Day 68

24/10/2011 – Day 68

Isaccea to Tulcea – 38km

We opted to have breakfast at 7am this morning with the two Germans. It was just getting light at this time and the weather looked really bad. The Germans were setting off straight away but we didn’t leave until 8:30. The weather had changed for the better where we were and the sun had actually come out although it was still quite cold. On the horizon a large black cloud lurked promising rain or something (there was the smell of snow in the air).

The wind direction had not changed but the strength had dropped quite a bit from yesterday, also the first part of today it was blowing slightly from the North West, which meant the wind was behind us. This made the hills easier but not by much.

The last 38km of the route were not really very inspiring, there were no villages, no gypsy wagons, just a few big trucks and a flock of sheep. When a flock of sheep is crossing the road the drivers slow down and lean on the horn. They make no effort to stop but just carry on through, if they hit a sheep they don’t worry, just keep going. Having seen the state of their cars and the number of dead animals at the side of the road, the death toll here is high.

As we came down the last hill we met another pair of cyclists heading the other way, we found out later that they were a husband and wife from Germany who were apparently just starting the route going back to Germany!

The first view of Tulcea is of a large chemical works, smoke billowing into the sky. They main road takes you past the plant before bringing you into the town itself. It is a busy town centre but no different to the others we have been to, there is no square with bars or anything to say you have come to somewhere special, a bit of a let-down really.

Day 67

23/10/2011 – Day 67

Tutcoaia to Isaccea – 62km

Breakfast was a surprise, almost a full fried English style. This is the first one on the trip, heaven!

Leaving the mill we took the easy route that the trucks follow not the steep hill we came down last night. Today’s plan was open, there were supposed to be at least 3 places to stop before Tulcea, the official end of the route. If we went all the way it would be 99km.

The weather forecast once again was for sun and clear skies, what we actually had was total cloud threatening rain all day, and cold northerly winds full in the face. This made the hills doubly difficult as the wind slows you down too.

For the whole time we have been in Romania we have missed the traditional restaurant you find at the side of the road in Germany or Austria, today we found one just after we turned on to the main road towards Mǎcin unfortunately we had less than 1lev in the bank! The only way we were going to get a coffee was by going to the bank.

As we cycled towards Mǎcin I could see a high ridge to our right, the road to Tulcea is the other side of that ridge so at some point we have to cross it. When we arrive at Mǎcin and turn right towards this ridge it has dropped a lot and the climb is not as bad as we expected. But it turns out there are actually two ridges to climb!

On the other side we turn right again finally heading directly towards Tulcea. Stopping at the first town to buy food and have a beer in the dirtiest bar we have found so far we check the map for the accommodation. The first guesthouse should be in the next town. The end of the whole route is now only one days ride from here so we can stop at any time. As time is getting on and there are more hills ahead we decide to stop at the first place we find.

Arriving in Luncaviţa we ask where the guesthouse is and are told it is in the hills above the town and is probably closed. OK, one down two to go. Heading east to the end we now have a series of hills, all steep but not bad. At the top of one of them there is a gypsy boy with his hand out as usual waiting for the high 5, but I am going so slowly he actually has time to grip my hand and shake it!

99% of the gypsies we have met have been happy to shout hello and try for the high 5, the same with the people we have stopped to ask for directions. The image that is portrayed of them is totally different to what we have seen. But we are seeing them at their best, I think, not the everyday reality of life here.

Just as we approach the town of Isaccea and another steep hill we check the map and there is a side road going round the hill. Once again we wonder why the route is sticking to roads and not using tracks as it has in other countries. Taking the track it leads us round the foot of the hill next to the river and it brings us into the town through the gypsy section.

As we re-join the main road we see what looks like a guesthouse and stop, it looks totally closed. But wait, there are two bikes parked next to it and we have seen them before. The two Germans are here before us again! Going to the garage next door they guy tells us the place is open, we should just walk in. But the gates are both padlocked closed.

The garage guy calls the owner’s mobile phone and tells us he will be here in 20 minutes or so. As it turns out the owner’s son should be here, but he was working late last night and had locked the gates so he could sleep.

