Sunday Dinner

Ölmanäs to Mölndal/Gothenberg (Sun 19th July;48.3km @ 20.9kph)
After a late start, we cruised the final kilometres to Sigrid's parents house in Mölndal. We found them waiting with Sunday dinner ready. We'd made it after 9 weeks and 4295 km (Don's computer) of cycling.
Since arriving, Sigrid's bike has gone in for a service and we have relaxed and had a couple of restful days with family and friends.
Apart from flat tyres and a couple of broken spokes, the Avanti bikes performed pretty well. We have a fair bit of Sweden to explore so will be back on our bikes again soon.

Sweden, Here We Come

Copenhagen (DK) to Båstad (SW) (Wed 15th July; 113.74km @ 19.5kph)

After a night looking around Copenhagen we took off early to catch the car ferry from Helsingör (5okm north) to Helsingborg in Sweden, a 20 minute crossing. We enjoyed the tail wind and warm sunshine, the warmest we had had since Greece/Turkey. We were hoping to get to, Båstad, a coastal town famous for its tennis. It just so happened that the day we arrived was in the middle of the Swedish Open. The town was full of people in a party mood! (this is where the people party) To get to Båstad we had to cross Hallandsåsen, a rise dividing the provinces Skåne and Halland. We arrived in town fairly tired when Sig´s phone rang and it was her mum who wanted to know where we were. When she heard we were in Båstad she gave us the address of her old student friend who lives there in summertime. We were welcomed with open arms by a fit 85 year old Britt who quickly installed us in her guest cottage. We then enjoyed a swim ( 50m to the beach) before being fed a home cooked chicken casserole. Her daughter and husband also live nearby in the summertime so after a lovely dinner we took a walk with them down town and mingled with the crowds. Scandinavian summer evenings can be very special as the soft summerlight shimmers on the sea.

Båstad to Olofsbo (Near Falkenberg) (16th July, 118.23 @20.1 kph)

The invitation to stay a few days sounded tempting but as we were expected up the coast we thought we'd better keep moving so after a hearty breakfast it was back in the saddle.

After a sometimes frustrating day of on and off the cycle path and lack of signage we finally arrived at Olöfsbo, where we had decided to camp by the seaside. Once again, this place was full of Swedes on vacation and enjoying the warm weather and the beach. We had a great evening in a friendly pub with live music and dancing. We both had enough energy to wiggle our hips a bit on the dance floor.

Olofsbo to Ölmanäs ( Frid 17th July, 72.89km @ 20.7kph)

In Falkenberg we picked up a booklet of the cycle route we were trying to follow and this made all the difference. We had a special day riding along the coast. It is very scenic and we were blessed with no wind and beautiful sunshine. There were many little swimming spots and with the water temperature of 21C it was great. We arrived at our friends' house where we had arranged to be by lunchtime. Bitte and Jonas live in a lovely cottage that Bitte's father built as a summerhouse but which over the last 10 years has been converted to a very comfortable home. We again had a little guest cottage . The summer days are long up here in the north so there was plenty of time for a boat trip out to their little island where we swam, talked and enjoyed fruit and coffee which Bitte had packed.

The next morning we woke up to a cold , rainy day and we were happy not to ride. It was the 20th birthday for their son Kalle and a party was planned for the afternoon. So it was a busy day moving furniture and sorting food before guests arrived.

Today, Sunday 19th July, it is 9 weeks since we took the boat out from Istanbul . We have ridden about 4500km, learned a lot about geography, rivers, history and bikes. We have been received with genorosity and friendliness and have enjoyed the simplicity this sort of trip offers.

To everyone who has sent us encouragements with emails & texts we would like to say thanks.

It is always such joy to open mail and find a greeting. When you ride a bike you realise how big the world is but with emails and SMS you realise it's not so big after all. (Even though it took us 12 days to hear of Michael Jackson's death)

It has been an amazing journey and although it will be great to reach the final destination it will be a bit sad to end.

