Road Bike Cycling in Northern Cyprus : Ride six (iskele to paralimni)

Todays ride started about 10am after a good nights sleep, interrupted only by the call to prayer at 5am, maybe I should go one morning! Anyway I checked my tyre pressures and made sure I had packed way to much stuff in my rucksack. Today was the start of my mini tour south of the green line. I felt better as soon as I started riding. The feeling of travelling alone can cause some a degree of anxiety, However for me it brings a feeling of freedom, an escape from the mundane, and as soon as my wheels were turning under me, I felt in control and happy. A feeling I seem to get more when I am cycling on long trips than I do in the uk.
I followed the route I had programmed into my garmin and headed along the coast on through famagusta towards the green line. Todays destination was the town of Palalimni. Riding with a rucksack is not my favourite thing, but I had done this for the entire length of the uk end to end lejog ride last summer so I figured I'd get used to it again. I did. The wind was a feature of this ride and as I reached the checkpoint at the border it turned into a full on headwind. At the border I asked a policeman if it was ok to take a photo. I think I was nearer to jail in that moment than ever in my life, apart from the jail I slept in in America! Riding through the green line reminded me of when I crossed the Berlin wall before it came down, only no wall and less guards and no machine guns! My passport was checked on both sides and I was cycling in the Greek sector.
I put all my faith in my garmin planning and followed the line on.my screen into palalimni. Here I was expecting some trouble finding where I was staying, but the line ended right outside the front door! Well done me ha ha! I rode on down into the town centre and down to the agent to pick up a key . Here I was greeted with a smile and two English ladies who commented on my thighs,gave me the key and wished me luck with my "crazy cycling" !
I had lots of time and took a ride down to a small fishing harbour and beach, then went back for a siesta. When I woke up winter had arrived. The skies were grey, the wind was strong and it was cold. I put on a base layer and headed back out in search of food. The town had shutdown with the weather but I found a pro bike shop and had a chat with the owner and bought some energy gels. He was concerned that my FSA front chainring would cause me real problems on the mountain climbs to come. So am I but I'm in this now so let's see what happens.
The bar advertizing all day breakfasts only did them in the mornings, and pointed me over the street to the ripp off the tourist restaurant, at 15-20 € a dish I was it of there pdq.
I found the euro bakery close to where I am staying and got a tuna bagquette with salad and szatzikiki, several cakes, water, pinapple juice, monster energy drink for under 9€. That would do me tonight given I have an 80 mile ride tomorrow.
The lady in there told me they were open 24/7, good to know.
The weather is getting colder as I type this and my plans to swim.have been shelved. I think this town would be fun midsummer, but lots of places are shut out of season.
The appartment I am lucky to be staying in for free thanks to the genorousity of a friend is nice. Two bedrooms, balcony, communal pool, kitchen, bathroom, living room etc in a residential area to the north west of the town centre. Apparently it is up for sale, if anybody wants a great value place in the sun let me know and ill put you in touch with the seller!
It's about 7pm here as I type, and I'm not planning on going out as I will start riding early tomorrow. No WiFi here so I'm typing the blog and will up load when I find some.
Blimy its cold ..times like this a man needs a warm woman..erm make that a hot woman lol! Sadly this man has to make do with a cup of green tea and a cake :( ha ha.
In the abscence of said hot woman a man has but one alternative, read a map and listen to 'dark passion play' by nightwish. Looking at this map its clear to me that the ride up into the troodos mountains is going to be a lot tougher than Kantara the other day. Twice as steep, high and long and into a headwind if today is anything to go by. It would be possible to get across to Girne from the top, but that's a massive ride and I have no means to get accomodation.in the little mountain villages in between, and I would need that. So I will stick to my plan and leave any additional madness for the next trip out here, when hopefully I will have a triple chainset, or at least a compact!!
I think I could get to like this area, shame about the bad weather right now. Hopefully it will be better in a few days time.