11/05/14 – 20/05/14: Belgrade, Serbia to Istanbul, Turkey
Will’s feet started looking particularly swollen as we lugged our bikes bake onto tarmac from our overnight tenting spot. It turns out the overshoes aren’t mud proof. Half hysterics, half crying.
Met Miloș and friends in their little Serbian. The most friendly people you can imagine. We ended up drinking some sort of vodka with them at 10am.
Miloș and the gang. What a way to brighten up an otherwise horrendous morning.
Following the Serbian bank of the Danube as it carves through the Carpathians.
The Carpathian Gate from the Serbian side. Romania on the other side. One of the most spectacular rides of the trip so far.
Will trying out some modeling…
Looking back up the Danube at the Carpathian Gate.
A random field of nodding donkey’s (near surface oil producers) in southern Romania. Nice to get a break from being chased by Romanian dogs!
Cycling in a ridiculous stormy headwind in Romania. Only managed about 50km and had to give up.
A stork checking the electrical wiring on the pylons. 100km into Bulgaria.
Beautiful morning in a Bulgarian town.
Running away from the thunderclouds in Bulgaria.
During a rare break between the thunderstorms we got dinner on the go. Will was in charge of buying and managed to get us some nice baby food instead of a pasta sauce… when you’re hungry you’ll eat anything.
Met some funny lads in the Bulgarian mountain town of Kotel.
Coming down off the Bulgarian mountains into the flatlands.
The flatlands in southern Bulgaria. Absolutely dreadful headwind. Nothing left in the tank. Somehow it was still raining even though there were no clouds.
Camping in a Bulgarian field, 50km from the Turkish border, watching the thunder and lightening get ever nearer.
15km queue of trucks at the Turkey/Bulgaria border waiting to get into the EU. They weren’t moving much. It must take them months to get through.
First afternoon in Turkey. The heat was unbelievably sapping. Good chance to get the daily drying ritual out of the way.
Small Turkish boy cycling off with Will’s bike…
We actually made it to Istanbul. The Blue Mosque. Time for lots of Köfte and Baklava.