The guesthouse is very much a work in progress, but what they have done is good. It is very modern and the finish is the best we have seen here so far (but the bathroom floods as usual). When it is finished it will be a nice place to stay, having said that, the evening meal was up to the standard expected in Romania.

Day 66

22/10/2011 – Day 66

Hârşova to Tutcoaia – 70km

I slept very little during the night mainly because I was cold. The trucks passing the hotel never stopped. During the early hours of the morning I studied Google maps to see if there was an alternative to riding back down the busy road to the official route.

The whole section through Romania seems to have been planned with little research or thought. Looking at the maps I can see that there is a track on the top of the dyke running most of the route for today. Just 400m from the hotel it a farm track that we can follow and that will cut a huge distance from the official route and keep us off the roads totally.

After breakfast we set off down this track and are making good time all in the right direction. At one point we lose the track and have to turn back but quickly find the dyke path which is as good (or bad) as some of the track we used in Hungary.

For the next 23km we use these tracks without any problems, there has been very little rain here for most of the summer so the tracks are rock hard just a little bumpy in places. This also cuts at least 6km off the route we were supposed to take.

There were only two points where we ran into trouble, one where the dyke has been washed out by a river and the second where the track stops for reasons unknown. At the first point there is a gaping hole in the track. My first instinct is that the gypsies would have found a way round it but no, there were no tracks indicating a way past. The only solution is to unload the bikes and manhandle them across the gap. This is not a problem but takes about 20 minutes to get back on the road.

The second area is where the track just stops through lack of use, the dyke is there but no one uses it for some reason. This time though the gypsies do come to the rescue with a track leading off to the beach where it runs parallel to the river until we come back to the dyke. This does not slow us down at all once you find the track.

After about 35km the dyke and the road meet, at this point we join the road as the there is no alternative. It also gives us the chance to stop for a coffee. It has taken us two and a half hours to get here which by Romanian standards is quite slow, but it is the same speed we were achieving in Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia.

We are on the road for the next 21km until we get the opportunity to return to the dyke, again it is not as smooth as the road but there is no traffic (apart from two cars and a horse and cart).

Using the guide and Google we have a few options for where to stay tonight, the first is Tutcoaia where there is supposed to be a guest house but when we first enter the village and ask no one knows where it is. Stopping for a coffee we ask again and the guy tells us to go to the mill and turn left. This does not make sense but as we cycle through the village we look down every left turn. Stopping again to ask we are directed down a side street and told to turn right.

When we get to the bottom of the hill and turn we find ourselves in a factory complex. Asking the workers they point to the door and tell us to ask there. It turns out this is a flour mill that makes bread and has rooms to let as well.

The room is well furnished and large; we are spoilt after last night and able to have a shower at last. Something we have come to expect here is the bathroom floor flooding, either from the drain overflowing or the shower leaking. For some reason they find it impossible to set a drain at the lowest point of the floor, as a result the water sits on the floor in a puddle. Tonight’s problem is that the bathroom floor is higher than the room’s floor and the water drains towards the step. After seeing the leak it is a case of forming a dam with the towels and trying to sweep the water uphill to the drain.

The dinner is served in the mill canteen but in a separate dining room to the workers. The food is plain but good and filling, finishing off with cakes made at the mill.

Day 65

21/10/2011 – Day 65

Cernavodǎ to Hârşova – 72km

The day started shrouded in mist, you could hardly see across the road. The official route take us back through the town centre and up a steep hill on the main road, but looking at the map there is an alternative route taking us round the outside of the town along the river bank. Admittedly it is not the prettiest part of town but it is staying faithful to following the river, plus it misses that hill!

When we left the Germans bikes had gone so they must be ahead of us on the road. The mist was still thick and although it was not that cold at the moment we were getting wet as we cycled.  By the time we came out of the mist we were soaked.

This time the short cut worked and we came out on the main road exactly where we thought we would. We were planning to get to Hârşova again so any energy saved was a bonus.

Our first stop was Dunǎrea where we stop for the usual coffee. After that it was a long ride with sandy hills to our right and the river to our left. The land has signs of past farming but there is very little work happening now, everything looks deserted.

The river flows through a valley with hills on both sides; the road climbs and descends these hills in an attempt to stay away from the flood zones. This results in a series of climbs that are difficult going up to killer.

