At long last the temperatures have cooled. It has even been raining this morning! Bob caught the ferry from Corabia in Romania and is now overnighting it in the Bulgarian city of Svistov. Whilst Mark undertook a 108 mile stint eastwards from Calafat and is staying in the town of Turnu Magurele. By tomorrow morning both will be in Bulgaria - country no. 11 for Mark, 9 for Bob.
Cycling along this southern edge of Romania, the overwhelming sense is of an agrarian landscape that has changed little in centuries. Linseed and Maize (corn-on-the-cob) are supreme, but hundreds of roadside stalls selling watermelons and tomatoes are indicative of the agricultural heritage of this region. As are the horse-drawn carts that are constantly in view. Here it is the norm to wave at everyone and shout "Hello!" Indeed, if you don't respond accordingly, the natives get upset. And on the sad side, too many children (and on occasion adults) have been tutored to ask for cash as a default response.
Bringing in the Hay
The Danube has rarely been in sight today - or indeed since leaving Austria. The guidebooks claim this to be a 'Danube Bike Ride' but in reality, once 20 miles east of Bratislava in Slovakia, the route simply follows ordinary roads. Some of these are extremely dangerous, with jugernauts and massive lorries of every European nationality sharing the route. A bit naughty that and in Romania, even the Bike Ride signs have disappeared.
And the road goes straight for 20 miles
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