09.06.2016

Our tandem had been safely stored in a locked room at the hotel we had stayed in, so we were very disappointed to find it had a flat tyre (again) when we went to load it. Suspecting a slow puncture from the previous day’s mend, Simon set about changing the inner tube. That sorted and we went to buy provisions for lunch.

On our way out of town we heard a loud phsssssst of air ….. another flat front tyre! Luggage off, front wheel off another review of the situation. This revealed a split in the new tyre, Simon suspects the brakes were set a tiny bit too high and had damaged the wall of the tyre which meant the inner tube formed a bubble and burst.

Thankfully, Simon had thought to keep the old back tyre which still had a bit of life left in it as a ‘just in case’ measure. Tyre changed, new inner tube and we were on our way.

We had planned another long day cycling, given when we set out the plan was to do not more than 50 miles a day. We did 62 miles to arrive at our destination, Brechet, and a very welcome shower at the hotel we came across!

The road was again on quite a main road, but not as many heavy lorries as yesterday. There were frequent towns and villages along the way. They are all strung out along the road and seem very long.

Between the towns there were fields of crops, mostly sunflowers, but also maize and wheat. Some of these were huge, and extending as far as you could see; in other places the fields were divided into narrow strips, with different crops in each strip. The sides of the roads have many flowers in bloom, poppies, cornflowers, chamomile and others. Horse and carts are becoming frequent road users now.

In one village we met a funeral procession coming towards us. Led by a drummer and trumpet, the hearse drove along slowly with the back open and followed by the mourners. A throng of people surrounded the car.

In most of the villages, as we passed,  small groups of people shouted out greetings and waved to us.

Frequently, children came to the side of the road and held out there hand for a high five.

The architecture of the buildings was gradually changing; there are more often doorways and windows with a more eastern look.

Outside almost every home is a bench seat with a roof for shade, many with some flowers growing over it.

The seats are often occupied with people sat on their own, or joined by a few neighbours to look at the street view and check out what’s going on.

 

Also outside many homes there are makeshift pens made of chicken wire, with either turkeys, geese, ducks or hens in them, all with their young.

 

Seeing a stork in a nest is now quite commonplace beside the road. It seems that some villagers construct a metal framework to sit on the top of electricity poles which form the basis for the storks to build their nests.  

Otherwise the storks just get on with building their messy twiggy nests, often cohabiting with sparrows underneath who manage to find nooks and crannies to feel safe to build their much smaller neater nests. The young storks are now mostly quite big enough to be easily seen on the nest from the road.

Nerd’s Corner

Calafat to Brechet: 62 miles

Total distance travelled so far: 2343 miles