A Long Way For A Curry

02/07/25 - Day Fifty-One Don’t much feel like writing tonight, but we will give it a go anyway. I didn’t sleep well. I stayed up too late planning my route after Sofia, then couldn’t get to sleep for a while, my mind still very much active. Eggs and coffee for breakfast helped get me going though, and I attacked the day, and the hills!  Twenty miles in I reached the town of Belogradchik, and after a savage hill I made it to the fortress overlooking the town. I wasn’t going to let my toil go to waste, despite the entrance fee. It was worth it in the end too! The area was full of amazing sandstone towers poking out of the trees, and one such collection made the focal point of the fortress. It was quite the sight to behold. Some time later, the rumbling’s of my belly pulled me away from the views. I found a park in the town and lunched.  The afternoon was less hilly, but the lack of sleep caught up with me and a deep weariness set in. I powered on, with a couple of essential res...

01/07/25  - Day Fifty It’s days like today that remind me why we are doing this: the perfect combination of physical challenge, wholesomeness and gorgeous views. It was a hilly day with over 1200m of elevation gain, but with this came awesome descents and views for miles. Despite the easy flat cycling of following a river and the beauty that comes with it, it was great to be in the middle of rural Serbia. Villages up in the hills full of farm machinery and dilapidated buildings filled me with lots of joy - there were even some friendly dogs! I sweated my body weight in water though, but it was worth it as a topped another summit to see mountains in the distance!  I stopped by a small shrine with a bench at lunch, and had a glorious lie down. I brewed myself a coffee and stretched everything out. I could feel my legs beginning to feel achy and sore from the hills over the last few days. Then I pressed on, feeling refreshed. After another hair raising descent, where I had to swe...

30/06/25  - Day Forty-Nine I’ll let the photos from today do the talking. Best riding of the trip so far! Steady climbs, followed by blissful descents full of whooping with joy. The Iron Gates of the Danube do not disappoint. I repeat, do NOT disappoint. I didn’t sleep well last night, maybe partly due to a street light turning on right above my tent as I was getting ready for bed. I woke to the rustlings of Isabel and Sam, starting to pack away their things. Lying for a minute rubbing my eyes into action, before exiting and bidding them good morning. I asked them about the vehicle I heard first thing - someone collecting water from the source by the shelter we camped at. It seemed no one had running water in the village! We chatted and breakfasted together sharing eggs, coffee and honey. Isabel then asked me if I wanted to ride with them for a while, so I gladly accepted! It was a buzz to not be riding solo again.  As I said before, the grandeur of Iron Gates blew us away and...