Rovno Vidin

... work we didn't get it set up to work abroad...oops. go outside to find the father...he's not there. ask where to get change and get pointed to a small exchange office. decided that we'd just get a drink at the cafe and get changethat way, picked up a can of coke and went to pay for it....5 LEV. gave a 10 and got a 5LEV note back. but we need change please....go to the bank we don't give change ...

... and it was baking hot. Finally I joined the major road on the other side which swept down off the hills and into the town of Negotin. Here I intended to check the map and see if there was another suitable stopping place as it was quite early. But I gave in and followed the signs to Villa Quality. It was a bit tricky as they only spoke german and I was knackered. However I went for a cheaper room which absorbed most of my dinars although it was a pricy e24 ...

I met a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sofia that has a cousin's aunt's sister's friend's niece's husband that lives in the Northwest region of Bulguaria (the poorest region in the EU). So once again I dont know what Im getting myself into, but thats why its so damn exciting. The landscape was beautiful, of course. Open range, green rolling hills, forest....... I met up with a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belogradchik and ...

Rest day. Rented a car from the hotel for £15 and went for a drive with a girl called Mandy who is also staying at the guesthouse. Saw a great medieval village and some churches cut into the rock in the local national park. Had the biggest gin and tonic ever which seemed to ...

102km Best: rolling hills and empty roads Worst: Snakes crossing the road And the riding just gets better..... I will let the photos do the talking, but just leaving Svishtov I passed a massive Roman site at Nove. Needless to say had the place to myself. Arriving at Ruse I checked into a super place called the English Guest House. Strongly recommended if you can get a room (only has 6 ...

Zagrazhden to Shivstov 105km Best bit: sunrise Worst: none No one was about at 7am this morning so I found a couple of eggs in the hotel fridge, toasted some stale bread, and scoffed the lot before the kitchen lady woke up and told me off. I was glad I hadnt seen the state of teh kitchen before I had dinner the night before, otherwise my appetite might have slackened... Todays riding, mostly flat, no surprises. Cycled through the same motley selection of worn out villages, buildings ...

Lom to Zagrazhden 145km Best: Finding somewhere to sleep Worst: Having to ride past some ruins without stopping The best bit of today was the end. In the scabbiest place on the Danube, and when my legs had absolutely given up the ghost, there appeared a lovely guesthouse out of nowhere (OK, it wasnt super lovely, but all these things are relative). Of course they spoke no English, but a fisherman was having a beer ...

Donji Milanovac to Negotin Distance 125km Best bits: More danube gorges (Iron Gates) Worst bits: Not getting through a telephone job interview! There is no money in the Serbian economy to properly protect/display most of the archaeology. This worked in my favour today as I was the only one on site to explore a substantial Roman fortress at ...

... girl (Melissa) kindly did a bit of translation. In the evening I caught up with Dusha (a Professor from Cambridge) and his team who were doing a dig at the Lepenski Vir site. I left with my panniers bulging wtih mountain bike maps that the tourist information people had given me and lots of good memories (but fortunately not too much of a hangover!)

... before the traffic melted away and I could stick the helmet on the rear rack and put on the sun tan lotion. In the afternoon I had one of those great holiday conversations that only occur when (a) you are **** at the local language and (b) people really want to help you but are **** at your language. It is not a good mix! I was trying to find the tourist info office so I could ...