And the secret of our success

Friction free thighs and bottom guaranteed!

The Black Sea 2810 miles

We made it! Nine weeks to the day.
Seems a bit strange not having to get up and cycle tomorrow but we have 3 or 4 nights here then a train to Bucharest for a flight to Dublin on Saturday night. Apparently we have to bribe the train guard to get the bikes on!
So....the Black Sea blue and the Danube was kind of browney gray....perhaps all the blue washed into the sea!
The bikes did well with no breakages or adjustments needed despite the endless off road, bumpy tracks and cobbles. Just the one assault by thorns that no tyre could have withstood.
Only one accident when i was squished by a fat German lady and no problem with Romanian dogs, as I seemed to frighten them more than they did me!!
And the weather....one and a half days of heavy showers, the rest was sunny and after France baking hot..
30c plus every day.

The picture of the marina is from our hotel balcony.....

And now for a celebratory drink (or two).

A sting in the tail!

The penultimate day saw us re cross the border in Romania for the last time....to be immediately faced by miles of cobbles...then hills and cobbles! Overall I'd guess at about 7 miles of them but they sure slow you down especially on the ups!
This south side of the Danube seems to be a more prosperous region and has endless vineyards on the hills.
Stopped over in a small village called Negureni at a basic but clean pension.
Our last 53 miles to Constanta was rolling hills again...the first half good cycling but slow then steadily getting busier so the last 10 miles were on a fast four lane highway with no shoulder...seemed to go on forever!

Tutrakan then Silistra.

Last night we stayed in a nice guest house restaurant in Tutraken which is apparently an ancient city with a historic preserved fisherman's quarter.....just looked a bit of a mess to me but maybe the Bulgariens view of a 'tourist town' is different to mine. Apparently 5000 fishermen and 100 boats used to work there and export to Vienna and Istanbul.
Today's ride crossed a range of hills, often in tracks and through some fascinating villages withe the locals involved in their maize drying and livestock tending.
Tonight Silistra where I lost count of mobile phone shops and ATM's...what a contrast.
Only about 100 miles left now so we should be swimming in the Black Sea on Sunday....how on earth will we fill our days then?

Dogs and amazing thorns!

Today has been a deserved rest in the Bulgarian city of Ruse. A pleasant place with an Austrian influence in its architecture. Its actually called little Vienna but the more austere Communist era buildings have their influence too. Like most cities, outside of the touristy centre its a mess (in my eyes anyway).
The previous two days were pushing into a fresh to strong headwind with long stretches over the plain interrupted by similar looking poor villages with their wells and horse drawn carts....Ruse feels a little incongruous given the poverty of the villages surrounding it!
Chased by two sets of dogs, hackles up and teeth bared...on both occasions I jumped of the bike looked as big as I could and growled back twice as ferociously....seemed to frighten the life out of the dogs who turned tail and ran :-)
Puncture. Even our excellent Marathon Supremes couldn't withstand the Romanian thorn assault. I was in the no mans land between Romania and Bulgaria and the front went flat....it resembled a cocktail orange with over 30 thorns firmly embedded!!! A border guard came to ask why we had stopped in such a strange place...then kindly helped. Believe me it took a long time to get all those out.
English thorns are for kids :-D

Over 2500 miles done....

With about 300 left.
Based on Carols pre trip research we are already 200 miles out into the Black Sea....
I'll say no more!!!

Vidin to Romania then back to Bulgaria then Romania

Decided to take the Romanian side of the Danube as its pretty well flat unlike Bulgaria which is one hill after another. So....another ferry for us alongside all the lorries.
Romania was obviously even poorer than Bulgaria, quite medieval in fact with every fourth vehicle being a horse and cart!
Most people have been really friendly with smiles and waves as we pass and the kids running over to high five :-)
The village we were heading for (Bechet) ended up having no accommodation, the next being 30 miles further (already having done 68m) so we decided to cross back to Bulgaria...just another 2 miles but with a sharp hill to the village. The ferry is again largely used by lorries and the weight meant it took about half an hour to get the bows off the bottom!!!
After 70 hot miles with a headwind the evening beers went down easily
Today back across the Danube and just 30 miles to Corabia and a half reasonable but overpriced hotel by the river.
Each days mileage is now very much controlled by the availability of somewhere to stay.
Surprisingly we have had no trouble with wild dogs here....yet, and they do have a really bad reputation. We are armed with stones and in case of serious attack pepper spray but it would be nice to be binning those unused before we set off home.
Note the handy toilet arrangement ....presumably designed for speed and efficiency..one can sit on the toilet whilst cleaning the teeth :-D