We have now approx 50km to ride to Sigrid´s parents place in Mölndal near Gothenberg where we are expected for Sunday dinner.

Over the next few weeks we hope to be able to download more photos of the latter part of the trip. Next weekend we have the wedding of Sigrid's niece which of course was the inspiration (excuse) for this folly. It looks as though we are going to make it on time.

Sigrid and Don

The Aegean to the Baltic

Lubeck (D) to Copenhagen (DK) (292.49 km at 21.3kph)
The last three days we have left Germany and are now in Copenhagen, Denmark. We thoroughly enjoyed our rest day in Lubeck, famous for its marzipan, beautiful Hansa buildings and the hometown of Willy Brandt, the famous German statesman. Before leaving Germany it was great to see the sea again. It has been a long time since the Agean Sea in Greece to the Baltic Sea in northern Germany. We gleefully dived in the water but quickly figured out why no locals were swimming but sitting on their deck chairs- the water was a bit chilly.
After two big days in the saddle (127 and 125 km) over gently undulating terrain( Denmark is NOT flat) and a tail wind it was a small ride into Copenhagen this morning (42km) where we found a vacancy at the YHA right in the centre of the city. So today and tonight we'll be doing the tourist bit in Copenhagen. Don is hoping that Princess Mary will be free for a cup of tea.Tomorrow we catch the ferry for Sweden and we should reach our final destination of Gothenberg by this weekend.

Dresden to Lubeck (6 days: 633.49km @ 19.5kph approx)
In the last 6 days since we last reported it has been steady riding, following the Elbe River through Germany towards Hamburg. In Dresden we checked maps and realised how big this country is, particularly if you follow winding rivers. The weather hasn't been the greatest: a strong head wind and rain showers. We are now approaching the 4000 km mark of our journey.
The Elbe marked the border between East and West Germany and we have mostly been in the former eastern part. Along the border we have cycled past old abandoned observation towers and remnants of the old fence. Many of the villages are still paved in parts by cobblestones which look beautiful but not too friendly to ride on and certainly slows down the pace.
Three days ago on the little village of Niegripp we stopped at a pension , and when the lady saw the tents on the back of the bike she asked if we preferred to camp in the backyard ( €5 instead of €50) which we thought was great. When her husband heard we came from Australia he immediately rang Siegfrid, who was home visiting from Oz. Siggy (his nickname) came over and we were shouted to beer and Jaegermeister by our host. Siggy escaped East Germany in 1966 when he was 17 and now lives in Queensland. We had a great evening and slept very well .
Yesterday we left the river and headed north towards Denmark. We are currently in the lovely old Hansa city of Lubeck. If we can get a YHA booking for tonight we might stay and have a rest day before tackling the 90km to Puttgarten where we will take the ferry to Denmark and then move on to Copenhagen and the final part of the journey.

The Elbe Cycle Route

Prague (CZ) to Dresden (D) 271.73km @ 19 kph 

The last three days we have been following the Elbe River from Prague in Czech Rep. to near Dresden in Germany. We have enjoyed the bike path that closely follows the river even though we have had to back track at times because of flooding. We have shared the bikepath with many other cyclists fom Dresden who have been enjoying the weekend sunshine. The Shoalhaven City Council should take a look at the potential from tourism such a bike route gives an area. We have enjoyed the scenery and every turn of the river a new vista or castle greets us.

Via email from Bev Louken we had been told Cathy Bennet (Federal) was riding from Dresden to Prague, so we kept an eye out for her. As we now and then deviated from the bike path we were not sure if we had missed her but no, all of a sudden, Don yelled out " Cathy!!".  She nearly fell off her bike. She was riding south with 3 other ladies from Shoalhaven. We sat down at a nearby cafe and enjoyed a beer and compared notes/maps. What a coincidence. We also swapped some money, as Cath had just arrived in Czech and we were leaving.

