BUCHAREST TO THE BLACK SEA

DATE:  August 8


LOCATION:  Varna, Bulgaria (on the Black Sea coast). 

WEATHER:  Hot and sunny.  Temperatures continue in the 35 degree range and reach over 40 in the sun.  I am sure it will get cooler sometime but I don't know when.  No rain since an overnight rain in Bucharest.


ROADS AND TERRAIN:  The hills started in earnest once we reached Bulgaria.  Initially they were short and about 6%.  Gradually the hills got longer but, unlike our experience in Romania where an initial long uphill got us to the top of a plateau, the Bulgarian hills kept coming one after another.  I cannot remember the last time I was so exhausted!  Fortunately, Varna is a pleasant seaside town and we have taken a few days off to rest.  My understanding that the hills get worse between here and Turkey.

Bucharest has some lovely old buildings and some beautiful sections.  Much of the city, though, is very dilapidated in in great need of repair.  Along with the physical problems of the city, the poverty in some areas was very evident.  Some of the saddest sights were children sleeping in the streets.

During our time in Bucharest, we took a tour with one of the local hostels to Dracula's Castle at Bran in Transylvania.  We also visited the former king's palace at Sinaia.

REPORT:  We have cycled 1,850 kilometres since our start at the Vienna airport, travelled through 7 countries with 7 different languages and 7 different currencies.  We have also experienced two different alphabets - ciryllic in Serbia and Bulgaria and our own Roman alphabet.

These kids were from France and were staying at our hostel in Budapest.  The baloons were a big hit.

In some cities we have had difficulty finding accommodation.  Each time something happens or someone comes along to give us a helping hand.  George, seen here with his wife and Joe, was one such  helpful person.

We met these two lovely ladies outside a church in Bucharest.  They were very friendly, so much so that the lady on the left told me she loved me.

Competition for space on the Bulgarian roads is fierce.

We made it to the Black Sea and had our long-awaited game of frisbee.

This is one of the beaches at Varna, on the Black Sea.  It is a major tourist destination for people from all over Europe.  The water is warm and the beaches are crowded, at least most of them.  Fortunately, Joe and I were able to find a much less crowded beach for our game of frisbee.