Thursday Negotin today Bulgaria

The cost of accommodation has settled at about 30 to 40 euros for an ensuite room for two with breakfast so the decision to post the camping gear home is well justified. Amazingly our 10k parcel took just 3 days to arrive with Ian in Chester....and I wasn't even sure it was air mail....fantastic so if you ever need a heavy parcel to get somewhere quick...fly to a remote Hungarian village to post it!
Tonight we are in Vidin. The change at the Serb border was dramatic, the town being significantly poorer looking and post communist in architecture.
Riding into Vidin was through row after row of high rise flats each with its large number painted on the side...a little soulless to say the least. The place is a bit of a culture shock for Europe...
Looks like just a couple more days of 31c then a more sensible drop to mid 20's ....bliss

Iron Gates

Another day of blistering heat, but reasonable quality roads. At this point the Danube becomes only 100 Mtr wide but 90 Mtr deep!
Now at a cheapish motel in a small village called Tekija...seems to be be just full of drinkers wanting alcohol bought for them....great and not very relaxing!

To the Iron Gates

Leaving Belgrade was the normal city challange but after crossing the Danube a right turn took us a few miles along a roughish dyke top....OK in the dry. The rest of the day was smooth fairly quiet main roads only punctuated by Carol succumbing to the heat and needing an emergency cafe stop and cold water head refreshment....well it must have been a shadeless 34c so its not too surprising. Covered 61m the last 5k of which on a bumpy canalside made more interesting by passing a few feet away from a guy having a crap in the open!
Stopped over at a Guesthouse to await the 0800 ferry accross the river...no push slipways here...just shovel some gravel so the cars don't bottom out when they drive on!
This afternoon started through the Iron Gates the border between Romania and Serbia and the divide between the Carpathian Mountains and Balkan Peninsula. Scenic pleasant riding....the first for a week

Tomorrow we'll continue through the gorges...and the 21 tunnels!!!!

Clive....I'm not sure this is about stamina..more a futile attempt to get fit enough to keep up with you, Martin and Ivan! I think it may be easier just to blame my bike in future!

Belgrade

After a night in a basic but clean room in Beska we made it to Belgrade after another day if narrow fast main roads, so a day just concentrating on staying alive....and yes this is all EV6, and they don't mention that in their pleasant descriptions!
Belgrade is nice. A lively bustling city with a thriving street cafe culture. The average age of the people here seems to be about 30 so of course I feel very much at home :-)
Staying at the Moskva hotel, a lovely art deco building that has been immaculately updated.....even has large fountains on the landings. Apparently the only hotel outside Russia to be able to use the name.
Weather for the next few days is forecast for up to 35c...phew!! We could do with some cool.
Tomorrow heading towards the Iron Gates.

Serbia

Another day of busy roads, rough tracks and very tough tracks made for hard going at times! Serbs seem very friendly an example of which was the girl in our pizza lunch stop sharing her chocolate, knocking money off the bill an insisting on washing and filling our water bottles.
Last night in Beska (a small village) was £11 each for a clean on suite room and an excellent meal with drinks £5. Half a litre of good. Bottled lager £0.74. Not bad eh?
Today heading for Belgrade...

Martin you are right hill are supposed to be less than 6% and the roads less than 1000 vehicles a day but I think they must think its 1000 an hour!

Marie Joe yes I mixed up the distance we have covered 2150 m now.

Picture is of the Austrian fort at Novice Sad built to keep the Turks at bay.

