Dan's blog

Istanbul is hot, crazy, full of history and culture. But I will spend tomorrow finding a BMW service garage while Jess tries to get us transit visas for Russia. Have found a great boutique hotel where we negotiated the price down to the same as the hostel round the corner. Bargain!

We've made good prgress through Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Today we arrived at the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria for a half day relaxing in the medieval town of Nessebar. Aiming for Turkey tomorrow to make sure we stay on schedule. I reckon we need to be on the ferry to Sochi, Russia, by next Sunday at the latest.

Preparing for the set-off date of 11th July was hectic but we made it to the ferry on time. Breakfast in Lille on day one was the end of civilisation as we know it - or rather as Jess knows it... the bike trip dream became bike trip reality and it was a bit of a shock. Long boring French motorways, rain, motorways, rain...