Day 1,415

Salut România

We enjoyed our night at the hostel in Negotin so much that we decided to ask Bojan, the owner, if we could book another night. Unfortunately our mini-apartment was booked, but he offered us the tent he has permanently set up in the garden for free. We took him up on his kind offer and moved our kit over in the morning and prepared for a lazy day. Bojan kept appearing with coffee and food. A friend of his from Austria was there too and we chatted away, learning so much about life in Vienna, especially the school system where he works. Bojan asked us if we would like to have a day out with him and his friend, and as we had nothing to do but laze the day away this seemed like a plan. 

So it was back in a car for the first time in a while, and we drove off to see a bit more of Serbia. The road had recently been resurfaced so it was great to drive upon, but apart from us no one seemed to be out. Bojan explained that it's always like this. We slowly climbed up into the hills until we arrived at a small group of buildings that had in the past been where villages made and stored wine. Bojan and his wife had bought a near-derelict one and created a fantastic summer house for themselves so they could escape the heat in the valley below. Naturally Bojan had brought wine and with some friends we celebrated May Day by drinking a glass or two. 

Just above us was the village itself. This area is attracting many other nationalities, properties are super cheap, and Bojan pointed out various buildings now renovated and lived in by ‘incomers’. Some were digital nomads but a French couple have developed a winery business creating jobs and bringing life back to this remote village. We went into one of the wineries and after a taste or two bought some wine to take and drink at the hostel with whoever arrived later today. The village was a buzz of activity as groups gathered to celebrate the Bank Holiday. Large tables were set up outside and dozens of groups were sat eating and drinking, a bit like Christmas Dinner, but in the sun! We didn't linger as Bojan's wife rang to say more cyclists had arrived and a chap called John, a hiker from the UK. We headed back to the party.

All good things must come to an end though. The following morning Tom and I tore ourselves away. The rest of the gang had decided to stay another night, obviously! We were on a mission though, three countries in one day! Not as hard work as it sounds. Back on the road we drove on yesterday and we were soon leaving Serbia, we'd been worried as our passports hadn't been stamped when we entered, but no issues we got an exit stamp and we were back in the EU, in Bulgaria, but only for a hour or so as we headed straight for Romania over a very smart bridge. Though not fully in the EU, from January this year there is no requirement to go through customs as Romania is part of Schengen. The bike lane just ended in the middle of a line of trucks which appeared to be going through border control. Not sure what to do, we spotted an official who simply asked, ‘Romania?’ and pointed us on our way. 

It was another glorious day, clear skies, hotter than usual for this time of year. We've gotten used to that now, but each day is getting warmer. In Romania the temperatures were mid to high 30s with very little shade. The storks, perched high above us, now feeding their young, seemed blissfully unaware of the heat. As we cycled on, away from the border the style of buildings changed, with many abandoned Soviet factories and tower blocks.

Former ‘glory’

The villages we rode through seemed to go on forever, an endless line of houses, before finally mile after mile of farmed fields. We encountered a fair few wild dogs but the heat was making them pretty lethargic. Most of the villages had wells along the street and water pumps, clearly many still in daily use. It reminded us a lot of South America. 

We passed a massive statue, ‘The Independence Monument at Silistoara’, commemorating the crossing of the Danube by Romanian forces during their battle for independence in 1877. Built in 1985, unveiled by the then President of Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu. I don't think Romania will be unveiling any in his memory though.

The Independence Monument at Silistoara

The further we rode into Romania we saw fewer abandoned houses and generally the villages seemed less run down, a bit more prosperous. The heat, mosquitoes, endless miles through farmland were taking their toll, so Tom and I decided on a day off the bike and time to update the blog, naturally! Our Airbnb turned out to be on the 7th floor of one of those semi-derelict soviet style tower blocks. Tom opted to carry the bikes up rather than try and manoeuvre them into the tiny lift. I braved the lift with our pannier bags and I'll be honest, I may just carry them down the 7 flights. Still it's an experience as they say!

Our apartment on the 7th floor - can you spot the washing drying?

That’s a lot of stairs to carry two bikes up!