Day 1,418

Abandoned

So it was goodbye to country number 27 and back to number 26. We had ridden through Bulgaria for a couple of hours on our way into Romania. Now we would have time to explore it a bit more. We knew to expect a bit more traffic and a fair few hills but we would be rewarded with a more interesting landscape, and we got all three! 

First though we had our 30th boat ride of the trip to get back across the Danube. From reading reviews we'd picked up that the ferry rarely runs to schedule. We arrived just before 2pm and were told it was due to leave at 2.30pm, probably, well within the hour most likely and if not, definitely today. It was more of a barge than a ferry, we parked up our bikes and sat on a bench and gazed enviously at the only other passenger, a lorry driver, sitting hiding from the fierce sun beneath his vehicle. I remembered we'd been carrying a melon for several days, no idea why, but clearly this was the perfect time to eat it. Far too big for two, so we shared it with our fellow passengers now totalling two. Despite the warnings of delay we set sail at 2.30pm and minutes later we arrived in Svishtov. We dumped our bikes in our hostel for the night and went to explore the town. 

During Roman times it was known as Novae. It was the base for a Roman Garrison for many centuries. We explored the remains of the fort situated just above the present port. Work is clearly ongoing to preserve the Roman heritage and create a pleasant area to relax and explore. Though clearly a working building site, we were able to wander freely. 

The position of the town has meant it has been involved in many important events of Bulgaria's history. The town was caught up in the Russo-Turkish wars of the 19th century and tragically on 27 September 1810, when the Russians retreated, the town was burnt to the ground and all the inhabitants fled over the Danube into modern day Romania.  

The people of Svishtov were hardy folk and various well off citizens returned and donated money to rebuild the town. They are commemorated with statues in the town's park. All around are the imposing buildings they helped create, mixed in with some less artistically  attractive Soviet style buildings from when the Russians popped back, clearly feeling guilty for burning it down in the first place. The whole town has an aura of faded grandeur,  sprinkled in with a bit of hope. New beautiful statues are being placed in the parks. We loved the one of a pair of hands with doves resting on them, ‘The Donors' Monument’ built to honour the work of all donors who contributed to the successful development of the city. There is an inscription on the monument that reads "To the heartfelt donors from grateful Svishtov residents". 

The Donors' Monument

The following day it was an early start, we were heading towards something big, something Tom was very excited about seeing, the main reason for us being in this part of Bulgaria, we just had to get there. The anticipation was building. The route, as promised, proved to be very attractive. Tom had managed to find a much quieter way than expected. Wild flowers grew alongside the road. We stopped to visit one of the many cave churches built into the hillside during the 13th and 14th centuries. Though small, it was a peaceful cool place, overlooking the valley below and clearly still in regular use. 

At the end of the day we rode up into the hills to a small village, Voditsa. We had the offer of a bed for the night and were keen to learn about life here. Our host was Kathy, originally from Newcastle, she emigrated here in 2006. Property was cheap and she was ready for a new challenge, and settled her with her daughter, making a life for them both. The village though, like so many rural villages we have cycled through on our journey is struggling to survive. The population today is around 370, forty years ago it was over 4,000. The younger generation wants to escape from the harsh life working in the fields, and the lure of a more  modern lifestyle in the cities draws them away. In Bulgaria it's worse than many countries as they tend to emigrate. In the last 10 years the population of the country has fallen by a million, down from 7 to just 6, and the trend continues. Sat relaxing in Kathy's outside kitchen, eating locally sourced food, warmed by the evening sun it was hard to think of anywhere better to be. With it now being part of Schengen maybe the trend will be reversed.  

We though, had to leave as our big attraction was nearing. We could make it in one day, 61 miles, a strong headwind and a fair few hills, but doable. Tom was up for it, but for some reason I just wasn't in the mood. We reached a big town and, like a mirage before me, I spotted a Costa coffee shop. This was what I wanted, to sit in the sun, drink coffee, and not do much else. We chatted it over and decided to split the ride into two and after just over 30 miles we took a rest. We blew the budget on a hotel, and had a big meal out. At a cost of £70 for both, it blew our daily budget. I just needed a bit of a treat. The town of Targovishte was quite interesting though, especially the abandoned ‘Jurassic Park’ play area.

The remembrance statue in Targovishte, a ‘warm up’ for tomorrow!?

We were up and away early, my mood restored. Tom was like a kid at Christmas, today we would make it! 5 miles of main road, but with little traffic, then off onto smaller roads heading up into the hills. Tom had worked hard to find an interesting route, which involved cycling up a mountain on an abandoned road. I had vetoed his first option of a dirt track due to the amount of rain of late. Well it was just perfect. In two hours we saw about four cars, and we were able to relax as we rode gradually uphill through a narrow corridor of trees, just perfect. 

Gotta love an abandoned road!

Then we were there. Our much anticipated destination. High in the hills, after days of riding we had our very heavy reward. Our next post reveals all!