These hills take their toll on us and we are ready to stop, according to the guide once again and Google maps, there is a motel/restaurant just past the village of Tichilesti on the junction with the main road from Constanţa to Bucharest. We decide to go for it and at least have lunch there. When we arrive the sign declares it to be a ‘non-stop’ rest area. Well, it stopped quite some time ago, the place looked deserted and derelict. So with a heavy heart and tired legs we head back to Tichilesti.

Coming into the village from the other direction we spot a bar we had missed earlier. These places do not look much and the shop next door has very limited selection but they are run by the same types of people who are willing to help you every time. The guy running the place is only too happy to sell us food in the shop and then let us eat it in his bar. He even complained when we tried to clean up after, telling us to leave it and have a good trip!

We leave and head off towards Hârşova but at a steady pace to conserve energy and make sure we get there before dark. The last section is on the main road we had just been to and we had seen the level of traffic we were going to meet.

When we finally came to the point of no return the traffic was very heavy, the worst we have seen so far on the trip. The road had a very narrow strip outside the white line and a bit of gravelled verge, but not enough to keep you away from the trucks as they pass making no effort to give you and space at all. It is only 5km but it is the hairiest part of the whole trip so far.

Arriving in the town we stop at the first restaurant for a late lunch. It is the first traditional restaurant we have seen for days. While we are eating 5 or 6 guys in their 20’s come in and settle down for an evening of domino’s. Just what you expect young guys to do on a Friday night.

We had looked at the accommodation in Hârşova last night and there were supposed to be two guest houses here, we found the address of the first in the town centre and there was nothing there. Asking a postwoman for directions she sent us to the edge of the town where we found the second one we were looking for plus another one we didn’t know about, they were both full! Who on earth wants to stay here at the weekend?

The only option we are given is to ride a further ‘3km’ to another motel just outside town. This actually turns out to be 5km down the main road with the heavy traffic again.

When we find the hotel it is an old service station that has had the pumps removed. We had arrived just as the sun set and this was our last chance for a bed tonight. The place usually caters to truck drivers so it was very basic with shared showers and toilets, but it was also cheap and they had a room for us. In this situation we had no choice, but at least it was warm and dry.

Day 64

20/10/2011 – Day 64

Ion Corvin to Cernavodǎ– 42km

Today we part company with our faithful old friend ‘Eurovel Route 6’. He has been with us since the start in Donaueschingen (2860km to be exact). At this point he makes a dash for the Black Sea at Constanţa, a mere 85km from here, completing his journey from the Atlantic coast in France.

We on the other hand turn north and have another 300km to go as we follow the river to the delta.

During the night we had the first frost of the season. When we woke everything was white and crisp with ice. The only consolation was that the sky was clear and blue.

Breakfast was the standard Romanian fare but in large quantities and the coffee was good. Bidding farewell to our host we set off through the village and turned left when the main road went on its way to Constanţa. As soon as we turned north the road went uphill for the next 4km, a good way to warm up!

The scenery was much the same as yesterday, if you like barren desolate places (which I do) it is stunning at times. You can imagine the scene from a disaster movie where the ‘bomb’ has just gone off and the land is laid waste with just a few gypsies wandering around. There were more tented settlements today and they all looked as if they had been there a long time.

While we were having breakfast the two Germans left, we caught up with them in Rasova, a village right on the banks of the river. As we rode in to the village I could imagine it in the summer full of tourists, and right in the centre were two bars that would not look out of place at any beach resort. We saw the Germans bikes parked outside on of the bars and assumed they were inside, but in fact they were in the other bar sitting in the sun.

By now, (11am) it was hot in the sun, but when you went into the shade where there was a wind you could tell it was autumn. We both still had our waterproofs on for warmth but sitting in the sun was good.

After drinking our coffee we set of again onto a series of steep up and downs. On two of the hills we had to admit defeat and walk they were that steep. Our plan had been to get to Hârşova, about 95km, but these hills were killing out average time. On the flats we were flying as the wind was from behind us but the steep hills did the damage.

We arrived at Cernavodǎ just after 1pm and stopped for lunch, with at least a minimum of 4 hours still to go and no escape route, we decided to stay here for the night. As we walked up the hill to the hotel, who did we see waving at us from the balcony, the two Germans.

