Day 34: Thu 30 Jun - Silistra, Bulgaria to Cernavoda, Romania

Ride: 100km

Weather: rain

Country number seven.

Breakfast was at 0730h so it was 0845h before we left the motel, a little late for a 100k day. The breakfast was adequate but certainly not up to the standard of the dinner or the motel. It refueled us for the day ahead that's the main thing.  

And what a day; hills, cobblestones, rain and Romanian dogs. There's only one thing worse than riding on cobblestones that is riding on really rough ones up hills. That's what we copped on about seven occasions this morning. We stopped to eat our packed lunch at Baneasa and after that the cobbles dried up but the rain came down, in buckets. Often the surface debris of side roads would end up within a stream across our road, along with gravel, mud and assorted rubbish. The hills continued right to the door of our motel, Yahoo Best Restaurant, located of course on top of a big hill. Wonder how they get away with that name?

Despite the hardships there's many positive points that came out of the day, Romanian dogs weren't quite as vicious as we had heard, Romanian drivers are careful and always gave us plenty of room when passing and the roads (except for the cobbled bits) were fairly good and mainly free of any serious potholes.

During most of the 100km we were surrounded by good looking and well maintained fruit trees, vines and other crops. The only "attraction" we saw was the St Devent Monastery not long after leaving Silistra.

You certainly notice that Romania is poorer than all of the countries we've been through thus far. The housing and the infrastructure is more basic. But they are still recovering from the despot President N. Ceausescu many years of mis-rule. They seem such a happy lot and are always willing to offer advice if they notice that you are not sure of the way. Surprisingly a greater proportion of the people we had dealings with spoke English compared to the neighboring countries we've just passed through.

Dinner tonight was in the motel restaurant and it was excellent. Fred and I had a traditional pork dish with a type of polenta and it was magic.   

Tomorrow is another adventure as we catch a local train part of the way. Will we manage to board the correct train? 

As I sit in the foyer writing this there are about 100<> neighborhood dogs barking, might be an interesting night's sleep, or not. The Bulgarians and Romanians certainly love their dogs.   

Day 33: Wed 29 Jun - Tutrakan to Silistra

Ride: 68km

Av Speed: 19km/h

Weather: cool, cloudy but no rain

Talk about a heart starter, immediately on leaving our accommodation we commenced a 2km climb to the hotel where we had to pay for the beds and obtain breakfast. 

A rather pleasant undulating day's ride with a cool breeze for a tail-wind followed. None of the hills were a drama (surely we must be getting fitter) and the towns we skirted around were well spaced out. The first 20km and the last 12km were on a new, smooth, wide and reasonably quiet road. The bit in the middle was undergoing extensive roadworks but it was of little inconvenience so we made good time. We were all at the motel by about 1330h. The five-star Drustar Hotel overlooking the Danube was well signed and easy to find. What a contrast to last night. Everything about the Drustar spells five star except the price, in Oz $ it was a very reasonable $102 per double.  A$55 single. 

Silistra is a modest sized, modern, attractive city with lots of parks and gardens with walks along the Danube. Unlike a lot of the previous places we've stayed at recently Silistra has taken full advantage of their riverside location. Throw in several 3-5th century ruins of various origins and you have a fairly interesting stopover for a day or two. 

We decided to go the whole hog on our last night in Bulgaria and eat at the very flash looking restaurant in the motel. We didn't regret that decision as the food was excellent. 

Our last longish ride of the tour tomorrow.

Our 5 Star Hotel - The Drustar

Is this a personalised plate?

Me in a riverside park at Silistra

Day 32: Tue 28 Jun - Ruse to Tutrakan

Ride: 64km

Weather: cloudy but fine

Last night's dinner was taken at the nicest restaurant thus far. It was in a quiet back street that we had stumbled across during a walk. The setting was a simple garden design with stylish wooden furniture and big colourful umbrellas. The restaurant building itself was an old mansion. Throw in tasteful lighting and you have an ideal setting for dinner. We ate outside on a perfect night. The traditional Bulgarian lamb dish was very tasty as was everything else.

On the road again. Once we had found the way around two parallel one-way streets going in the same direction, we made short work of the ride today. It was on a smooth road with a healthy tailwind.  Hardly a hill to be seen anywhere so the average speed was 18km/h.

