A French cycling enthusiast couple, 38 year-old Mechanical Engineer François Hassane and 40 year-old Electronics Engineer Sandrine Hassane took their bicycles to explore new places with the start of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The couple hit the road from France’s capital of Paris on September 20, 2020 and came to Romania, passing through 12 countries, including Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark. From there, the couple got on a ship and landed at the port of Batumi on the Black Sea coast. Later on, couple visited the Hopa, Artvin, Yusufeli, Tortum Waterfall, Erzurum, Çat, Karlıova, Bingöl, Malatya, Kayseri, Göreme, Niğde, Ulukışla, Tarsus, Mersin, Kızkalesi, Anamur and Alanya.
During their journey, the couple rest in hotels, hostels, and in a tent with their camping equipment from time to time. While they are talking about their experiences, the couple said they admired Turkey during their visit. “Turkey has a very beautiful nature; mountains, canyons and waterfalls. It also has a rich history; Roman ruins, old madrasa and caravanserai. But what’s best for us cyclists are the people. We meet very hospitable people. It’s really nice to be invited to tea around a fire, especially when it’s cold outside. The biker lane on the Konyaaltı beach is wonderful,” the couple said.