On the tollway. One reason for taking the tollway is that it provides very good rest stops along the way.
We drove down towards İzmir, but on the way we were signaled by a fellow in a car that there was something wrong with our car. We pulled up to check it, and so did he. He leaned down, put his finger into the wheel and came out with oil or grease all over his finger. Okay, this could so easily be a con, but we decided do follow him to a shaded area of tarmac in a town off the highway. He was obviously a motor mechanic, and knew what he was talking about (even though we couldn't understand a word he said). But when he jacked the wheel up and invited Warren to spin it (with the brakes off), the grinding noise was alarming. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he replaced the wheel bearing there on the side of the road (after going off to get a new one from a supplier — luckily VW Transporter parts are not hard to get).
Mobile again, we continued through to Izmir. We found a McDonalds in a huge shopping complex, Forum Bornova. The shopping complex was magnificent, McDonald's not so — we couldn't get online. So we left fairly quickly. A thunderstorm had been threatening, and it arrived just as we got back to the van, quickly cooling down the hot day.
We drove further southwards, at the start in this spectacular hailstorm, which soon passed beyond us. We drove on to about 30km short of Selçuk, where we pulled in to Torbalı (Güney) Servis Alanı (Servis Alanı = service area) for the night. Not far from where we were parked, there was a little room at the back of the restaurant area. There was a regular procession of people into the room, and we realised that a mescid must be a prayer room. The restaurant was also getting a lot of custom, so we resolved to have breakfast there in the morning. We noticed some spectacular foxgloves hollyhocks (thanks for the correction, Cathy) at the edge of the field behind the car park, so we are calling it our 'foxglove stop' 'hollyhock stop'.
Distance driven — today, 85 miles ( 137 km ); to date, 20,548 miles ( 33,069 km )
They are hollyhocks loves, or some of them were. More lovely contrasting slopes.
ReplyDeleteThose cloud masses were huge. no wonder you got rain. The market looked worth browsing. Did a session called let your computer help you to your PhD. All these software tools' Wonderful for the IT literate. They sacked Mick Malthouse was sacked from Carlton today, because they have failed to win anything early in the year. BOoHOO. Nice of that guy to save you with the bearing. Nick said you were lucky he spotted it. Oh well, Love you, take care.
Cathy
We love that you and David know your plants....I have no idea and Warren thought Foxgloves.....Hollyhocks they are.....still unexpected and flowering wild.
DeleteWe are so pleased that man pulled us over and waskind enough to help out total strangers...imagine if he hadn't done this. We truly do have a guardian angel
Amazing kindness from your 'mobile mechanic'!
ReplyDeleteHope you now check your other bearings.
Your trip is having everything - even dramatic weather.
May the Hollyhocks continue to bloom !
Thanks dear Brother. No, we haven't had the other bearings checked, but we did have a close look at them. Happy Birthday to Dorothy for the 20th, just in case we don't have time or connectivity. Life is good. Keep smiling. Great to hear from you - Sis.
ReplyDelete