I went for a training ride yesterday with two friends. We headed up to the north and cycled through the Black Sea shore. We climbed a lot.
First, we headed to Kısırkaya, where the road has a lot of short-but-really-steep (up to 20%) climbs.
Kısırkaya is a small village in the North of Istanbul, near the Black Sea. The sea was peaceful (it is usually wavy in the Black Sea).
Then we returned back, rode through Kilyos village, and went to Dalia beach. It is a small, clean beach near the Black Sea, between Kilyos and Demircikoy.
İstanbul’s Black Sea Shore
Late May is the time of Spartium junceum (commonly known as Spanish broom or weaver’s broom – in Turkish: katırtırnağı – means “mules hoof”). The beautiful yellow flowers of Spartium smell great! Their aroma fills the air where they grow.
The plant is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and in landscape plantings. It also has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
The plant is also used as a flavoring (not surprisingly, given its great aroma), and for its essential oil, known as genet absolute. Its fibers have been used for cloth and it produces a yellow dye.
Related: Road Cycling in Istanbul
Related: Cycling to Karaburun
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