We later camped at the campsite they came from and for the first night in a week there was no thunderstorm/rain. So by now we had entered our next country:Germany. The bike path in this area follows a very beautiful section of the river through the Saxon-Switzerland National Park. The hills goes down to the river and there are many castles, forts and churches perched on the cliff tops.

Wendy Fetchet had organised us with a contact (parents of an exchange student, Lea, who lived with them 2 years ago) outside Dresden so after a stroll around this beautiful city we continued on.  Gunther and Inez lives near the bike path and we are now at their  house. We have enjoyed a lovely evening with homecooked food, a breakfast to kill for in the garden and are now ready to hit the tarmac again.  We thank them for their great hospitality.

After looking at maps we have figured out we can´t doddle too much -there is still a lot of Germany to go through and we have about 2 weeks to get there.  So we will be continuing along the Elbe for the next few days. 

Czech Republik

Linz (AU) to Prague (CZ) 229km @ about 19kphWe left Zell am See well rested and took the train back to Linz. From there we rode to the Austrian border town of Bad Leonfelden. It was a sunny afternoon but after the rain the humidity was oppressive. It didn't help that straight out of Linz the climb started which was to continue for the next 20 km. We had to stop several times just to catch our breath. As we arrived in Bad Enfelden we found the YHA but it was closed up with a note on the door to ring a number if we wanted the warden. She arrived promptly and opened up for us. So we had a YHA all to ourselves.
The next morning we rode downhill for 6km before crossing into Czeck Republik. The difference in the two countries was noted straight away as Czech was less manicured and more natural. We pretty soon arrived at the Vltava River which we followed downstream to Cesky Krumlov. The river was flowing strongly and was full of people rafting downstream, stopping at cafes for beer and food.
Cesky Krumlov was the prettiest little town ever. They call it "Little Prague". It is nearly surrounded by the river and has a castle overlooking it. The town has lots of cafes, music clubs and art galleries. We found a good cheap Pension to stay at and had a great evening sitting by the river listening to a fantastic band playing all the "oldie" songs.The rain started but we were under cover but the river was getting pretty high.
The next day we followed the river but decided to take to the hills as a lot of the country was waterlogged.
In Tabor (approx.. 80km south of Prague) we were picked up by Josef who visited Sigrid's home town in 1969 for athletics. He took us to his house outside Prague where we now have had 3 fantastic days with him and his wife, Jitka. After a days orientation of Prague by Josef and Jitka, yesterday we took the train into town for a good look around and today wen rode to Karstein Castle.It was a lovely ride through white poppy fields and decidious forests , then a tour of the castle (which even the Swedes couldn't conquer during the 30 year war)
Tomorrow we will continue north towards the German border and Dresden. Now the rivers are running north so we are actually following them downstream for a change.

Austria

Orth to Tulln to Ybbs to Linz (3 days, 278.6km @ 20kph)
HI everyone. So we have now ridden along the Danube to Linz where we took a train south to Zell am See. Here we are having a bit of R&R at Sig's relatives Inge Otto and her daughter Christine (second cousin) and Alea Canning.
Since 3 days back the weather has been cold and wet (snow on the mountain tops) so it is nice to be in a warm house, wash all our clothes and do some bike maintenance. Also nice to have 2 hour breakfasts with yummy Austrian bread and multiple cups of coffee. Good to be with family.
The ride from Vienna to Linz was 100% beautiful and anyone thinking of cycling the Danube we would recommend starting at Passau and riding downstream. It's about a week of leisurely riding to Vienna. Lots of gorgeous villiges on the way, a varied landscape and from that direction a tail wind. (guaranteed)
Tomorrow we will take the train back to Linz and pedal north to Czech Republic. We are blogging this from a cafe and are having a bit of trouble with photo downloads so from now on the blog might be a bit "plainer" and more sporadic.

Budapest to (near) Vienna

Budapest to Orth (30kms fromVienna) 316.9km at 20kph over 3 days

The last 3 days we have following the Danube towards Vienna. Still a head wind which we had sympathy from a Dutch rider at the camp last night. He had enjoyed a tailwind all the way from Amsterdam.

