Canakkale

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Canakkale: We took a dolmus to the bus station after breakfast but there are no direct buses to Canakkale so we had to change at Edremit. Edremit is not a very prepossessing town and we waited there for an hour and a half before getting the bus out. A pleasant journey with some great scenery then we booked into the Efes where we have stayed before but this time we remembered to get one of the en suite rooms. Friday night in a University town was chaotic but fun. We had sardalya and etmek for very little money - much nicer than a doner kebab and much the same trimmings. Ashley got a shave then we had beer on the front watching the sunset followed by a giant mackerel which we shared. More beer then bed.

We had sensibly booked our bus out to Istanbul - sensible as it was full. The trip was comfortable but there is not much to look at and it's 6.5 hours. There were TV screens in the backs of the seats so we could have watched TV but I read most of Saturday's paper (which has lots of supplements).

Got to Sultanamet with no trouble (we had jetons) but there were no rooms to be had for under 140 euros. Well, there was one - it just took us a while to find it. It had no view - the window looked out onto a wall about a foot away - but it was clean, had a pleasant roof terrace and the dark night-time made it easy to sleep. We may well go back to the Moonlight Hotel - very good value.

Evening was beer at Just Bar, dinner at Ocean's 7 (excellent again) then beer on the hotel terrace.

We are now sitting in the airport. Our flight has been delayed - an hour and a half s the current quote...

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