Day Fifty

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 swerve out of the way of a car - racing lines are for racing funnily enough, and have their perils on two way roads - I was down onto a plain. As I was passing a field I spotted a couple of men standing by a tractor, I had to double take as I saw them waving me over. I stopped to make sure I had understood their gestures correctly, and pushed my bike through the field towards them. They then presented me with a beer, and offered me a cigarette, both of which I gladly accepted. Smiling away we cheersed and drank and smoked together.

We communicated by google translate. They told me they had stopped me because I was a foreigner and looked like I could do with some refreshment! I asked them their opinions of Vučić, the authoritarian leader of Serbia, one of them signaled a thumbs down and the other a waver of his hand. After my beer, I bid them farewell, thanked them profusely and wished them a good harvest! 

It wasn’t far to the city of Zaječar, where I would have to decide on which route I would take to Sofia. I chose to dip into Bulgaria tonight, and so spending the last of my Serbian Dinars on some brake pads, set off on my (second to) last climb towards the border. I couldn’t resist a quick last side quest for the day, nipping up a hill to a small monastery, where I surprised a monk with my presence. I asked to look inside and he kindly allowed me to - it was stunning and smelt OLD! A great day rounded off by finding the best camp spot to date: overlooking a mountain silhouetted sunset, mega! I will fall asleep with a smile on my face tonight…

 

Looking particularly fresh this morning

 

A friendly one!

 

The protests reaching far into the countryside

 

I believe this is a racial slur against Albanians - directed at the leader of Serbia!

 

Quaint hill top village restored with the help of the EU - they could have put a proper road surface down, it was impossible to cycle on!

 

 

 

 

 

The boys pumping water from a well to water their crops

 

Keeemon!!

 

 

 

Glorious Serb countryside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caio!

 

 

 

 

 

No words needed...

 

 

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