08.06.2016

We had a choice for this ride, along the main road with a couple of hills and more direct; or along the river, no hills, quite a bit further and quite possibly not very good road surface. There was also the possibility of going part way down the main road, then heading over to the river.

The first part of the ride had to be on the main road, so we decided to see what the conditions were like. We dismissed the river route, we gave done quite a few difficult surfaces and are sure there are more to come!

The main hill seemed to go on for ages, each time we rounded a bend there was more hill. A few stops to catch our breath and admire the view, then we were at the top. The whizz down was soon over, we touched 30mph as we belted along.

As the road surface was good with a marked space to the side for cyclists and the many lorries were giving us space on the road, we decided to continue on the main road and not go off towards the river. The road was mostly straight, passing through many villages and much agricultural work being done. We saw many people using a horse and cart to pull a load, or just to get about.

Several times we saw a horse being led along a line between crops, pulling a plough, presumably weeding the soil between the rows.

As we went along lots of people waved hello. I wonder how many times a day an EV6 cyclist passes and gets a wave.

We passed quite a number of buildings which seemed to have an oriental influence.. we speculated it was because of the Turkish invasions over the years.

Just a mile or so from our destination we heard a sudden hissing sound, it was a puncture on the front tyre. Thankfully Simon has an extensive tool kit and is well versed in mending punctures. A small split in the inner tube was found and patched.

On our way again, we found a place to stay for the night, Panorama Hotel and we had a room with a good view of the river.

 

 

Nerd’s Corner

Drobeta Turnu Severin to Kalafat: 62 miles

Total distance travelled so far: 2281 miles.