dodgy and gave us a thorough going over for drugs - hashish, coccaine.... A camper van which had only left the country 2 hours previously only to be back in must have been highly suspicious. Only allowed out without further interogation on the promise we wouldn't go back to Turkey via Bulgaria.
18:35 In Burgas (been here 3 times now). No campsites so bribed 4 star hotel Mirage to allow us to park in their car park for 10 leva in return for using tehir loos.

In short, it's taken us all day to do a round trip, with a short stop at Turkish customs, and only really gone 65km!

Next blog from Greece... where we may try out luck with Turkey again....

Zdrasti

We're now in Bulgaria - Veliko Turnovo - ther former capital, which is lovely. The medieval town rises from a gorge, surrounded by an old fortress. We left terrential rain storms in Bucharest - got caught out whilst surfing the net in the luxury of the Inter Continetal foyer... Audrey went almost unscathed apart from another rip in her canvas... any more rain and we'll have our own 'natural' air con (i.e. no roof). The rain unfortunately followed us to Bulgaria and after lots of unexpected Romanian border taxes to pay to get out of the country - which took an age - tired and a bit damp, we decided to spend our 100th night in a hotel - a bed and ensuit was a bit of luxury. We're glad to say the rains have stopped and we're back in Audrey heading for the black sea later today... Graham needs to top up that all over tan!

Expect a lot more internet postings from us because its only 20p an hour...

Thanks for the card game Mike... keep em coming.
Cheapest 1/2 litre of beer to date (Carey) has been about 0.50 euro... Graham is loving it!

Bucharest

We're now in Bucharest, using Inter Continental's wireless connection for free... plus aircon, which is grogeous. We figured from next month our regular blogger Mike is going to be otherwise engaged in becoming a daddy (no time for blogging!). Therefore we wish to initiate a BEST BLOGGER competition. Mike is obviously light years ahead just now but there is a chance of catching up from September... so please join in all you readers but unconverted bloggers (we know you are out there...).

In the running to date: Mike, Ian, Carey, Duncan, James, J & N...please join them...! Winner gets a special present from our trip. Enough of the hard sell.

We've been messing around with powerpoint and created this map (see attached). It shows where we've been and where we're going (except we may be doing a detour to Instabul). Anyone wanting a mini break pick a place and let us know.

ps - where are all those challenges and card games (sorry ian but your suggestion is good but the change of direction thing doesn't really work with just two players - think about it!)

Graham's hat with some locals outside a Romanian Eastern Orthodox Church

Graham's hat with some locals outside a Romanian Eastern Orthodox Church
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Romanian nuns on the run ...

Romanian nuns on the run ...
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Graham testing out his newly acquired haircut and bike

Graham testing out his newly acquired haircut and bike
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Graham scared stiff

Graham scared stiff
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Bethan on the old vino in a local hungarian wine cellar

Bethan on the old vino in a local hungarian wine cellar
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Bethan Budapest

Bethan Budapest
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Bethan does the peasant look with new local Romanian friend

Bethan does the peasant look with new local Romanian friend
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Vladamirs (campsite owner in Romania) VW - nice!!!

Vladamirs (campsite owner in Romania) VW - nice!!!
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

After - bald - haircut in Hungary

After - bald - haircut in Hungary
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Before (with the bald patch that Gray insists he has but doesn't exist)

Before (with the bald patch that Gray insists he has but doesn't exist)
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

A FRench looka likely Audrey in Budapest

A FRench looka likely Audrey in Budapest
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Graham riding 5 galloping stallions standing on the plains of Hungary

Graham riding 5 galloping stallions standing on the plains of Hungary
Originally uploaded by audreyontour.

Buna (somehow expected a more sinister word for hello from the land of Dracula)

It's been a while we know... but internet acces has been scarse. Since our last chat we've toured Hungary - Budapest was gorgeous, then it was plains, plains plains, flat, flat flat.... we got to see the Burgac cowboys doing their stuff (see pics). Went to fab natural spa in Budapest for major chilling - the only snag was all those steam rooms and cold plunge pools took our top layer of tan away... Gray gave in to th heat and went for a skinhead look - see the before and after look attached... Now Romania, which is very beautiful. Once you are used to the gippo hustlers in the cities, the north is very rustic and as yet totally untouched by the tourist commercial dollar. The roads are single track (literally track) with horses, carts, pedestrians, tractors, Renault Dacia cars and audrey all vying for roadspace.

In search of the Count (Dracula that is and not the Sesame Street Count (one ha ha ha ha two ha ha ha ha) for all those muppet fans).

Audrey is getting a bit ill. We can't turn left or right and can't drive at night (dodgy indicators and headlights... any mechancis out there to give us some tips would be gratefully received - although Grham tinkers around every morning and either the headlights work or the indicators or none at all - all very random, here's hoping we get back alright!). This is proving to be a challenge but we're managing.

Fact: we are exactly 1872km from London as we write. Maybe not very interesting to most of you but hey!

WE have pictures of Hungary and Romania to share with you but those saucy ones in Croatia... well you'll just have to wait a bit longer (sorry Ian!)... we're building up to a crescendo. Graham says this joke about his nudity is getting very tiresome and he may sabotage some technology soon! Love to you all from your favourite gippos in the land of gippos.