As we journey onwards, every horizon holds a promise. A golden store, filled with the unexpected. An endless linear line of surprises constantly drawn nearer. Items of interest. Curiosities. Things to consider. Talking points. All lined up on the conveyor belt, we call life.
Today, we’re on our way to Karatay Karavan Park, on the outskirts of Konya. It’s a recent municipal build, attached to a splendid new park facility. But first we have to get there. A slower than usual 320K is promised. No surprise there then.
Türkiye terrain is hilly. Occasionally flat. Often very mountainous. As a consequence, a direct route a rarity. There’s always a bump, or a lump, or two, or three, or four, to circumnavigate. Tunnels few and far between – thankfully. Far too boring . . . bends, therefore, ten a penny. Monumental inclines attempt to defy gravity. Beastie drags himself slowly up. Huffing and puffing. Like an old man, at the end of the day. Climbing bedtime stairs. Thankful on reaching the top. Dramatic descents turbo charge his weight. Increasing momentum, so he frantically clings to each curve, as if his very life (and ours) depend upon it. Brakes squeal. Engine roars.
Despite the bleak dry nature of the peaks, hidden fertile plateaux provide adequate conditions for growing a multitude of fruit and vegetables. Manually picked; part-mechanically sorted – as we discover at our lunchtime stop.
A little further on it’s time for another stop. The sifters and graders have done their bit. A mountain-road-side market, overflows with fruit and veg stores. Each, in turn, overflows with fresh perfectly presented produce.
We round the day off with a walk into Karatay Sehir Parki. 13p each to enter! It’s purpose built. BBQ & covered picnique gazebos everwhere. Lakes. Sports areas. An amusement park. Playgrounds. Paved throughout. Manicured lawns. A perfect piece of planning that wouldn’t be out of place in The Trueman Show.
