Walk the dogs, clean, persevere

Avanos is our home for about two weeks. The small town lies at 920m above sea level in central Anatolia on a large river and is characterised by tourism and the numerous traditional potteries. We found a place to stay via Workaway (an internet platform where help is offered in exchange for accommodation). We find a place to stay with Lilian and Galip, a Dutch-Turkish couple with three dogs and many cats. They own two potteries in the village, where they have been making pottery in the traditional way for many years. Their home is a former guesthouse, so there is plenty of room, also for us.

Our daily routine for a fortnight is characterised by dogs, cleaning, cold and Starbucks. Every morning we are greeted frenetically by the three four-legged friends. They have a lot of energy and are obviously happy that we take them for a walk every day, a little further than they are normally used to. Their enthusiasm is almost boundless and Sara's rather fragile down jacket falls victim to the joyful attacks several times, fortunately we have good mending kit with us. The joy is mutual, we also enjoy the morning walk with our little pack, although sometimes our fingers almost freeze off. Yes, the cold remains a faithful companion during these two weeks. The thermometer drops to -14°C at night, the days mostly around freezing point and almost every day we have snowfall. The prolonged and blatant cold at this time of year is exceptional, we are not the only ones longing for spring. So we do a lot of housework, clean inside and outside and try to support our dear hosts. Some afternoons we spend in the pottery, where we are allowed to eat together with the staff. Besides our work, we have a lot of time, but the cold hinders us from doing great activities and also in the pottery it is still rather hibernation. So we spend many hours in Starbucks. Coffee and internet to pass the time. With time, the employees know our names and our order requests, that says it all how much time we spent there... They are not the only ones who know us with time. Even the nice gentleman at the Çiğ Köfte (dish made of bulgur or minced beef) restaurant always greets us with a grin. This, by the way, is one of many delicious Turkish meals.

We always have time to chat with Lilian and Galip over morning tea and the conversation never runs out. It's interesting to hear their perspective on things and with Galip we can brush up on our French.
So the days pass by, but actually we are in a beautiful region and as soon as the weather permits an excursion, we take the chance. Cappadocia is a unique region in the middle of Turkey. Different rock formations in different colours can be explored in various valleys. Houses, tunnels and churches from the former Christian settlement can be found on every corner. During one of our discovery tours, we meet a German couple by chance, whom we know from Instagram, as they are also on the road by bike. We arrange to meet for dinner and enjoy the exchange with like-minded people. Apart from the rock formations, Cappadocia is nowadays known for its hot air balloons. Every morning (if the conditions are right) at sunrise, hundreds of balloons take to the sky, attracting many onlookers. Meanwhile, the region is super touristy and probably overcrowded in summer. We are lucky to discover the region before the big crowds and if you are on your own, you have the chance to avoid the many quad tours, horse riders and day tourists.

Towards the end of our time in Avanos, we have the opportunity to enjoy the positive side of winter: Skiing. About 1h away is a ski resort at the foot of a volcano. A one-day ski pass for 2 people for Fr. 8.- is something we can't afford to miss. And if you think we were in a small, rudimentary ski area, you are wrong. The region offers 34 pistes, the lifts are modern and the slopes are perfectly groomed. The sun is shining, the snow is perfect, the conditions couldn't be better. Only the mosque reminds us that we are not in our homeland. A successful end to winter.

During our stay, we thought about our further route and made some decisions. So we use the time to apply for our visa for Iran. It costs us some nerves until we have all the documents together, but the effort is worth it. We receive confirmation in time that we can pick up the visa in Ankara. We are relieved and are now looking forward to our onward journey. So we say goodbye to Lilian and Galip, the dogs and the staff of the pottery. It was a wonderful time and we are grateful to them from the bottom of our hearts that we were allowed to have a warm home during this cold time.

Just in time for departure, the long-awaited spring finally arrives. So off we go to Ankara. Anyone who has looked at the map knows that this is not exactly on our way. So once again we get on the bus, this time with relatively few discussions, and drive 4 hours towards the capital. We have only one destination in Ankara, the Iranian Embassy. The visit there goes better than planned and after about 2h we have our visa in hand, what a highlight! Off we go to the south-east, only one more train ride stands between us and the continuation on the bike. But this train ride is worth a little blog entry of its own...

Because we have so many photos, here are a few more impressions from this photogenic region.