Riding the 60km was the easy part today. We then spent the good part of 2 hours looking for our accommodation. It turned out to be a "closed" guesthouse we had ridden past when we first arrived. It's actually an old house which they only open when required. The lack of any signage in these countries is just astounding. Do they really want tourists to find them?  

The neighborhood we are staying in is a historical area on the Danube of great significance to the local fishermen. This stretch of the river has been an excellent fishing area since the 13th century. The old houses date back to those times and in the main are falling down. You can see some evidence of restoration, but it's more a case of knock them down and rebuild in the style. The original buildings look very fragile. 

We had dinner in the same area, at the motel we couldn't get rooms. Hard to understand why as we were the only patrons in their restaurant and there were certainly no hotel guests in evidence. The meals were absolutely superb and the Cab Sav was the best we've tasted on tour.  The pancakes were not too shabby either.

Despite the relatively short day it was an early night for us all.  It appears that the rest days did most of us more harm than good. Once the body gets used to riding every day it doesn't like to stop. Kev left us today to return to Oz for personal reasons, we’ll miss him.

Day 31: Mon 27 Jun - Ruse

 Ride: 0km
Weather: fine and sunny

The only contact with the bike today was a checkup, oil and quick clean. 

The first half of the day was spent over a slow breakfast (help yourself to cereal, toast, meats, cheeses, coffee etc from a very well stocked kitchen) followed by a team meeting about the rest of the trip. It seems the further east we go the harder it is to pre-book accommodation, especially in Romania. It would be okay for a couple but for 6 pers it's critical that we have confirmed rooms, particularly in the back-blocks.  

So we've adjusted the itinerary to avoid being stuck out in the middle of nowhere without a bed. It means we get to spend a few days extra in Istanbul. We have the option of taking another tour (one already booked for Gallipoli) or just spend more time exploring Istanbul. Considering the size of that city (15 million) I suspect we will have no problem filling the days.  

Visited the Central Market which was fairly basic, although the fruit & veggies area was adequate.  Back on the bike in the morning.

Day 30: Sun 26 Jun - Ruse, Bulgaria

Ruse or Rousse or Pyce.  The different spelling of the same places in Bulgaria is downright confusing. It's related to the phonetic and Greek/Bulgarian alphabet used in this country.... I think. They often have signs in only one form, G/B, which bears little or no relationship to the phonetic. Maps in both forms often get us by. Bulgaria entered the EU in 1997 and billions of Euros have flowed in since. Hence Ruse's lovely city square is currently a messy construction site. Out with the ugly communist era monstrosities in with the wide open spaces and the democratic soft touch. EU money is also the reason we saw so much roadworks.    

The tourist brochure refer to Ruse as little Vienna. While it's okay I think that term is drawing a very long bow. Apart from both cities being on the Danube it takes a great deal of imagination to conger up any other similarities. However we will keep searching as we have TWO WHOLE rest days. Anyone would think we've been working hard. The accommodation is called the English Guesthouse, a rambling, old converted mansion close to the city centre. 

Day 29: Sat 25 Jun - Svishtov to Ruse

Ride: 120km

Weather: fine, cloudy, top temp high 20s

The best part of Svishtov was the balcony of our motel, looking straight down the Danube from a bluff. 

The flash restaurant attached to the motel had no English menu so it was a matter of the waitress struggling to explain the available fare in her limited English. At least she could make herself sort of understood; I am often embarrassed by my lack of language skills when overseas. Throw in two vegetarians and one person who is allergic to butter and cream and you have some fun. The best solution was to tell her what we wanted and she would bring us the closest dishes. All the meals and sweets turned out a treat especially the pancakes and ice-cream. With drinks and dessert it was A$6.92 per head. What a great way to eat out. 

Svishtov turned out to be a surprise after all. As we went for a wander after dinner about 10 minutes from the motel we discovered a modern city, including all the usual array of shops and umpteen different restaurants. Outside this area were the normal deserted and dilapidated buildings in various stages of decay. What a contrast. 

The ride today was supposed to be 86km but I turned it into 120kms for myself only. This decision came as a result of me finding myself on a very busy highway. The 130km/h trucks were a bit disconcerting.   

