Has it really only been a week?
So far, trusty Fiat Panda has made it through 2000 miles, ten countries, and a handful of potholes. We made it to Istanbul in one piece! Panda (and David and I!) are excited for the Asian part of the adventure to begin.
A brief synopsis of the last week:
- Our experience in Luxembourg was ... underwhelming
- Panda holds its own on the German autobahn at a respectful 100 mph / 160 kms per hour (we're feeling thankful we're not in a total junker - some teams' cars have bit the dust already!)
- A half liter of beer is a lot to chug but it does inspire some solid haiku power (See here for evidence)
- George Ezra's song has basically nothing to do with Budapest, the city, but damn if the song (and the city) aren't infectious. Sausages, cheap beer, charming architecture make for a dream of a city.
- Transylvania cheese & wine industry is up and coming and also cheaaaap
- Our experience in Bulgaria was .. okay
- Arriving at the Turkish border at 12:30 am and getting to skip purported 4-12 hour lines to go through customs, immigration, and security checks was worth it. So was driving four hours after that to arrive in a quiet and blissfully traffic-free Istanbul at 5 am.
- We said goodbye to Ernest, who helped us navigate the autobahn, the dark roads of Bulgaria, and the Transfăgărășan.
After a brief day of overlap with our wonderful parents (who just wrapped up a month-long tour of Turkey, Israel, and Jordan), we have gotten to relax for a bit in this beautiful city. The feeling in Istanbul after the coup last week is decidedly more nationalistic, with flags dotting cars, people, and the landscape, but also calm for the moment. We're looking forward to driving the Black Sea coast tomorrow! Onwards.
So far, trusty Fiat Panda has made it through 2000 miles, ten countries, and a handful of potholes. We made it to Istanbul in one piece! Panda (and David and I!) are excited for the Asian part of the adventure to begin.
A brief synopsis of the last week:
- Our experience in Luxembourg was ... underwhelming
- Panda holds its own on the German autobahn at a respectful 100 mph / 160 kms per hour (we're feeling thankful we're not in a total junker - some teams' cars have bit the dust already!)
- A half liter of beer is a lot to chug but it does inspire some solid haiku power (See here for evidence)
- George Ezra's song has basically nothing to do with Budapest, the city, but damn if the song (and the city) aren't infectious. Sausages, cheap beer, charming architecture make for a dream of a city.
- Transylvania cheese & wine industry is up and coming and also cheaaaap
- Our experience in Bulgaria was .. okay
- Arriving at the Turkish border at 12:30 am and getting to skip purported 4-12 hour lines to go through customs, immigration, and security checks was worth it. So was driving four hours after that to arrive in a quiet and blissfully traffic-free Istanbul at 5 am.
- We said goodbye to Ernest, who helped us navigate the autobahn, the dark roads of Bulgaria, and the Transfăgărășan.
After a brief day of overlap with our wonderful parents (who just wrapped up a month-long tour of Turkey, Israel, and Jordan), we have gotten to relax for a bit in this beautiful city. The feeling in Istanbul after the coup last week is decidedly more nationalistic, with flags dotting cars, people, and the landscape, but also calm for the moment. We're looking forward to driving the Black Sea coast tomorrow! Onwards.