We must have passed the magic date when the heating is turned on as this hotel is hot to the point of stifling, we had to open the windows to let some air in.

As we had eaten quite late and this hotel had no restaurant we did some shopping and had the usual picnic dinner in the room. It is a bit messy but better than going out and trying to find somewhere to eat in a town that seems to have no centre.

Day 63

19/10/2011 – Day 63

Silistra to Ion Corvin – 63km

Breakfast was a surprise, coffee and a cheese and ham toasty, not much more to say really, Bulgarian cuisine at its best!

There was no noise during the night and I slept like a log. The two wild dogs sleeping in the yard where the bikes were kept must be well known locally. As we packed the bikes in the morning two of the hotel staff were there to keep them quiet but they only just managed to do that.

Going back through the border was as easy as coming in, a border guy from each country, a quick look at the passports and that was it, we even got a ‘have a good trip’ from one of them. As we left the crossing point there appeared to be a blockade at the entrance, it looked like a picket line across the crossing and the road, fortunately we were going the other way.

The day started with a long climb but the view at the top was worth it, the river spread out in front of us. This is wine country and the roads are lined with vines still bearing grapes. The harvest is in full swing at the moment and the tractors passing us are full of fat blue grapes. The only difference between here and France is that the vineyards are protected by high, barb wired fences.

Something we did notice today was that the roads are much better, we maintained and smooth, I wonder if that has anything to do with the wine companies.

Accommodation is now getting scares and we are only going to Ion Corvin today as the next place to stop is another 40km further on, this does not seem that far after some of the distances we have done but there are some serious hills now and our average speed is suffering as a result.

We didn’t stop at the first village this morning as we had only done about 7km, deciding to go on to the next instead, that turned out to be another 30km away. At one point we saw the sign for a Byzantine ruin and went to have a look, the road, if you can call it that was 3km of potholes and puddles. And when we finally reach the end you had to take a boat to the island where the ruins were!

Not wanting to return down the same swampy road we took a slightly different route that brought us out in the back of a convent. Money must be good here as there was a huge building site at the back and the place appeared to be newly restored. Coming out onto the main road we encountered another steep hill. We were in first gear all the way up and struggling at times. The good news is that when you reach the top it is all downhill; the bad news is that you then have to go up again!

Finally we reached Baneasa where we found one of those shops with benches outside. As we sat there and ate the people going in and out all said hello and goodbye. By this time we had done 48km without stopping but only had about 15km to go to Ion Corvin.

After lunch we had another of those long climbs and it was not easy. Once at the top it was a steep downhill then undulating road to the end of the day. The scenery has changed too; we are now in steep valleys with terraced side where the land has been farmed at one time. Another thing we have seen is people living in tents, at first I thought it was a shepherd’s temporary camp but as you pass you can see it has been here a long time and there are whole families living there.

Arriving at Ion Corvin we found the guest house just before the official sign for the village. It appeared deserted at first but as well looked inside the owner arrived. He could not do enough for us, offering beer, food or coffee, whatever we wanted. We settled for a beer as he fussed around telling us where we will put the bikes and asking what time we wanted dinner.

The room was great; it is the best place we have stayed in for a long time. The heating was on and it was really warm. There were four rooms in the house and they were all roughly the same. Sitting outside were two German women who were also cycling to the Black Sea, they had arrived earlier having started from Belgrade. We must have been very close to them for the last few days but never seen them.

Dinner was the usual pork and chips, but everything he served was from his own garden. He had a large area of land where he grow almost everything he needed. While we ate he talked about his plans and the past. He was interesting to talk to. For the first time since the weather changed we were actually too hot and had to turn the radiator off and open the window.

Day 62

18/10/2011 – Day 62

Olteniţa to Silistra – 84km

Once again, during the night the wind howled and the rain drummed against the window. But by the morning everything was quiet, the wind was still blowing but not as bad as it had been. More importantly the direction had changed from the North East to the North West.

As we ate breakfast the news was full of the storm from yesterday, showing the waves breaking over the shore line at Constanţa, which were big when you consider the Black Sea is not tidal.