While on the back road I took the opportunity to explore the hewn stone churches of Ivanovo. Built in the 13 - 14th century by monks the churches are carved out of solid limestone. The environment and man have both played a part in causing a fair amount of damage to them over the years. Still they are a testament to the dedication of the monks, as you can imagine the tools available at that time were pretty basic. Seeing these churches does wonders for one's faith. 

Needless to say I was the last to arrive at the motel today as the others may see the churches during the next couple of days which are REST DAYS!!!

Day 28:- Fri 24 Jun - Baykal to Svishtov

Ride: 104km

Av Speed: 18.9km/h

Weather: fine and sunny

Last night's dinner of grilled chicken & mushrooms, veggies, chips, pancakes & ice-cream + 500ml beer and Nestea cost a total of $24.50. Bed & breakfast cost $13.83.  

First 20km today was on a brand new billiard table smooth road, cyclist heaven. A cheeky 3.5km climb at Somovit was more than paid back by a 7.4km decent. The custard éclair and coffee we had at Nikopol refueled us all for the 50km ahead and a rather steep climb out of the town. The remainder of the ride today was hot (32-38deg) and rather uninteresting except for the wheat harvesting which has finally commenced. The crop looks a bumper one and the last couple of weeks of dry hot weather should ensure that the quality is excellent. 

I struck out on my own after Nikopol as I wanted the hot day in the saddle to end quickly. Apart from a stop for a feed of yummy wild mulberries and drink I rode the last 50km non-stop. This had me arriving at the hotel by 1445h feeling surprisingly fresh. 

The hotel is situated on top of a high bluff (just what you need after 104km) overlooking the Danube and across to Romania. It's not flash but it's very neat and immaculately clean. The restaurant and the seating area for the bar are on a large wrap around balcony. An excellent location to write these notes and enjoy a refreshing ale.  Do we really need to ride away tomorrow?

The view from the restaurant

Svishtov Cathedral

Day 27: Thu 23 Jun Kozloduy to Zagrazhden, then back to Baykal

Ride: 123km

Weather: fine and sunny

Woke to the tweets of 100s of swallows feeding their young on the veranda where they have built nests. Great sight but a mess for the motel people to clean up.   

As we passed through Kozloduy about 0800h the streets had already been swept clean by a team of sweepers using brush brooms. Good to see a proud people keeping their surrounds clean. This was a similar story with many of the villages we passed through.

While heading out of the city Fred said, "that building must use a lot of power as there's a hell of a lot of very high voltage lines going into it."  It was actually the nuclear power station complete with a couple of 30m high atomic energy signs. Fred was joking. 

Another long, hard "undulating" day with temps constantly over 30deg. Mainly rural landscape with well spread out towns, each with it's post-communist abandoned factories and housing projects.  Orjahovo even had a fairly smart looking 10 - 12 floor motel that is now in various stages of decay.   Occasionally we were able to enjoy stunning glimpses of the Danube to keep us interested.

Straight after lunch (becoming a habit) we hit a monster climb; 3 x 10%, 2 x 11% and 1 x 12 %er. The thermometer was at that stage sitting on 38deg.  Met Peter from Germany half way up. He is cycling around the world. Some of us are hoping to catch up with him in Oz someday. His bike and gear weighs about 100kg!!! Makes my 20kg < > rig seem absolutely pathetic, but then again I hadn't stopped to walk half way up the monster hill and I'm not cycling around the world.

Our stopover tonight at Zagrazhden was a real mystery bag as we could not find the motel we were hoping to stay at on the net or in any accommodation directory. So we lobbed up on spec; unfortunately they were closed for renovations. No amount of crying (by the boys) and phoning a friend could get them to change their minds. So back in the saddle we got and headed off on an ugly road the way we had just ridden. A little hard to do after 107kms of hard slog.  It all turned out well as we only had to back-track 15km and the place we ended up was right on the Danube. The rooms are basic but clean and the attached (no one was keen on riding into town) restaurant served big cold beers and the food was excellent.  

Another 100ks tomorrow, oh goody!!!

Dinner in Baykal

Day 26: Wed 22 Jun - Vidin to Kozloduy

Ride: 105km

Like most cities in Europe Vidin has had many rulers. The Romans built a fort / walled city here during the years 10 - 14 ad. The Turks overrun it and knocked it down......etc. There's a history lesson in just about every city. 

