Monday 8 August 2011
Thursday 4 August 2011
Tuesday 2 August 2011
Sunday 31 July 2011
30/7 Saturday Happy Birthday Jonny!
We awoke to pouring rain again, which had almost stopped by the time we set off, although this was just a tease as it was soon to return. Romania seemed quite, with no lorries on the road and obviously the suicide contingent had the weekend off. Leaving Romania, it was a welcome relief to be back on Hungarian roads, what a difference a couple of days can make! The journey was flat and tedious, until we reached the Slovakian border and picked up the D67 at Roznava. This was a good mountain road which would've been really enjoyable another day and time. The rain and dragging journey lessening the enjoyment. At least in Slovakia they have the Euro, so we could have bought one of the 12% beers avilabe in the petrol station. We finally got into Poland, again on mountain roads which would have been really good fun under other circumstances, the roads were generally better but the traffic heavy, the fastest vehicle was saw all day today was a coach, which was making amazing progress, carving up traffic at speed well over the legal limit, if there were passengers on board, there would've been plenty of screaming! The weather dried up and there were good roads the rest of the way to Oswiecim, although we didn't arrive until well gone 8 o'clock, another 10 hour day. The hotel was superficially very plush but we didn't have time to explore the spar and wellness facility. We were in bed by 11, having only managed 2 big beers with Polish menu dinner.
Friday 29 July 2011
29/7 Friday, Happy Birthday Caitlin!!!
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| Just to prove we were here! |
It was warm and fine this morning when we set off for the Transfagarasan Highway, and quite easy as we'd deliberately chosen a hotel on the 7c. Although we had been told that the Transfagarasan was uneven in places, with a loose surface, we wern't prepared for just how rough some of it was, particularly the start of the Highway approaching from the south. A 4X4 would be the only vehicle that would cope with it comfortably. It was almost indescribably bad. As we got a few miles into the climb, it just became a tease, because, every now and then, there you across a stretch of brand new, super-smooth tarmac which ends as abruptly as it starts.We stooped to take photos, at just over 1700m, and were debating if had been worth the time money and effort of getting there, but decided to reserve judgement until we'd cleared the summit. In the event as the road surface improved, it did turn into a superb biking road. Unfortunately the surface wasn't so good for our decent and it was a shame, as this is the side that has the most spectacular views of the Highway ribboning out and the whole of the densest was covered in low cloud. This, though, was a minor inconvenience compared to the torrential rain, shit roads and horrendous queues and road works facing us for the next 200 miles or so. Having mentioned, when we first entered Romania, how the speed limits seemed to be a purely notional thing, by the end of today we realised that it is, in fact, any and all rules of the road which are completely ignored. This includes finding on coming overtaking vehicles on your side of the road at any time, being ridiculously carved up by drivers who, for some reason, must be in front of you, complete disregard of vehicles already on roundabouts and indiscriminate U-turns despite your approaching speed or proximity. We arrive, intact, at Hotel Terra in Oradea, absolutely sodden, and with filthy bikes and luggage. It was a relief to sink a few Ursus, the King of Beer in Romania, and have a good dinner. Poland via Slovakia tomorrow, yay! Oh....Weather forecast 96% chance of rain, as opposed today's 99%. Result!
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The Transfagarason meanders it's way through up the valley    |
This is the view we should have seen had it not been obscured by low cloud
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| Filthy bikes 'n luggage |
28/7 Thursday
There was a constant cacophony of barking all night at the Arizona, which added to our tiredness. It was obviously that little area's pack of strays arguing over bins. As we rode hundreds of miles through Romanian countryside today, there were literally hundred of stray dogs, either wandering in little packs, whether in the countryside or in the towns, some being dead at the side of the road. Every filling station seems to be claimed by it's own small group. Still, as we rode around we came across almost every sort of domestic animal, either at the side of, or wandering in, the road. There were old grannies sitting on the verge outside there houses with flocks of geese, chickens or ducks. There were horses and cows, tethered at the side of the road in built up areas and, of course, donkeys. There were scores of horse drawn carts, on almost every road were rode on, we almost seemed able to intuit when we would come round a corner and come across one. Our plan today was to head to down to Bulgaria, just so we could say we'd been. However, when we reached the boarder we found that we needed to get a ferry. As we didn't have any local currency for the fare, we had to give it a miss. During the day, we saw lots of Police, including some with radar guns. During our travels today, we were also pleased to see that it appears to be, exclusively, women's role to clear the ditches outside property. On the subject of women, every village seemed to have one or two beautiful girls wandering about.In the towns, the young women were stunning, to the extent that it was a struggle not to fall off our bikes. Amongst the horse drawn traffic, that we encountered to day, we saw several gypsy wagons, loaded up with belongings. About fifty miles from Curtea de Arges (our stop for the night) we saw a few,stopped in a field at the side of the road, so we stopped to take photos. As soon as we were noticed, a gadjii came over with his son, and started chatting, asking if we were German. His Mrs and daughter then came over, too. We had quite a pleasant chat but left them disappointed when we had 'kein Geld' for the children. When we arrived at the |Hotel Posada, in Curtea, we found it we being used to accommodate teams from an International Under - 16 Tennis Competition. Although the competitors all seemed bronzed, blonde, and over 6 foot, there for being very nice to look at, the noise dozens of them made, in the restaurant, was enough to send out looking for food. We had Pizzas in a really nice little bar-restaurant called 'Capitol No Comment', where we there was a delightful Italian bar maid, called Alexandra. Curtea is a very up marked town, and there was a team of 4 sweeping pavements, at 1 O'clock in the morning. No matter how upmarket it seemed, at this time of night, there were several packs of dogs, wandering the streets, like Coyotes. Also, despite the prestigious appearance of the main drag, just behind the hotel the were some quite run down Communist era blocks of flats.
The car of choice for the Romanian Police force, the Dacia Logan.
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| Gypsy folk and wagons |
The Official bank of Dracula, the Blood Bank!
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