Croatia

First day in Croatia was excellent cycling on quiet roads to Osijek a university town with a pleasant old quarter in side some walls. A good guesthouse and a tasty traditional spicy river fish stew with a bowl of noodles made for a good night.
Thursday was rather less successful with a 50 mile trip on busy main roads and ending with a few 10% hills...had to be done but not pleasant cycling.
Unfortunate the lasting effects of their war with Serbia are all too apparent with bullet holes still maring many buildings and houses...
With a bit of luck once they both join the EU such things wont be repeated.
Our hotel on the Danube is more peaceful as the picture shows!

Tomorrow over the bridge to Serbia...we reckon we have about 760 miles left which is pretty good as Carol told me the whole ride was 2300 miles...and we've already done 1050!!!

2000 miles

Last night was at a small village Fajsz in a small one bedroom and kitchen 'tourist hotel' ...had to phone the number on the gate and edit for the proprietor to arrive...difficult as she didn't speak a word of English!
We decided that on this leg of the trip camping was unlikely as sites are few and far between and the cheap price of pension's (we're told as little as £2 each with breakfast) that we'd post most of the gear home. A trip to the local Co op you scrounge a big enough box, string and sticky tape then to the post office with a 10 kilo parcel..£30 so not too bad if we ever see it again of course! ......and now my bike feels like a greyhound! (Well a dachshund anyway).
Bumped into the first few tourists in a few days...the nice thing about touring a little out of the way is that everyone stops for a chat and to swap notes...was the same in Norway and Sweden last spring. We met a nice guy called Nick Thorpe the Budapest BBC correspondent who was riding ad part of his book research on the people of the Danube.
Tonight in a pleasant guest house in Mohacs ....tomorrow Croatia.

Choices choices

Mmmm what's it to be? The very tempting tripe and brains or the gourmet gizzard stew?

Spoilt for choice!

Hot and Bumpy!

Leaving Budapest was fairly straightforward for a big city, made easier by a seemingly relaxed attitude to Cycling on the pavement and the wrong way up one way streets! Hit the usual urban sprawl and endless high rise flats, main potholes roads and HEAT....about 32c of it for most of the day.
Coveted 60 tough miles into a fresh headwind and lots of bumpy off-road along dykes the worst of which is in the picture....good job it was dry.

Hi Martin...yed this section is going to be a bit of an adventure I think, as the route finding is tricky and often takes terrible surfaces...the optional main roads are a bit of a worry with the fast driving!

Budapest

After a day of rough roads, paths and fast main roads crossed the Donau by ferry and picked up some reasonable dedicated cycle tracks.
Arrived Budapest about 1830hrs and headed for a hotel in an old river cruise boat....not bad at all at €50 each for two nights and a good breakfast thrown in.
I guess I must be city phobic as one day does it for me before the noise dirt and frenetic activity has me desperate to get out! Yes I know I'm a Philistine and everyone raves about Budapest and its got a few nice buildings but its not a pamtch on Vienna, especially for cyclists.
Tomorrow we head south for a couple of days before reaching Serbia and Croatia.
And now we have maps again!! The last lot ran out at Basel!

Hungary

<p>After a short ride in Slovakia on excellent paths and roads we crossed the border into Hungary...more of a deserted weedy car park really. Moved in to a lovely town called Gyor...chic and touristy but very pleasant. Leaving today was less good...difficult to pick up the route, and through dilapidated industrial sites.<br>
That set the flavour for the day...rough sandy tracks, bumpy concrete block cycle paths and a not always easy to follow route. Plenty of busy main roads too with lorries thundering past at full speed, although fortunately all give cyclists a wide berth.The scenary was kind of interesting and a complete contrast to the beauty of France Germany and Austria. I guess that's cycle touring...no just seeing the nice tourist town centres but some reality thrown in too!<br>
Hello to Dave and Genevieve great to hear from you, it would be good to have your email address so we can keep in touch. Re the 700*28 tyres yes I think you'd get by but I'm on 35mm and that feels about right as things are rough at times and the heavy camping gear needs a bit of cushioning.
Tomorrow Budapest.