In this very peaceful little village of Lipot, 30km from the Slovakian border , we were in a campsite with only a few others. Early this morning there were all these mozzies in the tent and Don thought Sig had left zippers undone while on a night visit to the loo. But no, no loo visit. Then we noticed all the bags were dragged out and had been searched. But passports were were left out , no cc taken or our camera or phones. Only cash, which was minimal as we were leaving Hungary and had planned it pretty well perfectly. Some AUD 25. THEN, we realised the laptop was gone. It was pretty well next to Don as he slept.

Anyhow we feel lucky. It could have been days in Vienna waiting for new passports etc.

Now , this will mean we will not blog as often as going to internet cafes is a whole new ballgame and more inconvenient.

We are now heading along the Danube and will then probably at Linz take a train to Zell am See and visit Sig's Aunty Inge for a few days.

Budapest

Elizabeth Bridge over the Danube.

These are the signs we have been following the last few days. The yellow sign isthe Europea n Bike Route No 6 which is from the Atlantic Coast to Black Sea. It taps into various already established routes along the way , such as the Danube. As you can see here the trail just went into a grass path. Although not too bad to ride on we decided to take a nearby road instead.

A day in Budapest

Fishermen's Bastion

So many beautiful buildings. Here the Parliament House at dusk.

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Dunafoldvar to Budapest (Sun 14th June; 99.9 km @ 19.0)
We had nice sunny weather but a headwind as we headed towards Budapest.We were unsure as to how far we would get but as the kilometres ticked by we decided to go the whole way. It was a bit tricky as we headed into the city but we followed the general flow of traffic and eventually found the Danube which was a good reference point. The hostel we had decided to stay at was near the markets next to the river, pretty much in the inner part of the city. We had stayed in this vicinity last year so found it without too much trouble. The hostel is full of young international backpackers who seem intent on partying all night so things were pretty quiet around the breakfast table this morning. Today we did the tourist bit in Budapest and caught a hop on hop off bus around the sights ( yes Sue, the same as last year but Don reckons he couldn't remember any of it anyway, !!) and a boat trip on the Danube in the evening. Don is more tired from that than cycling all day. Tomorrow we leave Budapest and head upstream towards Szentendre (70km), on the Danube Bend, a picturesque part of the river. We are contemplating taking a riverboat some of the way.

Bikes on Dykes

Bikes on Dykes

Not always the best surface, but no mishaps.

Soon after arriving at camp a tray with coffee and biscuits were gicen to us by a couple in a campervan from Germany. Note: cups AND saucers. How cultural..

Wireless at camp. Plugged into electricity and was given password and extension cord, long enough to chat on skype in the tent, all for free.

Baja to Dunafoldvar (Sat 13th June; 87.4km @20kph)

Yesterday we left our warm shower family with a packed lunch courtesy of Mickey. We continued our journey north towards Budapest. Much of the ride was on Dykes of various quality surfaces. At least they were flat and the scenery always interesting. We camped on the Danube in a lovely camping area with four other campers. After a hearty Hungarian meal in the town and a couple of beverages we had a sound night's sleep.

Warm Showers

Sigrid riding on a dyke towards Baja. They were generally very pleasant to ride on with no traffic.

Don and bike at our warm shower house.

Don and Mickey, the father of the host.

Bence, our warm shower, host showing us around Baje.

Our Warm Shower family (minus Bence who had gone out with friends) A great night!

