Oltenita, Romania - July 30, 2019

I slept in this morning. The body needed it.

After eating in town, we didn’t leave Giurgiu until after the noon hour. Kelley found his tire flat at the restaurant, prompting a tube change before we set out.

Isaac sought out a bike shop in town, leaving while Kelley worked on his tire. He purchased his own pump as well as an extra patch kit and tube for me. I will be forever grateful. We all reconnected later in the day.

Leaving Giurgiu, there was a stretch of highway, bound for Bucharest, that presented a challenge. The shoulder was decent, but the feeling of big rig trucks rattling by is always a little jarring. I’ve never been able to completely get over that uneasy feeling when a "big boy" comes up from behind.

The cycling mellowed immediately after exiting the major thoroughfare. We had just a few minor climbs and the temperature wasn’t an issue. Fields of corn and sunflowers were the rule.

Again, we had to stop at little grocery stores for food and water. This is working okay, but I do miss having a nice midday meal. Maybe tomorrow...

Just ten kilometers out of town, Kelley’s front tire started going flat again. We stopped by the roadside while he changed the tube. A small metal shard was pulled from the rubber. After the work, the tire held.

Cycling into Oltenita, we navigated to a pension. They didn’t have any rooms on the premises, but after a broken conversation, and a call from the niece of the proprietor, we were led down the street to a building with several rooms. A host of men were staying in the building already.

To be honest, the accommodations were a little shabby, but considering the time of night, we paid for the beds and cycled to up the street for dinner.

On a trip like this, it’s important to be grateful for any service offered.

Note: There are no EuroVelo 6 signs in Romania. We’re using our maps and road signs exclusively and haven’t had a problem so far.

Giurgiu, Romania - July 29, 2019

This morning, we woke up to pouring rain, lightening and a superb breakfast at Edelweiss Guesthouse.

We cycled about twenty kilometers into Zimnicea. Taking it slow in the city, we tried to spot a barber shop. No luck.

On the way out of town, a man caught my attention asking if he could help (he probably noticed us going in circles). I asked about a barber, and he led us directly to an out-of-the-way shop. On the way, he offered a cigarette and promised to feed us at his place later in the day. We gracefully refused both, but thanked him for the gesture.

It would have been nice to take him up on the meal, but we had sixty kilometers to go to Giurgiu, the most likely place for our evening accommodation.

With flat roads, cloud cover and the fresh smell that rain brings, the cycling was easy today. We couldn’t find a restaurant in the small towns we passed through, so we bought food items at a grocery store and ate them in the parking lot.

The Romanian people are so giving. One older woman flagged me down while I was cycling past to offer plums from her tree. I couldn’t refuse. Sweet!

We pulled into Giurgiu at around six o’clock and Googled places to stay. Our first choice was Pensiune Perla. At first, they looked closed, but a woman came out and promptly showed us a room with interesting decor. We took it.

Dinner was had at Restaurant La Gigi. We were the only patrons there.

The beds at Pensiune Perla were hard, but quite comfortable. This was probably due to the eighty kilometers we cycled today.

Suhaia, Romania - July 28, 2019

Romania! We begin the final summer chapter...

Our morning started with a nice breakfast at Gold Hotel. We were the only people in the dining room.

After inquiring about the ferry times to Romania, the receptionist indicated that the boat ran when cars filled the lot. That being said, we coasted down the hill to get in line.

We waited for about an hour in the ferry holding lane. Isaac patched a tube and Kelley and I went to a small grocery store for food for all of us. We went through border security on both sides of the river, paying just 1.5€ to cross.

Once on the Romanian side, we changed out currency for Lue, grabbed a few groceries and hit the road.

The wind was welcome today, cooling the temperatures but slowing us down a touch. Isaac’s rear tire had a slow leak, prompting several stops to inflate it. This issue set the stage for an interesting encounter later in the afternoon.