Vienna and Bratislava

Yesterday a short 30 mile ride to Vienna which is an amazingly cycle friendly city with dedicated lanes on most roads and a circular route taking in the main sights. Stayed over for the night and did a walking tour......very impressive and beautiful buildings but needs a little more time than we have to spare. Like most capitals its a haven for the rich and beautiful (and I'm not rich!).
Today rode east from the city and across the Slovak border (we'd been expecting guards and guns following our guide description but only saw a car park with weeds!!).
Headed east from Bratislava for miles and miles on a smooth dyke top and spending the night at Cunovo.
The picture is close to the Austrian border and the first glimpse of Slovakia and Bratislava!

High Street Vending Machines

France.      Condoms

Germany.  Cigarettes

Austria.      Inner Tubes!!!

Ferry

Friday saw us catching the 0900 cruise ferry to Linz, and very nice it was too with most of the lower deck being an expensive looking restaurant. The views from the top deck were fantastic as the river wound its way through a range of steep sided wooded hills...hot though at about 36 but an easier alternative to cycling in that temperature. At just over £20 each for the 5 he trip it was great value too.

Linz has an attractive city centre and was worth a look before cycling a few k east to it's campsite. Like Germany the Austrian sites are reasonable but not a patch on France in frequency or quality.

SATURDAY

Big change in weather today...cloudy and cool with torrential rain, wind and thunderstorms in the evening. Stopped in a small town called Ybbs on the side of the Danube. Zimmer for £21 each including breakfast and glad not to be camping in all that rain. Cycle facilities, tracks, signs and motorists don't seem anything like as good as Germany.

Its to be seen if our plastic money is accepted in Austria....many places in Germany refuse anything with Visa or MasterCard on it even debit or pre topped up Euro cards....so a pocket full of cash is essential! France was easy and was happy to relieve us of our cash by any means possible :-)

Germany...Passau

The picture is of the main square in Kelheim where they host one of the largest beer festivals in Europe each August. Apparently upwards of 35000 people pack in to enjoy a few pints....imagine that in Chester!
Over 1400 miles done, 62 today has brought us to Passau a city on the Austrian border...the boat trips are not to be missed so we intend to cruise to Linz, a 5hr trip...is that cheating?
Impressions of Bavaria have been extremely positive...probably the friendliest people I've come across in Europe, good beer and good quality accommodation and food for about 85 euros for 2 people (with a couple of pints each).
The cycle network, signage and motorist awareness and respect are second to none so overall Cycling here has been an enjoyable experience (I suspect their politicians and planners must have visited Chester Cycling Demonstration Town for inspiration!!!)

Austria next......

Regensburg and soy sauce!

Two nights and a rest day on a poor and mosquito infested campsite meant we were keen to move on! The previous night was at a Zimmer b & b type room in a small village...spotless and excellent breakfast for €24 each. Good food, beer and friendly locals at the village beer garden.
So...when your only German words are two large beers how do you explain 'no its nothing nasty on the sheets its soy sauce' (try that for a Christmas party charade!). ....somehow the bottle leaked in Carols pannier.....honest!!!
Today was extra hot at about 34 so Carol and my approach radically differs....C 'don't go as far and rest when possible' A ' go faster and get it over with' ....so we compromised and as with most compromises made everyone suffer :-)
But what could energize more than the sight of acres of hops and the promise of cold beer to come ;-)
Kelheim 40k back is the navigable start point for commercial boats....and Regensburg is our Danube most northerly point.

HOW FAR???

<p>Apparently the Danube is the only river with distance markers from source to sea...in this area at 0.1k intervals!.....drive you nuts seeing the distance going down so slowly!<br>
But what's really annoying is that the sign says 2535k from the source....thats 1580 miles....plus the 1200m we've done makes the tour about 2800m rather than the 2300 we had planned on!!!
I know the pound is weak against the Euro.....but the mile against the kilometer? Seems like the mile has reached parity!

Oops

Although the predictive text on my phone may be rather astute we are are actually heading for Ulm not pulmanary...I hope!

Hundersingen and an undignified accident!

48 lovely miles of Danube...and no the folklore isn't true...like all rivers its a muddy green colour with not a trace of blue! Anyway it was all traffic free trails through a gorge with cliff top forts at intervals...fantastic and as usual great on a bike.

We know we are heading for Pulmonary and then Passau but as we haven't found any German maps yet we feel a little vague on where we are in relation to the rest of Europe!