Vidin was a real surprise, despite its rather austere communist looking architecture it has a lot going for it. Being on the Danube you can enjoy the lovely tree-lined promenade and floating restaurants. Plenty of ice-cream and popcorn sellers around for that after-dinner snack. The mall is quite stunning; wide enough to drive a squadron of tanks down it and the paving is a mixture of marble, cobbles and pavers giving it a very interesting pattern.  

Just as we were leaving our hotel we got chatting to a German lady returning home after cycling around the world. As she was going back the way we came we unloaded all our useless currency (added up to a few A$). We had tried to exchange both Hungarian and Serbian after crossing borders but no one would touch it with a barge pole, even immediately after crossing their respective borders. 

Bulgaria has exceeded our expectations already. The 40 odd years of communism has certainly done a lot to set the country back, but the people appear resilient and hardworking so they have bounced back.  The fact that they are in the European Union will ensure that they have all the assistance needed to do well. We've seen some impressive infrastructure programs, new bridges, roads and even a new railway. The repair and resurfacing going on with the roads is staggering. 

A hard and satisfying day in the saddle, undulating (to say the least) more ups than downs (that's my story anyway). Immediately after lunch at Lom we hit 4 km of cobbles. That normally wouldn't be too much of a problem but combined with a 5 - 6% climb it was downright nasty!! A few more long climbs followed but we are getting fitter...we think. We have earned our dinner tonight, which is a 10km round trip (ride) into town as the restaurant attached to this motel has closed down. Where's dial-a-pizza when you need it. Kev, Bob and Fred bravely took on the task of fetching dinner for us mere mortals, God bless them. They do need the exercise after such a short day! The hotel is a tarted up communist era monster right on the Danube so the views are spec. Not that we had any choice as the motel in town was booked out by a bunch of kids on "camp".

Lots of roadworks today too, but not a stop / go man anywhere. Maybe the Europeans understand that you need to SLOW DOWN as soon as you see the roadworks sign. Not even any flashing lights here just a rather small triangle warning sign just prior to the roadworks. 

There's certainly a mix of the old and new here, one minute you see a 1.5 million dollars worth of John Deere tractor / harvester / header and then a horse or donkey and cart. We saw dozens of horse and carts today. It seems such a wonderful, carefree way to go about your business. Not sure the people who use them and don't have a choice agree with that? Some of the areas we travelled through today seemed rather poor; however they always had a smile and a wave for us. The wheat and barley crops here cover huge acreage (often as far as the eye can see) and they are now bursting ripe. If this fine weather continues we will see a flurry of activity on the harvest front in the next week or so. The countryside reminds me of the grain producing parts of NSW and VIC. Not far from us tonight is a nuclear power-station; please pray for a earthquake-free evening.  I believe it was the first one built on the Danube.

Day 25: Tue 21 Jun — Negotin, Serbia to Vidin, Bulgaria

 Ride: 64km

Last night's dinner for me consisted of 500ml mineral water, chicken, skinless sausage, chips, hot fresh baked local bread and a bowl of salad - cost A$8.38.   

Another fine sunny day. 

We crossed into country number six today. We've been to Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and now Bulgaria.

I am not sad about leaving Serbia, and I would not visit this part the country again real soon. However I'm glad I did ride through to see for myself. They appear to have lost their way a bit. They certainly seem to lack a sense of care for their country, maybe as a result of the wrong outcome for them during the Balkans War. Hopefully they will bounce back. 

A nice couple of 8% hills greeted us this morning. Serbia just saying a final farewell. Saw our first deer in a clearing on top of a hill. Seen 1,000s of warning signs for deer on the road, but not even a dead one up to now. Why don't they have kangaroo warning signs like us? 

My expectation of Bulgaria was that it is a bit rugged, "wild west" but friendly, rural and proud. 

The border was quick and easy for us, not so for a couple of locals who were having their cars pulled apart; drugs? 

The very first thing you notice about Bulgaria is the lack of rubbish and litter. There’s the odd plastic bottle, but no more or less than at home. 

In the first town we hit the ATM for local currency and emptied it after only 800 lev, (A$553). Unlike in Serbia when we thought we had taken a quiet country road we got a goat track, today we got a lovely quiet, well maintained back road through wheat and barley fields as far as you could see. Serbian back roads are terrible, again suffering from the harsh economic times post - war. 

