Sep 12 2025

A scheduled 1015 departure meant we could do a morning wander through the empty streets and eventually find a coffee and stock up on something for the bus trip to Istanbul.

As warned, the border crossing took time. First off the bus to exit Bulgaria, then back on the bus for the short trip to Turkish customs. Then off with luggage to go through customs. Seemed the usual chaotic as some guy who had appeared to have already gone through was brought back for some reason.

Meanwhile our border officer (dressed in civvies) nonchalantly takes his pistol out of his pocket and pops it in the closet behind him. We thought we’d got through pretty easily in the end until one of our group accidentally dropped his glasses in the xray machine. Somehow they got wedged in a spot that required partial dismantling of the machine to retrieve them.

We eventually arrived in Istanbul (no tire changed required) and then went by van to the hotel for a quick turn around out to the farewell dinner with a great view of the Golden Horn.

Coming full circle: just across the road from our hotel, somewhere on Bankalar St, is (allegedly) where Vlad Tepeş head was displayed on a pike, and then later buried after his defeat and capture by the Ottomans.

Not looking forward to the 3am wake up tomorrow.