Close to the end of the day I was stopped at a junction one foot down waiting for Carol (not unusual) when I was suddenly hit from behind and pinned to the ground by an ample (in all the wrong places or I mightn't have cared) 20 stone German woman. I still astride my bike and totally unable to move and her and her bike on top of me....The lady being angled down from the pavement couldn't move either but fortunately several of her friends risked hernia and serious back trauma and pulled her free!! Much to Carol's amusement apparently. Luck has it that no serious damage was done...although its likely I will need counseling!!

Watershed

Started the day with a pleasant track along the shore of Lake Constance...very nice and busy with day Tripper cyclists. After Radolfzell we missed some signs so had a somewhat Bitty route north having to consult our map continuously ....ended with some lovely riding through hills and forests to summit at the Rhine Danube watershed...that's what we assume the sign says anyway...and it was high up. The sign suggests 862m which is a bit of a slog in the heat as some parts were a first gear grind.

Constance is just about visable in the background.

No campsites for miles so booked into a small hotel in Tuttingen just a stones throw from the Danube....which we haven't seen yet!

At least tonight we should relief from the relentless mosquito bites!!

Lake Constance

Last 2 nights spent at Waldshut on the Rhine. One night in Switzerland convinced us that it was time to abandon the EV6 and cross the river to Germany where the prices won't cripple our bank accounts. Germany seems most reasonable at £3.20 for two coffees and an evening meal including beer and sweet £12.50 so hardly worth cooking.
Passed the impressive Rhine falls at Schaffhausen then along the young river to Lake Constance said to be the soul of Europe!
So....tomorrow its round a bit of Lakeside then strike up north towards the Danube...our third and last major river.

Switzerland total miles 900

Friday night spent at a rather nice Auberge in a village called Clerval. The Auberge and most of the houses are half timbered making it a very pretty place....looking quite different as we approach the border. No campsites were available for another 25k so a hotel seemed the easy way to avoid mutuny!!
Saturday took us through Mulhouse then South and over the border in Basel (as in Faulty if German) or Basle (as in sheep if French). A great city but once again good to be out of.

So....about 880 miles covered across France and now its along the Rhine Valley for a while.

Clerval. 800 miles.

The last couple of days have largely followed the Doubs river which is a delight between steeply wooded hills. Last night stopped at Oselle by a small lake...not bad but only cold showers brrr.

Today though Besancon with its impressive hill top ramparts on through Baume les Dames.

I'm not too sure what the picture is of below...either an impressive boat (and crew) wash or maybe something of religious significance from the shrine above? :

Through Chalon to Pagny la Ville 50 miles

Better Weather :-)

Chalon was a city...enough said!

The campsite we were heading for turned out to be the campsite time forgot. A tiny private French camping club ground on the banks of the river Doubs. We spotted an unfortunately guy and attacked him with our best French...he seemed to take potty on two old people talking gibberish and agreed for us to stay. Despite being old everything was clean and tidy with a great rural landscape over the river.

I use 'Archie's Campings' to find sites downloaded from the web in Garmin or Tom Tom format....32000 sites accross Europe and never let me down over 4 years use...recommended, oh and free too.

Chagny. 53 miles. 653 total

After a nice day of rest in a municipal campsite at Volesvres yesterday we started off fresh and enthusiastic this morning...a fresh wind on our backs and the miles quickly rolled by....all of a sudden the temperature dropped to something marginally above absolute zero and the fresh wind quickened to strong and blustery blowing horizontal raindrops the size of small footballs...jumpers, and full waterproofs on including overshoes...and that was the pattern for the day!

Anyway and easy 50+ miles to a small town one has to be very careful with its pronunciation?

More canals and pleasant rolling hills.

Volesvres just east of Paray le Monial 600 miles

Last night a pleasant camping a la ferme at Gammay sur Loire. Much of yesterday and today on quiet lanes and alongside the Canal Lateral and Canal du Centre..very pleasant and leafy and most of the Loire cycle tourists have disappeared as have most of the EV6 signs. Our route has been made up often on rough tracks as the map well have doesn't discriminate between rough and tarmac!