Anyway once in Bulgaria it was one of the most interesting rides I've done for a while. Many abandoned houses and factories, from the communist era probably. However, certainly not a feeling of hopelessness, just poor and hardworking. Sprinkled with all this you still see where some are doing very well thank you very much. There are some grand houses also. 

Looking forward to exploring Bulgaria further. 

Been hanging out for fish & veggies and tonight I got it. The meal with 320ml mineral water was A$5.35. Sorry I'm being so extravagant Wens, you might have to send me back to work!! This country could be on another planet from Serbia it is so different but it is only 40 km up the road.

Balcony view in Vidin

Day 24: Mon 20 Jun - Kladovo to Negotin

Ride: 60km

I awoke this morning with my balance back, which is handy when you're about to ride in Serbian traffic. 

Our hotel last night was another "wellness" place, so called because they have a pool, sauna etc and therefore charge twice as much as anywhere else in town. The rooms are up market and they did put on a good spread for breakfast making it worth the A$54 a head.

While having dinner we met a couple and a bloke from Hungary who are riding around the world! But they are doing it on recumbent bikes (you sort of lay back) and on a shoe string, so they are camping. Not my idea of fun, but they appear to be enjoying it so far. 

Just as we were finishing dinner we were hit by a dust storm that made us hurry back to the motel.

One thing you notice here is that just about everyone smokes, and it doesn't matter where you are, restaurant, cafe or hotel/motel. The few no smoking signs are fairly well ignored which is unpleasant at breakfast. 

The ride today had a few nice climbs as we decided to cut out a big bend in the river and cut straight across the countryside, saving 30km. We ended up on top of a dryish plateau which had broad acre grain crops on it, not quite as good as previous crops but ok. 

Apart from a dirt track along the river we tried (it was too rough) we used the quiet main road. The big blow from last night continued during the day but it was predominantly behind or at our right side thankfully.

On first impressions Negotin is that it is a nice city/town and as we had another shortish day there's plenty of time to look around.

They certainly love their meat in Serbia. They must have a biltong type meat here too. Hard to find veggies on the menu most nights, which limits the two vegetarians to salad, chips and pizza.

Walking back from dinner we passed by this church and flowers

Day 23: Sun 19 Jun - Donji Milanovac to Kladovo

Ride: 60km

We followed a very good road along the river today.  A day of hills, (5km 10%er) curved tunnels, gorgeous gorges and stunning Danube views.  The very dark tunnels with a curve are tricky on a bike, especially when there's a bus or truck coming the other way.  

I felt a bit off today, giddy and unsteady on my feet.  No I didn't get into the grog last night, or this morning!  Being giddy on a bike without good lights, in a dark tunnel with oncoming traffic is dangerous.   The smoked fish I had for dinner was extremely salty, no matter how much water I drank during the night I was still thirsty.   Must have been that.

We passed by the narrowest part (150m) of the Danube today. Hard to believe that this mighty river would fit through such a small gap.   The river at this point must be extremely deep.  

It is hot when riding in the sun today, their summer has arrived.

Day 22: Sat 18 Jun - Donji Milanovac

Rest day

This town has seen better days. In some previous regime it would have been glorious. It looks like it was built by the communists but now it is rundown and badly in need of some funds. Our motel is huge and a centre of excellence for groups of young kids to attend sports camps. So there are 4 million kids running around; but extremely well behaved. Of course soccer features highly in the sport’s stakes in this part of the world.

For some reason I had two sleeps today a morning and afternoon nap, must have been tired for some strange reason. I guess that's what you are supposed to do on a rest day.  

At no additional cost for the room, we were blessed with a Hawk nesting in the flower box on our balcony. Five brown speckled eggs in a very simple nest. Do hope that they are able to successfully raise the little chicks. 

Back on the bike tomorrow.  

You wonder how a river kms wide can fit through such a small gap without causing a rapid.   But it is up to 84m deep here and just down the river there is the hydro dam and huge lock, which is how it is all controlled.  You can see one of the tunnels on the right. 

Day 21: Fri 17 Jun - Golubac to Donji Milanovac

 Ride 55km

Another fine day although we did have an early head wind which soon abated. 

