Inter Rail 1984
Fiona and I set out to see Greece and its islands — then, on a whim, kept going into Turkey and my first taste of the East.
Fiona and I decided to hit Greece and the islands, using the Inter Rail pass as the low-cost way to get there — three weeks together, and we argued every step of the way. On the spur of the moment we added Turkey: a ferry from Samos landed us near Izmir, and I loved the feel of such an exotic place. It was the first time I’d heard the call of a muezzin, and Istanbul was fascinating — soldiers on every street corner because of the political unrest of the time.
Our Inter Rail loop through Europe and into Turkey, 22 August – 19 September 1984.
No pass survives from this trip — but three moments still stick.
The ferry from Samos
A short crossing of the Aegean was all it took to swap Greek islands for the Turkish coast near Izmir — my first ever step onto Asian soil.
The call to prayer
The first time I heard a muezzin calling the faithful to prayer, drifting out over an unfamiliar city. It was a small moment that made everywhere feel further from home.
Istanbul, on edge
A fascinating city, but a tense one — soldiers stationed on every street corner as a reminder of the political unrest gripping Turkey at the time.
Tap a flag to open that country’s page.
