In December, Hélary and Schiettecatte continued their thorough tour through Turkey. They cycled the southern coast, enjoying the warmth after winter conditions in Turkey’s highlands. They even popped over to Cyprus, an island divided between Greece and Turkey since 1974.

They found Cyrpus’s coastline transformed beyond recognition by mass tourism, the beaches full of resorts and restaurants. However, the middle of the island was still wild and beautiful. After Cyprus they briefly returned to Turkey’s southern coast, visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis before heading back toward Europe.

After two months in Turkey, they left by sea, taking a ferry to the Greek island of Rhodes. After just a couple of days exploring the island, they hopped over to Crete. Crete provided some spectacular winding roads and tough hill climbing. They ended up spending three weeks exploring the island, carefully avoiding the more touristy areas.