Mohacs to Baja (Frid 12 June; 41km @ 16.8 kph)
Today was always going to be an easy day. In Baja, Sigrid had arranged our first Warm Showers stay. (ie. like couch surfing for touring cyclists) We left Mohacs after a great breakfast. We'd met two English tourers heading in the opposite direction to us so we were able to swap maps and offload loose change from previous countries. It was a very pleasant ride, mostly on dykes which were built beside the Danube to prevent flooding. The ride was flat but picturesque. We arrived at a small town/village which we thought to be Baja but after riding around for half an hour or so we finally found someone (the place looked deserted) to ask directions. We were relieved to be informed that Baja was a much bigger, livelier place 5km further on. We rode on and there it was: Baja was a proper town, complete with cafes, centre, and facilities. We met our host, Bence (21 yr old), in the town square and he took us to his family home. We had a lovely afternoon and evening. We met his family who were most hospitable and made us feel very welcome in their house. They showed us around town, entertained us, fed us and introduced us to local liquers and beverages. We thank them very much, especially Bence, Livia and Lajos who did a great job translating all night.

Leaving Croata

Goodbye Croatia and hello Hungary. We only were in a small NW section of Croatia. We will leave the Dalmatian Coast for another trip.

Some war damaged buildings in Vukovar (across the river from Serbia) There was quite a lot of fighting, and ethnic cleansing between the Serbs and Croats in this area.

The town is being slowly rebuilt but the evidence is still there.

Our hotel was nearby. A town of contrasts between the new and damaged.

Vucovar (Croatia) to Mohacs (Hungary) 124.6km @ 21kph
Yesterday was a public holiday in Croatia so all the shops were closed as we rode out of Vucovar. The signs of the conflict with the Serbs was very evident with quite a few war damaged buildings. After 40 km we rode through the city of Osijek which was full of people out and about enjoying their day off work. (Too early to stop and stay we thought) We now were in a bit of a dilemma : we didn't have enough cash (i.e. croatian konas) for another nights accommodation, the shops were closed so we couldn't buy food in case of camping and the villagas ahead of us were not necessarily going to be big enough to have rooms for rent (or accepting VISA) We didn't want to be left with lots of konas. Continuing to ride towards the Hungarian border, through several small villages that were all very quiet. (Everyone was in Osijek it seemed) We crossed the border (15km) into the Hungarian city of Mohacs on the Danube where we have found a pleasant hotel and enjoyed a nice evening meal and a couple of glasses of local red wine.
So it ended up being our longest day km wise but it was all near but flat and a good surface without much traffic. A comment from Jekyll asking us about calories in/out ratia : not sure but we are definitely eating more and this last stretch the 120kms was done on mixed quality food: a great wholesome breakfast in Vukovar, a lunch consisting of coke and microwaved hamburger and a stop near border village ( to get rid of Croatian Conars) with ice cream and coke for Sig and a beer for Don. Our dinner in Hungary was however really good. Sigrid , who has only had a handful of cokes in her life is finding it a great energy booster.

Croatia

The border crossing from Sebia to Croatia. You wouldn't believe they were in conflict 20 odd years ago.

The Danube at Vukovar. It was good to see the river being used for recreation. We took this photo from a nearby cafe on the river. recreation)

Don studying the map in the shade of a walnut tree. Note the vineyard in the background.

Goodbye to Serbia.

We have been picking fruit on the side of the road. (Cherries and mulberries are ripe at the moment.) Here Siggy is stuffing her face with cherries.

Novi Sad (Serbia) to Vukovar (Croatia) 10th June, 88.7km @ 20.0 kph

We had a beautiful ride today, following the Danube. After 40 km we crossed the border into Croatia. It was the most casual border crossing we've encountered so far. En route , we had rolling hills filled with vineyards, wheat fields and other crops. Some of the undulations reaching 10% gradient. The town we are spending the night in,Vukovar, was severely affected in the conflict with the Serbs in 1991. Much of the town was destroyed and many locals died in concentration type camps. However, we are staying in the most luxurious accommodation of the trip (four star hotel) and have been promised the best breakfast in Croatia. We are paying half price in a deal arranged for cyclists doing the Danube Cycle Route. The town itself still has a few war damaged buildings but many cafes and restaurants make it a good stop off point. The river was alive with rowers, fisherman, swimmers and leisure boats. Still peaceful but good to see it being used. A thunderstorm is currently cooling things down from 30+ degrees earlier today.

