Today we set off heading north, and it soon became clear that Papi Edu had activated "dodgy shortcut" mode once again. That means tiny roads, lots of hairpin bends, remote villages, and the constant feeling that Google Maps is improvising as it goes.

We encountered snow in the mountains again, and for quite a while, we travelled along secondary and tertiary roads where we barely crossed paths with anyone. We passed through Bayburt, which we had already visited three years ago, and kept going up and down mountains as if Turkey were trying to gently make us feel travel-sick.

After many bends, we arrived at a place that had caught Papi Edu's eye on Google Maps: the Baksı Müzesi. We thought it would just be a contemporary art museum lost in the middle of nowhere. But no. It is much stranger and larger than that.

The complex mixes a museum, cultural centre, accommodation, restaurant, and conference halls, all built on a hill with vast views over the landscape. And it's very modern, too. It’s one of those places you don't expect to find in the middle of the mountains.

Although it was closed and there were no other visitors, some guys working there were delighted to welcome us. I stayed to guard the camper while one of the guys, the youngest one, acted as an improvised guide for Papi Edu and Uncle Joan, using Google Translate as the official interpreter for the tour.

And honestly, the museum is very well put together. A great mix of contemporary art and local traditions, very well-maintained galleries, and a building that is quite spectacular both inside and out. They also showed them the hotel and the conference areas, as proud of the place as someone showing off their new home.

When the visit ended, they were so pleased with the small tip that they asked if they could meet me too. So they took me out of the camper and suddenly I found myself surrounded by fuss, laughter, and selfies. I am starting to suspect that this trip is actually an international tour of canine fame and the humans are just doing the driving.

Afterwards, we continued by car, passed through İspir, and entered the Çoruh River valley. The landscape there is spectacular, with huge mountains and the river flowing strongly between them.

We found a gravel spot by the water that seemed perfect for sleeping. Quiet, pretty, and flat. But there was something odd: a bunch of poles with loudspeakers scattered around the area. Papi Edu looked for information and we discovered that they are alarms to warn if the river level might rise suddenly due to dam releases upstream. And just as we finished parking… the alarm started to go off. Honestly, sleeping there stopped seeming like a fantastic idea pretty quickly. None of us fancied waking up floating down the river like three confused castaways.

So we packed up again and carried on for quite a few more kilometres, going through several tunnels and climbing in altitude once more until we found a much better place to spend the night. Now we are up high, among small fields of crops and with lovely views of the mountains. Much quieter, much drier, and above all, a lot less aquatic.