Day Fifty-Six

07/07/25 - Day Fifty-Six

Couldn’t get to sleep till almost 3am last night due to the wind. It would have been fine if it was constant wind but big gusts every 1-5 minutes ensured I didn’t sleep for ages. Woke late as a result and packed quickly. No sign of anyone this morning and I delighted in the downhills I had left for myself this morning. I chatted to some Bulgarian men at a spring, with what words, places names and actions we could get each other to understand. 

I continued down to Troyan for a coffee and to charge my phone. As I read, I got a message from Sam and Isabel, asking if I wanted to have lunch at an upcoming town - our paths had crossed again! I ran the calculations, but unfortunately I wasn’t going to be there in time. I then set about tackling the big climb of the day, 12miles long. It started painfully but I soon got in a good rhythm, stopping only once for a quick refuel. I lunched in the shade of the Arch of Liberty monument at the top and took in the views. Then came a magnificent descent on a cool road with plenty of bare rock on show and views of the plains below. 

Isabel and Sam had made slow progress since lunch, and so the hunt was on. In the meantime they carried on another 20 or so miles from Kladovo finding camp in a peaceful marsh area. From lunch till catching them up at their camp I barely stopped, mashing HARD on the pedals. 80 miles in total and just shy of 1500m. A solid day that felt good. We caught up as I cooked my food - they had already eaten - and it just so happened to be the same meal I’d made when I saw them last. I promised them I had eaten other stuff, and had come full circle - I don’t think they believed me! We chatted some more before retiring to our tents after a satisfying and beautiful day.

 

Always weird seeing ski lifts in the summer!

 

The Liberty Arch. To celebrate the liberation of Bulgaria from Communism, not by Communism as I had originally theorised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More golden hour cycling - and the chase was on to catch up with Isa and Sam at their camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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