A Day in Novi Sad

Sun setting over the Danube.

The clocktower found on the citadel

lec and Stuart, two Aussie cyclists riding from Budapest to the Black Sea. We had dinner with them at the fortress overlooking the city.

The main pedestrian area of town is full of bars, cafes and restaurants.

The fortress built between 1692 and 1780 to protect the town from Turkish invasion.

Serbia

Cycling along the Danube. Glorious weather. Romania on the opposite bank.

A fortress from the middle ages to keep the turks out.

This Serbian section is particularly scenic. Note the absence of traffic. Serbia is not the most popular tourist destination.

Commoly seen in the mountains, these ovens are used for smoking meat. The aroma was pretty good as we rode past.

A cuppa break in a mountain village. We were soon the talk of the village with whispers of "Ausralia."

Negotin to Dobra, Serbia (Frid 5th June; 95.2 km @ 15.3kph)
One word to describe today's ride:mountainous. We took off from Negotin with the best route suggested by the bike mechanic: "a bit up and down" he said. "Ah, Uber die Bergen" said the man at the hotel. We thaought, well a fewhills will be ok. Anyway, the route mechanic suggested took us over a mountain range but it got us to the Danube quicker. We rode through beautiful farming landscape mixed with forest. The farms seemed bigger and very well kept here compared with Bulgaria but it is definitely not broadacre but small plots with wheat, corn and vegetables in plots side by side.
We stopped at a mountain village en route for coffee and quickly were the talk of the town. Everyone was intrigued by Don's age and asked had his doctor checked his heart out before we started out.? Sigrid was a bit miffed that they weren't concerned about her age. After reaching the Danube, we felt as though we were riding in a travel brochure. The scenery was so stunning. The Danube in this part of Serbia is fiord like, with mountainous banks on either side. We had a lovely picnic lunch in Donji Milanovac, adjacent to the Danube. We then took off with 30 km to go to Dobra, our destination for the day. We were looking forward to a relatively easy ride with one major climb.However, signs to a bike path leading to our destination led us astray. The bike path turned out to be an old road that went over two mountains and through a national park. Much of the surface was so broken up and eroded we had to do a fair bit of walking and we caught only the occasional glimpse of the river. We finally reached our destination and found a bed and breakfast establishment that also provided a lovely dinner complete with home made plum slivovich.We are now tucked up in bed really tuckered out. We have vowed to check out bike routes more thoroughly next time.
Dobra to Veliko Gradiske (Sat 6th June; 48.5km @ 18.5kph)
After a great night sleep and breakfast (tea,omelette, bread and home made jam) we left our B&B and continued along the river. We were in no hurry today and just wanted to take it all in. Stops for coffee at good view spots ( although we have now decided to give Serbian coffee a miss) stops for picking cherries and mulberries along the way. In some areas it looked like holiday homes and I guess it is close enough for people from Belgrade to come and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet on the Mighty Danube.
We arrived at the camping area we had set as a goal.where I (Sigrid) am now sitting at a table whilst writing. It is on a man made little lake beside the river called Silver Lake. We were immediately greeted by Adrian and Gerda, a Dutch "grey nomad couple" who had their camper there. We ended up being very well looked after by them: good company, travel advice re camping spots and in the end a beautiful pasta dinner in their van. As the sun set we found out why the lake was called Silver Lake. The water had the most silvery glow on it that time of the day.
Now we have just had our juice and yoghurt and are about to set off for the days ride.
Velo Gradiske to Pancevo (Sun 7th June; 97.5km @ 22.1kph)
We had a pretty big day today. We left camp at 9.30 and continued to follow thye Danube. After about 15km we were to catch a ferry across the river. We had to wait for an hour because the ferry only crossed every 3 hours. (could have been worse) On the other side we continued our ride. The terrain had turned pretty flat, the weather was hot,the road surface was hot mix, the scenery was of intensive agriculture: wheat, corn, sunflowers, vineyards, potatoes, tomatoes & fruit trees. We arrived at Kovin after 60km and had a frappe and coke each: it was a strange mixture but gave us the lift we needed for the final leg to Pancevo. Pancevo is across the river from Belgrade which about 30km away. We have decided to avoid Belgrade becoause of the traffic problems we've heard about. We booked into the main hotel in Pancevo (the only one) which seems to be a hangover from the communist era: drab, unrenovated and deserted looking but has clean sheets. After a pizza and a coupe of beers we are set for our ride tomorrow to Novi Sad, a touristy town about 100km to the north. The Serbs may be poor but they certainly like to frequent the numerous cafes and bars that are usually found in the town squares.
Pancevo to Novi Sad (Mon 8th June; 107.44km @ 22.7kph)
We took off early for Novi Sad, Serbia's second largest city. The weather was fine, the country flat with farming land interspersed with villages the order of the day.Crops of wheat, sunflower, corn and vineyards lined either side of the road. (as did ripe mulberries and cherries-yum) It was a day of getting from A to B. We arrived in Novi Sad early afternoon and were impressed with the vitality of the place so we decided to book into a hostel for two nights . At the hostel we met two Aussies cycling from Budapest to the Black Sea so we were able to share ideas over a few beers and great dinner in a fortress overlooking the Danube. Today we will be tourists, relax and look around town.

