Yes! There is a road to Istanbul! I arrived at sunset at the banks of the Bosphorus - the end of the Road. It has been a perfect ride and an unforgettable journey - memories to cherish for the rest of my life. I feel quite speechless now.
It's the end of the Road but I ain't going home! Not yet. The next two days I will stay in Istanbul. Glad to be here at my WS-host Leyla! And after that? I will go home but I will take a long way - new ideas popped up today... I keep you posted! Holly Molly, I made it to Turkey! Elhovo in Bulgaria close to the border to Saray; another 182 km. The heat took a day off - only 25 degrees and not too much sun.
Turkey has something, something different, among other things a joyfull vibe and a sense of sweet anarchy. All the way through the continent I never saw so many smiles as I saw today. It's contagious. I eagerly waved back to the people and I couldn't resist to cheer Istanbul, Istanbul! Tomorrow I will be there before the day is gone. I gonna ride with a smile. It has been an incredible journey. Sleep tight! Veliko Tarnovo - Elhovo: 181 km. I crossed Bulgaria from north to south through the Balkan Mountains. A true discovery! In terms of nature beauty Bulgaria took me by surprise, definetely! A cyclists paradise, I might say.
As for what concerns other impressions, Bulgaria did't score. The country seems way behind the rest of Europe, including Romania. Lots of villages look quite impoverished, a considerable amount of houses in a rather dilapidated state. Same counts for industrial buildings - most of them in ruins. Also in the cities I didn't see any substantial signs of growing prosperity. Whereas in Romania lots of city centers got a 21st century makeover in the last years and urban periphery is rapidly expanding with both residential, industrial and commercial zones, so far I didn't notice these signs of the arrival of a new middle class in Bulgaria. I mainly felt stagnation and even decline. One positive exception: the country seems to embrace renewable energy, as I saw different solar parks along the way. Of course, my impression is only based on 300 km of cycling - though I'm wondering if they make any sense. Should check some data for verification! Turkey tomorrow! After more than a week in Romania, Bulgaria was calling! Today longest ride so far and another great one: Bucharest - Veliko Tarnovo 218 km with some tough climbs near the end. Left in Bucharest at 6.30 in the morning, arrived in this nice guesthouse 11 hours later - very satisfied but pretty tired after a hot and windy day.
The historical city of Veliko Tarnovo - a tourist hotspot - is one of those few places along the way where I could stay half a day or so to explore it a little more. Like a tourist! Tourists are going to see what's around the corner. But I am a cyclist. Cyclists are going to see what's at the end of road. Three days and I am at the Gate to Asia! Three days in Bucharest: very relaxing - way much better than I had expected actually. Yesterday and today I cycled - or better: I cruised around the city for quite a while. I really enjoyed it - somehow i felt very at ease once again. No speeding or anything, just smoothly strolling down the avenues - that's all I needed...
I also prepared the final leg of the Road to Istanbul. All I have to do is ride my bike now and that's the way I want it. Bulgaria tomorrow! In four days and about 750 km I am at the Bosphorus! Not much to tell today... First of three days in Bucharest - preparing the next chapter of the Road to Istanbul, doing some random stuff (zakelijke papieren en zo), meeting some old friends and visiting some places I used to know. At first sight, Bucharest looks better than I had feared and in a certain sense even got rid of some of its roughness. Yes, the amount of cars has considerably increased - but its not the complete inferno already. Not yet. Brussels is worse!
Leaving for Istanbul on Saterday morning... I will keep you posted! I made it to Bucharest! 171 km from Aldeni. Hot, Hotter, Hottest with temperatures rising up to 35 and almost no wind. After another stop in Buzau, all the way there was little or nothing to see, just plains, sometimes even with barely any trees and some dusty villages from time to time. But I had Bucharest on my mind anyway. Arriving on Piata Unirii and riding down the Bulevard towards the Parliament Palace... I have been dreaming of that for quite a while, you know!
Vara la tara! Rest day #3. In the morning I stayed home with Ducu in Buzau. In the early afternoon I got back on the bike to the village of Aldeni - 20 km away - to meet with Rica and Tataie (or: grandfather). Really, it was nice to see Tataie in such a good health at the fairly young age of 91. He didnt change a bit after all those years, including the grinning stories about how he was walking with the girls in Cismigiu Park in Bucharest in the early 1940ies.
After a late lunch under the grapevines I wanted to go to Bisoca - a village nearby up in the mountains. In 2004 I spent three weeks in the village volunteering in the holyday youth center - then my second stay in the country, many followed afterwards. I am wondering if the village changed to the same extent as i had experienced in the rest of the country. I checked google streetview before and erroneously concluded that the road was ok. In the end Bisoca - at least the Campus- turned out to be a couple of km too far. The road was the worst (and actually the only bad one) I got in Romania - with a lot of unpaved streches. So I called it a day and turned back down to Aldeni in order to be there before dark. Anyway, I have to go back to Bisoca! One day, sooner or later! Brasov - Buzau today: 177 km of roads through the Subcarpathians. Some very nice climbs - always good to feel alive. So yes, I am still more than all right, and no, I dont have enough of cycling already. Lust for life!
Tomorrow I stay one more day in Buzau and around - for old time's sake. Good to be back here...! |
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