However, as we are so close now to the end, we have to carry on despite the weather. The forecast for today was not brilliant but good enough to go with. The wind would be over our shoulder for most of the day, which was good, and we had some options if it got too bad.

Setting off we actually cheated for the second time on the route, by taking a short cut to the main road instead of riding all the way back into town to come out again. The down side was that the road was flooded in many places and this hid the pot holes, fortunately we were not travelling very fast and those we found we could cope with.

Once we hit the main road we were surprised at the lack of debris in the road. But looking closer there was a lot of broken branches at the side of the road; someone must have been out early cleaning the mess. Hang on, cleaning up in Romania, surely not! But the facts speak for themselves, the roads were clear. I wonder if people actually stop and get out of their cars to move branches and stuff, or is it the gypsies with their horse and wagon that do it.

With the wind behind us we were soon flying again, which is a big contrast to Sunday where I was struggling in the lowest gears, today it was top gear all the way, even up some of the hills. Our objective had been Calǎrasi with the possibility to go over the river to Silistra if we had time, at this speed we will have plenty of time.

The ususal problem of finding somewhere to eat or drink has not changed; there are no roadside cafés or restaurants in this part of the world. The shops are the only places where you can get food and sometimes sit down to eat. The problem with that is leaving the bikes fully loaded outside where they can be seen as unattended.

But in the village of Ciocǎneşti we found a shop with a big window and a table just inside so we could sit and see the bikes. As we entered the shop it instantly reminded me of the shop my parents used to own in Consett. The husband and wife team who ran it were the perfect match. Unfortunately, just as we walked in the power failed! This led to a problem weighing the meat she had just cut so we had to guess at that. We were asked the usual range of question, where we are from, where we are going and they always seem interested in listening to our answers.

When they realised we planned to eat at the table inside there was a flurry of activity to make it presentable, which is funny if you could see the state of us, two dirty, sweaty cyclist and they are laying a paper table cloth for us! Once again we had met some really good people.

Setting off again we were making really good time and reached the outskirts of Calǎrasi well ahead of schedule. The question was ‘do we stop here or push on?’

The ferry crossing is every three hours according to the timetable on Google and as we had plenty of time we decided to cross now and spend the night in Silistra in Bulgaria. Following the bypass to the ferry port we knew there was at least one hotel there if it all went horribly wrong. But when we arrived there was a ferry waiting, so we bought the tickets (2.50€) and about 20 minutes later the ferry left for the other bank. The crossing now takes about 30 minutes, which as I have said before reminds us how small the river was when we first met it in Donaueschingen all those weeks ago.

Landing on the other side but still in Romania we turned right into the border crossing, at this point there is a thin strip of land a few hundred metres wide that is Romania. At the crossing the Romanian exit post was closed and everything is now done at the Bulgarian side. Not being part of Schengen these two countries still have passport checks, but here the two sides stand together and just check the face on the passport is you and you are through, simple.

There are about 6 hotels listed in the guide and we cycled to the town centre to find any one of them. The first we found was the Danube which is 5 stars, not for us I don’t think. As we stopped to look at the map a cyclist stopped next to us and asked if we were looking for a hotel, when we said yes he told us to follow him.

He took us to a 2 star hotel just outside the town centre and for the price it was almost perfect. It had heating, through the air-conditioning; it was clean although a bit tatty but we did not get towels. Apart from that it was OK.

Bulgaria or rather the bit we saw of it, is a slightly upmarket Romania, but not that far upmarket. The town is rundown and dirty, everything needs to be cleaned and repaired. Having said that, at least every place we have stayed in so far has had free internet, unlike Germany and Austria where you still have to pay in some places.

The only place we found that was modern and smart was the ever present pizza place. They actually had everything the menu said. The service was good and the food too. While we were there the place was full, it seems to be the ‘in place’ to go in downtown Silistra.

As we were only staying the one night in Bulgaria we tried to take the minimum amount of money possible out of the cash machine, but we still ended up with 6 Lev left over. Not wanting to waste it we went to a shop to buy water plus anything else could to spend everything. We had water, crisps, one battery and a bag of the worst tasting corn you have ever had, it was a sort of half cooked popcorn, we will not be buying that again.