Arriving in Serbia

Arriving in Vidin we were excited to see the Mighty Danube.

Sitting on a barge by the river enjoying a last Bulgarian beer. Sun is shining so what more do you want out of life?

Near the border there appeared to be a public holiday with lots of Bulgarian's in national costumes. They were singing, dancing and having a lovely time while we off loaded Sig's bike to take a broken spoke out.

Our bike mechanic in Negotin. He did a great job. His grandfather had been a professional bike rider between the two wars. He died 2 years ago at 93, still riding . His photo and bike were proudly displayed in the shop.

Vidin to Negotin - Serbia (Thurs 4th, June: 49 km @ 16.2 kph)
We said our goodbyes to Maddy, and headed west towards Serbia and Belgrade. It was a day of stiff headwinds and some sizeable uphills. Before the border to Serbia, Sigyy unfortunately broke a rear spoke.The Serbian Immigration officials told us of a bike shop in Negotin, the first town across the border, 15km up the road.
We found the bike shop and the mechanic, the grandson of the original owner, stopped other work and set to it with Siggy's bike. He also replaced the chain which had started to slip a bit and the bike is now as good as new.
It all took a while so we decided to stay the night. Our bike man gave us route advice which was good as the road we had thought of taking was not a very good one according to him.
We had a pleasant evening on town sitting in the town square sampling their local wine and having the best pizza.
This town , Negotine, is on the trail people do when riding the Danube path. We can now see signposts for cyclistst. Apparently the Danube cycle path is now signposted from Germany to the Black Sea. That is amazing. Some of sections between here and Beograd are very scenic so we are looking forward to it.
Belogradchik to Vidin (Wed 3rd,June: 53.56 km @ 21.2kph)
After a late breakfast of coffee and a local version of a sausage roll we teamed up with Maddy and rode out of Belogradchik at about 10.30. Earlier we had gone for a pre-breaky walk to view the famous Belogradchik Rocks. The rain and mist of the previous day had lifted and it was a fine morning, excellent for sight seeing and bike riding. We had a scenic ride of mostly gentle down hills and flattish terrain ( Belogradchik is at 635 m above sea level) as we headed towards Vidin, situated on the Danube.
As we approached Vidin it looked as if it was going to be a boring industrial town but we had a pleasant surprise. There was a big beautiful park along the river where people of all ages were strolling, riding bikes and sipping coffee, beers and wine. It had a huge central pedestrian area with shops, statues and lots of people. Along the river were barges as cafes/bars. We enjoyed a couple of beers on one of the barges.
We found a hotel and Maddy took off on a ride to the ferry to check for a timetable. She was taking the ferry across to Romania the next morning and wanted to be sure. She came back 10km later but none the wiser: She was told "it goes when it is full - and not many people at the moment"
We had a pleasant last evening together.