A yummy cooked breakfast with French toast, sausages, cheese and tomato. They are starting to serve Turkish coffee now, I'd guess due to the Ottoman Empire influence, so I'm asking for Nescafe. Don't like drinking mud that much. Couldn't face these cooked breakfasts if I wasn't cycling all day. 

We had to ensure our head and tail lights were fitted this morning as we negotiated four unlit tunnels of about 250m. There was also a lot of little ones as we threaded own way between cliffs and the Danube.  The scenery was spoilt by a smoke-haze although it was still pretty impressive. There were a few hills but in the main they have used cuttings, tunnels and bridges to keep the road reasonably flat considering the terrain. We made fairly good time and were in the motel by 1300ish. The motel is perched on top of a large hill and our room has sweeping views of the Danube and across to Romania. A huge place with 100s of rooms. Two days here; rest day, beauty bottler!! 

Serbian river village view. his was just after we started our ride this morning.  The river is not the Danube but the Porecka, a tributary we had to cross.  We soon retuned to the Danube.

View of the Danube from our balcony

Day 20: Thu 16 Jun - Bela Crkva to a few kms past Golubac

 Ride: 63km

Woke to another fine sunny day. Except for one rainy day early in the trip we have been blessed with great weather.  

Breakfast was white bread with jam and the strongest coffee I've ever drank. Kept me awake for a week.  

10km into the ride saw us on a ferry across to the other side of the River and entered the area called The Danube Gorge. A cheeky 10% hill greeted us after leaving the ferry; however the rest of the day was idyllic riding through farming communities or along the riverside. Morning tea was taken at a holiday centre where it would appear the rich and famous rub shoulders. We had our coffees and quickly left. 

The Gorge is a beautiful part of the Danube where the river narrows from up to 8 km to about 150m. The river in the gorge is up to 82m deep, a world record for river depths. The cliffs in this area are up to 600m high.    

The area is also known as the Iron Gates, after a dam hydro plant built across the Danube between 1962 and 1974. Two huge locks each 310m long x 30m wide now raise and lower ships up to 5,000 tons displacement. 

Start of the Danube Gorge

Mum and dad off to town

The team at our B&B near Golubac, at the start of the Danube Gorge

    

Day 19: Wed 15 Jun - Belgrade to Bela Crkva

 Ride: 100km

Yesterday afternoon was spent wandering around the city of Belgrade; interesting and relaxing. Nice to walk for a change. The Serbs have certainly saved the best for their capital city. Great malls, clean and well set out. Lovely parks / gardens and some interesting architecture. It contrasts with the towns and cities we've seen up to now as they have been a bit ordinary. A fort we looked around dated back to the 15th century and was very impressive.  

Outside the capital however they do need to start a “Don't Rubbish Serbia” campaign as there is a heck of a lot of garbage around. One place we rode past on a back road was piled up to two feet high either side of the road. Another culvert had been converted into the local tip. Worst I've ever seen. Why do they do that to their own beautiful countryside I will never understand? 

An early start this morning saw us pulling away from the motel by 0700 in order to beat the morning rush hour.  We usually wait and have breakfast, about 0800, but they didn’t serve it here till 0900 so we skipped it altogether. The owner gave us a packed lunch instead, which consisted of a white bread roll with ham, tomato and cheese; better than nothing I suppose.  

The trip out of Belgrade can only be described as horrid! The roads and even the main bridge (one of the two NATO bombed during the war) were a mess. It was difficult to find our way due to the lack of signage and the chaos, it was just so busy. At one stage we found ourselves in a smooth deserted bus lane that I'm not sure we should have been in but it was welcome relief. However we made it ok and it was nice to finally be on some quiet country roads at about the 43 km mark. We cycle tour because we love it and nothing puts us off. The rat-race is quickly forgotten as we cruise along smooth, quiet country roads at 22 km/hr like a well drilled peloton. Slight tail wind just made the picture perfect again. An occasional feed of wild mulberries gave us an excuse to stretch the legs. 