In Lisa, a large group of men slowly gathered after Isaac removed his tire from the wheel rim. Three men took over, bringing a patch kit and pump. Several of us inspected the inner and outer parts of the tire, looking for the foreign object. Two men patched his existing tube, seated the tire on the rim and aired it. They then tested the entire wheel in water to see if it was leaking. Before leaving, we bought the guys a couple of beers and a Coke.

The Romanian people are so very thoughtful.

In the town of Suhaia, Kelley noticed the Edelweiss Guesthouse for travelers. It was after six o’clock and we decided to stay the night. This turned out to be an amazing experience. The brother of the owner gave us the basic history of Romania while we were served a traditional tomato soup and grilled meat. Current and past politics were discussed.

We celebrated his forty-fourth birthday with a little champagne. A French cycling couple joined us. They had been all through South America on their bicycles and, I could tell, were full of life. Fresh cut watermelon was offered as a desert.

Could we have asked for a more interesting, and enlightening, first day in Romania?

Nikopol, Bulgaria - July 27, 2019

There was heat in Bulgaria today, but we were patient with it, cycling 65 kilometers.

We ate the extra food that we all were carrying for breakfast with the intention of stopping in a small town for a bite.

Our maps indicated that there would be food in the town of Dabovan, less than twenty kilometers away. It was easy to set our sights on it.

Bulgaria is a very lightly populated country. The towns close to the river are quite small. Populations must have decreased in recent years as many homes and businesses are unoccupied.

At times, it feels a little like the third world. The horse and the ass are still legitimate transportation here. There’s a kit which converts a rototiller into a small transport vehicle, a simple solution.

Cycling into Dabovan, we were unable to locate a store or restaurant in operation. I was out of water, and there was a long stretch ahead. When in doubt, throw yourself on the children.

I met a group of middle-school-age people in the town center, and indicated that I needed water. The group was quick to lead me over to a gap in a fence that allowed access to a backyard water spigot. Kelley and I slipped through and filled up (Isaac already had the water that he need for the next stretch).

The teens confirmed that there was no food to be had in the town. We would have to cycle 14 kilometers up the road. No problem. We thanked them for the water and the well wishes. One girl offered a cigarette. They seemed astonished that we were from America.

Bicycling into Nikopol before five o’clock was nice. We quickly found "Gold Hotel" just up the hill. We acquired a room for three (15€ including breakfast). With no one in the place, it felt a little like "The Shining".

After a shower and a two-hour nap, dinner was had in the hotel restaurant.

Nikopol is a border town. We’ll pass through security and take a ferry into Romania in the morning.

Baykal, Bulgaria - July 26, 2019

There’s nothing like waking up to a Guest House Zora breakfast - plenty of food, and delicious. The service was top.

Glancing at the television set, we were introduced to Bulgarian folk music. The fancy outfits and nature backdrops caught my attention. One man played a lively fiddle. I wish we had instruments.

Before leaving, our hostess called ahead to Baikal, reserving a place to stay for the evening. It has been difficult finding accommodations, so this was greatly appreciated.

Having promised Rusiyan a visit, we stopped by his work prior to leaving the town. We chatted with a group over coffee. He and his colleagues were employed by the state to monitor the environmental impact of the nearby nuclear plant (the only one in Bulgaria, providing 33% of the country’s power).

What job could be more important?

It was fantastic that the men took time out of their day to speak with us. We had some laughs and took photos. Bug spray was provided. I won’t forget them.

We cycled consistently for over ninety kilometers. Several hills were encountered along the route, fostering an esprit de corps.

Lately, I’ve been playing a drinking game with the heat. I keep losing.

We entered Baykal at dusk. Not having the address of the place we were staying, we stopped by a restaurant by the river. As luck would have it, the proprietor was waiting for us. We were offered beds in a small house (10€ each). Dinner was enjoyed back at the restaurant. Delicious!

After covering over 200 kilometers the last two days, we hope to have a lighter cycle tomorrow.

Side note: We had a discussion today about bicycling for a cause. Healthcare for all in the United States?