I’m finally on the Black Sea coast! (In Turkish it’s called Karadeniz.) It felt nice and cool to drop down 300 meters to this town here this evening, I think it’s going to be enjoyable riding. Early this afternoon I started my ride and immediately passed a touring cyclist going home to Istanbul. it’s possible that he had a heavier load than me, but he was climbing much slower than me. We talked for a minute in English and Turkish and then continued. I was making good progress on the highway, coasting downhill, but then I passed a dam and the recommended route cut through rural villages. I was glad to get off of the highway, but the terrain was agonizingly hilly and I had to get off and push my bike twice. I mean they put villages on the hilltops and then connect roads directly downhill at the steepest gradient possible. No gentle slopes at oblique angles, never switchbacks!