I managed to get a front wheel puncture, fixed it with the liquid goo stuff but about 20 km up the road it went down again so I took the wheel off this time and changed the tube for a new one. I think we were very fortunate to only get one puncture in the group today considering the amount of glass lying around the street of Belgrade. Punctures are a part of cycling and they have never concerned me. And with the wheels I have on this folding bike it is very easy to remove and replace tyres. One thing that is a rarity in this country is public toilets. As we pulled into the hotel this arvo my tripmeter turned over to exactly 100.00 km; don't see that very often. In the end it was a relatively easy day despite the distance. 

The accommodation tonight is bungalows beside a small lake near the town. The locals are all swimming, diving and paddle boating etc but the water is less than 30 deg so I'm just sitting back reading or writing. The others went for a quick dip which must have been refreshing for them.

Dinner was taken at the restaurant overlooking the lake. Nice mixed grill, salad, a beer and a glass of red wine (for medicinal purposes only) cost $19.50.  The bungalow was A$14 per person.

Day 18: Tue 14 Jun - Beska to Belgrade (capital)

Ride: 70km

We were all looking forward to a shorter day. The combination of hills with heavy traffic yesterday seemed to take its toll, especially when the vehicles are large and / or fast and driven by mad Serbs.

However the sun is shining and the Danube is a picture this morning so all's goodly. 

Ouch; a 14% climb out of the Danube where the motel was located in order to rejoin the route. Not the ideal start for the day, but we all survived ok to face another day in the saddle. 

The ride today was mainly on quiet country roads through fairly unattractive villages and towns. Nothing worth stopping for, except the coffee so we headed for the capital. 

The last 15km into Belgrade was on a main road with unpleasant heavy traffic. To add to that the roads here are in a bad state of repair so you have to concentrate on not riding into a nasty pothole. We've decided that the road repair crews that are so common place back home are nonexistent here. In stark contrast to this on entering the outskirts of the city we were able to join a beautiful bike path / walking promenade which gave us lovely views over the Danube, dozens of floating restaurants and city. Our accommodation tonight is a old guest house type place, the front door of which opens onto a pedestrian restaurant street.  Not far to walk to find our tucker tonight.

Belgrade view across the Danube

Postcard type picture from Belgrade

Day 17: Mon 13 Jun - Ilok, Croatia to Beska, Serbia

 Ride: 80km

I am not sad about leaving Croatia. When the Croatian Border Guard said why you are going to this part of my country and not to the Adriatic Sea area, it might have been a hint. He said, “I do not like this part of Croatia at all.” However it has been interesting, the war damage the rundown villages and the vast areas of agriculture. And everyone goes to the Adriatic; the last thing I want is crowds of tourists. 

The place we stayed last night was a lovely privately run motel, very old but beautifully kept. We had dinner in their courtyard under a clear cool sky. A$10 for goulash, salad, a beer and a big bowl of pasta.  Kev and I couldn't get through the pasta it was so big, even with our cycling appetites.  

The border crossing on both sides again was painless. 

It's hills again today, but we are quickly getting so fit they don't rate, even 10%ers. Well I wrote that at lunch; one hill too soon, 6 km of pain was to follow. I'm very glad I didn't bring Wendy or Graham (pommy cycling mate) on this one I'd really be in hot water. The 6 km hill was followed soon after by more and more right to our hotel. It's the Sidro 5 km out of Beska right on the Danube. And because we need a twin room we happened to get the best room in the place with a balcony directly over the Danube. 

Stopped at Petrovaradin Museum & Fort for lunch. The site of a  battle in 1716 which involved our old mate Prince Eugene from Hungary. We stayed in his palace, at Rackeve in Hungary, it's a small world.    On this occasion he gave the Turks a hiding. War plagues this location because in 1999 NATO bombed two bridges that cross the Danube to Novi Sad to stop the Yugoslavs killing Albanians in Kosovo. Are these places ever going to see everlasting peace? 

We have noticed a change in the drivers' attitude towards cyclists. The Serbs are much less tolerant and don't give you anywhere near enough room when passing. Is that an indication of their aggression that has manifested itself in so many attacks on neighbours and even their own ethnic minorities. Or am I reading too much into this situation? There are definitely less bicycles around the further East we go. 

Restaurant in our hotel, overlooking the Danube and a new bridge under construction

View from our room balcony

Day 16: Sun 12 Jun - Osijek to Ilok (Croatia) 86 km

Ride: 86km

Poor old Osijek still shows the scars of the Balkans War. The centre of the city in particular must have been a real hot spot for the fighting. Even the cathedral copped it, with bullet and shrapnel holes still visible. 