Left the Loire today at Digoin so now turned NE towards Basel and Germany.

Another day of thundery torrential showers...but who's complainimg in the warm.

Thursday 4th. Fourchambault. 500 miles done

Just NW of Nevers. 53 miles today after a rather late 0930 start.

Martin...you have a good eye for a tent...yes its a Nalo...served well over a few years.

Some of the beds of wild flowers are fantastic...seen them all over France and the boxes of seeds in supermarkets..alas too big to bike home.

Carols sagging Brooks saddle called for a bike shop stop to borrow a spanner...can't imagine how it got so stretched!

Weds 3rd August 51 miles

Lovely thunderstorm last night and heavy rain for hours although I'm always a little unsure about the wisdom of sitting in a field with a aluminium pole over my head when the lightening is close! Great to be snug in our trusty Hilleburg :-) A wet start but the day ends fine.
Camp site has a party of Slovakian vintage Citroen enthusiasts....2cv's and a beautiful corrugated camper van.

Monday 1st August. 52miles to Muides sur Loire

350 miles total. Flat again through Ambois and Bois but heat a little wearing in the afternoon even for ones so going and fit.
One other annoying thing about touring in France is the desperate need for a cold beer when you stop and having to drink a bottle of French wine with the evening meal...can't carry the part drunk bottle next day so only option is to drink the lot...tough I know!
Tomorrow through Orleans then turning South.

Montlouis East of Tours 52m 291m for week.

Easy flat cycling surprisingly varied for a softies route in the Loire. Relatively unbusy so a pleasant day...tomorrow a rest as despite the gentle terrain these old legs need to get accustomed to moving 65lbs...a bit different to the Easy Riders Thursday runs on our lightweight machines! ...Carols nagging me about the spelling..must be the predictive on this phone!
Just realised that as the Loire flows downhill (obviously) the first 800 mile or so must be uphill!!! That's some uphill!
Through Tours today...an hour of a city was quite enough...but the Town Hall was a treat...no moving to glass faceless offices like Chester.

Loire what Loire? To Montsoreau 45m

Just 45 miles but tiring! After smugly agreeing that the EV6 is actually a nice quiet route...no cyclists for miles, we realised we were lost and nowhere near the route!!! Getting back involved crossing the little known Loire Alps...felt like that anyway over rolling wooded hills as opposed to the flat proper route by the Loire. A cold recuperating beer was called for.
The worst the about touring in France is having to stop mid morning for coffee and pan au raisin...essential cycling fuel.

Weds 28th. 45 miles to St Mathurin sur Loire

Another 20 miles of busy main roads :-(  then hit our target the Euro Velo 6 west of Angers. Pleasant flatish cycling by the Loire with just the occasional short steep pull. So...that's 170 miles just to get to the EV 6...now its East East East!

S from Vitre to Verne d'Anjou 46m

Rolling hills on busy main roads...but it has to be done. Just 30k to the Loire, Euro Velocity 6 and the start of our route. Picture below is of my Thorn Raven Sport Tour....heavy at 32lbs but that includes racks and dyno hub used to charge camera, phone, headtorch etc.
Carol had a slight mishap tonight...slight gas event when she tried to light the cooker upside down....easy mistake to make but I'll keep a careful eye on her when she erects the tent!!!!

Hede to Vitre via Beton 55 miles

Another 20m beside the canal on good tracks...that's 65miles off road so far and a beautiful start to the tour. Forests flowers and birds, with the occasional lock keepers cottage. Not much in the way of camping sites so Carol rather weary with the distance. Vitre has a huge château in the town centre.

Day 1 (48 miles)

48 Miles...but not necessarily in the right direction! Lovely and easy riding Along the Rance Canal through the medieval town of dinan then mostly on gravel paths.
Only real event was a french wasp stinging me in my right eye...sore for a while :-(

Away at Last

Despite the rail networks best efforts we arrived at the ferry in good time. Two delayed trains so two connections missed not helped by a mischievous lift that senses our urgency and drooped is back at our starting platform!
Totally humbled by a couple on a tandam off to Black Sea ....and back again!! Mind you she did have Turbo charges thighs.