A Day in Belogradchik

Sigrid and Maddy walking in the Fortress which was established in I-III century AD, later added on to by the Byzantines .














The Belogradchik Rocks" spread over a strip 3 km wide and 17-18 km long. Many of the formations have been given names such as " The Mushroom", "The School Girl", "The Bear". There are also legends associated with some of them.

This one is supposedly a horseman and horse. he fell in love and impregnated a beautiful nun. As the villagers heard a baby cry in the monastery they persued the rider and he, the nun&baby as well as the villagerser all turned into stone .

A correction to the last day of cycling:

Montana to Belogradchik, 85.13km @ 17.8kph

Montana to Belogradchik

Don riding the final 3km all uphill to Belogradchik. There was a cafe at top which served thirst quenching beer.

One of the near deserted villages we rode through with boarded up houses. No shops and little other infrastructure. They had certainly seen better days.

We saw quite few stork nests during the day. This one nestled on a telegraph pole in one of the villages.

Farming methods are still pretty basic.

Some passing traffic we shared the road with. The backroad we travelled on was tranquil and interesting. After we took this photo the people in the wagon had a good laugh at us on bicycles.

Montana to Belogradchik (Monday 1st June; 55.13km @ 17.8kph)
We had read in the Lonely Planet that Bulgarian breakfast is coffee and cigarettes. From our observations that seems to be spot on. Very hard to get something decent to eat in mornings. So we left Montana feeling still a bit under-nourished and headed out of town. It should have been straight forward but we managed to miss the main road and got onto a smaller road going slightly north of the highway. We could still get back to the main road 45km on and we would not miss our turn off to Belogradchik which was our goal fot the day.
We enjoyed a traffic free ride, passing small farming villages where horse and carts were the main mode of transport and the land was still worked by human labour. Quite a contrast to the previous afternoon when we saw young ladies at intervals along the main road. The first one waqs dressed in bikini top and miniskirt and when Don asked what she was doing there we naively thought catching a bus maybe. After a couple of more had been passed we realised that was not the case.
The landscape had lost the mountains on the southern side of the main road and was now undulating with middle grade uphills and corresponding down hills . Just had to concentrate on dodging the rather deep pot holes. But all went well and the riding legs have defnitely kicked in .
Some turnoffs were totally unmarked and the trickiest thing is, when you ask people for direction you have to remember that in this country they nod their heads for NO and shake their heads for YES! It is causing us a lot of laughs. I have resorted to thubs up/down or "OK?" (and eyebrow movement is very effective)
We had lunch in what is supposed to be a town, Ruzinci, but found it more or less deserted and boarded up. A couple of ladies in yellow vests were sweeping the street (council workers ? or "work for the dole"????). You wonder what for.
After lunch we headed up a valley and then up in the hills ( 3 km uphill) towards Belogradchik.
This town was nominated for "The new 7 Natural Wonders" but I think it missed out. It is however a lovely place with amazing rock formations and an old Fort built into the rocks. We met up with Maddi again and had dinner at a great little restaurant . Good hearty food and a jug of good local wine.
We have decided to spend a day in this fascinating place.

Iskar Gorge

Don is filling up with water at a monastery, en route. The water quality in Bulgaria has been beautiful. Mountain water.

The monastery visit was a nice little break.

Lunch by a Babbling Brook - Iskar River

Another spot to top up water supply.

In the middle of nowhere we found a traffic jam complete with traffic police. Turned out to be a
kids fishing competition in a little concrete edged dam. The only fish we saw being caught was less than 10cm but caused a lot of excitement. So this is what you do on Sundays in this neck of the woods.