Then each city we passed through during the day also had many bombed out buildings. Even more had bullet holes and shrapnel marks. Some must had been significant targets, maybe govt, as these were destroyed. One place, Vukovar, is directly across the Danube from Serbia so it must have received many artillery barrages as it is still quite damaged. Must have been hell to live through such a conflict. Back to more peaceful times.

Today was a bit hilly, max climb 8%, but not too onerous. The legs get a bit stronger and the fitness improves a little every day.  

Looks like just about everyone in Croatia has a relative living in Oz. As soon as they see Kev's flag and fluffy roo they say, "aaaah Australeeeee I got brother in Melbourne!!".  Or something similar. It's really the only time we get a reaction out of them. There must be so many cyclists along this route; they get a bit bored with them. 

Tomorrow is another border crossing, this time into Serbia. 

Just stopped for lunch at Vukovar that was a hot spot during the Serbian / Croation war. The damage from yet another senseless was is everywhere. Beautiful old buildings now in ruins.

The flowers add a nice touch to this bombed building in Vukovar

The famous bombed water tower at Vukovar

Day 15: Sat 11 Jun - Mohacs, Hungary to Osijek, Croatia

 Ride: 82km

20 km into the ride and we were at the border. It took a quick stamp on each side and we were through.  Didn't even need to get off our bikes. A five minute process. 

Unfortunately there were no roads or paths near the Danube for today's section so we headed away into the hills. The worst hill was only 6-7 % so no drama. However just up the road we hit a bit of a snag when the Croats decided to turn a paved bike path shown on the map into a road. They were in the process of laying the gravel so we had to walk for a couple of km over a rocky surface. We have to be careful ducking into the bushes for a wee here as there are a lot of old landmines still lying around. If parts of Hungary were a little depressed then what we've seen of Croatia so far that trend continues. Every village we passed had a few collapsed houses. Maybe just a sign of a shrinking population in the rural areas?

The rural theme also continue with 100,000s of acres under grain crops. And what beautiful crops they are, postcard perfect.   

Osijek is a very old city and everyone has destroyed and / or occupied it since 380AD. It's on the Drava River, 20 km upstream from the Danube. May have been worth an extra day here, but time marches on.

Day 14: Fri 10 Jun - Kalocsa to Mohacs

Ride: 85km

Well, I couldn't see a great deal of difference in my health or beauty this morning, although I did forget where I had placed my bike chain key. So all those minerals in the spar may have affected my memory.  Found the key in my jacket and then had a nice breakfast, which in Hungary consists of plenty of cold meats, cheeses, chopped tomatoes, yoghurt, eggs, pastries, bread (mainly white), a small tasty sausage and a token amount of cereal just to shut people like me up.  

Surprisingly for Europe the ride today was through some sparsely populated areas. We saw some wildlife; deer, hare, badger (dec) and plenty of birds. We were riding across the Danube from a large National Park. Unfortunately we hadn't factored it into our schedule so couldn't cross over to it. 

This arvo we hit some rough sections and my back tyre punctured, number two for the group this tour.   I was able to fix it with some puncture goo I'm carrying so wasn't a problem. However it damaged my tyre, so when I got to the motel I had to use my spare tyre. I can keep the punctured one as an emergency spare but the wall is damaged. Four of the others have the same size tyre as me so between us all we should be ok.  

While we were having lunch beside an offshoot canal in Baja a young lady walked past and saw our Aussie flag. We found out that she was www.Sandy-robson.com, an Aussie who is kayaking from Ulm, Germany to Cyrus on her own!! She is from Freemantle WA. All I can say she is gutsy considering the countries she is paddling through. 

Our motel tonight is Szent Janos Hotel right on the Danube and we got to it via a five minute ferry ride. But no wi-fi!!  

Mohacs is famous for a 1526 battle with the Turks (Ottoman) who had a force of 100,000 troops and gave 25,000 Hungarians a flogging. It was an important turning point in Central Europe and the beginning of the end of the Hungarian Kingdom. The Turks were eventually expelled from these lands about 150 years later. That's Europe for you, wars and changing borders.