Day 29: Turno Magurele in Romaia to Veliko Tarnovo/Popovo in Bulgaria

Both the boys are now inside Bulgaria, heading south-east towards the border with Turkey.  Having photographed the Catedrala Sfantul Haralambie in Turno Magurale, Mark diced with death over 3 miles of cobbles to the Dunarea/Dunav and caught the 9am ferry across to Nikopol in Bulgaria. 

The unusual spiral towers at the Catedrala Sfantul Haralambie in Turnu Magurele, Romania

Indeed, after following the course of the river for more than two weeks, it was like saying goodbye to an old, lugubrious friend.  No time on this trip to see the Pelicans and Flamingos in the Danube Delta on the edge of the Black Sea.  Perhaps in the future?

A final goodbye to the Danube

Click here to listen to The wonderful 'Blue Danube' by Johann Strauss

Thereafter it was the now usual arduous slog along poorly maintained country roads in intense heat and humidity - especially by mid-afternoon.  Thankfully, the roadside rubbish of Serbia and to a lesser extent Romania, was now absent.  And the flag of the European Union, festooned at every town and village you entered in Romania, was in Bulgaria largely absent.

Roadside memorial to a Bulgarian Airforce Pilot

One interesting experience.  Mark tried to change his Hungarian Forints, Croatian Kuna and Serbian Dinara at a Bulgarian bank in the town of Levski.  They weren't interested.  Sterling and Euros yes: anything else, certainly not!

Echinops/Globe Thistle growing wild in Bulgaria