Just arrived in Bucharest and I'll add a progress update tomorrow. In the meantime check out the bottom of the 4th. set I've managed to post the rest of the image that refused to fly in the Delta.
OFR-14 29.04
Start: 05:00 Finish: ?
Total km., for day: Zilch
Camped at: N45.04152° E29.15690°
Really exciting day, sun coming up over the reeds was great. Took it real slow, did some more van re-arranging and cleaned it up, gets pretty dusty inside from all the dirt roads I’m driving.
Leisurely breakfast, got to wash my dishes etc., properly and then generally loafed around.
OFR-15 30.04
Start: 006:15 Finish: 17:45
Total km., for day: 288,6
Camped at: N44.44998° E28.10508°
Great nights kip, all shipshape, fresh water canisters all filled up and on the road by 09:00. I kept off of Route 22 as much as possible and kept to the by roads as it lets me drive through all the small interesting villages. I was on the 226 I’ve just noticed.
At a place by the name of Mihai Viteazu I dived off onto a real bumpy old dirt road towards the coast and got to 44.618204° 28.811117°. At this location there was an area where reed cutters had set up what looked like quite a permanent facility with an enormous area of cut reeds all stacked to dry. Was a really great subject and I was out getting set up a bit back from the location to make some images when there was lots of shouting. This was followed by a bloke jumping into his car and buzzing around to where I was setting up and with lots of gesticulation and shouting let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not to take any photos! Maybe a bit like the great area distillery? Anyway I desisted, he was a lot bigger and younger than your good self.
Still it was a wonderful area and I know I’ve already mentioned it but a true paradise for bird watching. I’m such an expert I recognised them all, so much so that I’m still paging through my bird book trying to identify them. Bird calls in every direction and in most cases not one to be seen hiding in long grass or the reeds. But a great experience all the same.
From there on down to Corbu where I dived of onto dirt again and drove quite a long way down to the beach directly onto the Black Sea. Which is more or less blue, nowhere near black anymore than the Danube was blue. A dirty muddy brown was more like it. Never mind. Just ad to say I‘ve been there and finally seen it from ground level as well as innumerable times out of the air. Didn't stay long it was bursting at the seams with folks enjoying the long week end.
Carried on heading south and turned onto the 2A/E60 at Ovidiu. I only stuck that out until just past Gălbiori and dived off onto a dirt road heading sort of west to Băltăgeşti to get down to the Danube on its way to the Delta I suppose. After lots of interesting views and things I hit it and came to a stop exactly at 44.413511° 28.094530°. Made it there at about 16:00 and moved on at about 17:30. In Google Earth it shows up as a large area on the banks of the Danube. The reason for coming here was I figured there would be lots of places to camp and there are. However being a long week end it seemed as though all of Romania was out camping. Lots of bodies, noise and partying. Whatever, the area to the NE of where I give the coordinates was a lone tree offering shade and was as far as I could get from the madding crowd. Never occurred to me why the whole area was empty, What I didn't know was that this year the Danube had flooded its banks with all the rain. Was receding and the surface had hardened, but only just. As soon as I drove onto it the crust broke and I was in about 3cm of gray greasy mud. Immediately stuck and the wheels just spun. Didn't sink in and the clutch wasn't slipping, was like being in a thick layer of grease. Two cars where following me and one got stuck as well. They pushed him back and I asked them to help me which they did for about three minutes, then gave up and buggered of to leave me to it. This I did was getting somewhere with it but not very far when another bloke wandered up to help. Between us we got a bit further out of the s..t but that was it. The bloke shouted for his wife to come and drive so that we could both push. She had a better idea it seemed, she had spotted a group of young guys and persuaded them to help. Worked a treat and they had me out in no time at all. Lesson learned as they say.
After that I headed downstream for a bit further having decided that it really was a bit too festive and loud for my shattered nerves.
Found the spot above and all to myself. First thing I did here was to get out of my totally muddied up bags and try and get as much mud off myself and the inside as possible. Inside wasn't that easy and had to let most of what was inside dry out overnight and try again tomorrow. eating this done and all took quite awhile and finally managed to eat and crash.
OFR-16 01.05
Start: 06:15 Finish: 13:50
Total km., for day: 230
Camped at: N44.51721° E26.09269°
What a night. I was so proud of myself at having found such a seclude spot after all of the racket up stream when I finally made it into my pit. Unfortunately not long after that a raving 1st May party started up out of sight behind the trees on the other bank of the river. What I call Harvey Wallbanger stuff. Both the folks and the music by the sound of it. This went on all night and was still going at full volume when I woke.
Managed to get the rest of the mud out of the vehicle, except the foot mat my side. Think that will finally find a bin.
Started rolling in the direction of Bucharest at 09:15, the party still going strong. Hit 28°C on the way.
Almost without exception I stuck to secondary and/or dirt roads all the way and was in this camping place by 14:00. Didn't fancy trying it wold in the middle of town.
Nice secluded place, all the facilities and these were immediately put to good use to get the rest of the mud of me.
OFR-17 02.05
Start: 06:00 Finish: ?
Total km., for day: Zilch again
Camped at: N44.51721° E26.09269°
Very quiet here overnight and hardly any city noise during the day.
Another 1x friend, Marius, came out for a couple of hours to catch up and exchange news and stories. We were originally going to meet up in the centre but as it is near where he works he sneaked away. Suited me as it saves me going into the hustle and bustle. Marius said if I wasn't a city type was not going to miss much other than lots of jams or slow moving traffic.
Otherwise very little, camp is in a nice, pretty large park in which I stretched my legs.
The next four images just show a quaint cottage that is typical, (sorry about the cable) and just wide open spaces. The last one was a quick snap out of the van window after having been shooed off by the cutters. Spoken to Marius since then and he thinks it was because this was another one of those gray legal thingies 🤔
OFR-14 29.04
Start: 05:00 Finish: ?
Total km., for day: Zilch
Camped at: N45.04152° E29.15690°
Really exciting day, sun coming up over the reeds was great. Took it real slow, did some more van re-arranging and cleaned it up, gets pretty dusty inside from all the dirt roads I’m driving.
Leisurely breakfast, got to wash my dishes etc., properly and then generally loafed around.
OFR-15 30.04
Start: 006:15 Finish: 17:45
Total km., for day: 288,6
Camped at: N44.44998° E28.10508°
Great nights kip, all shipshape, fresh water canisters all filled up and on the road by 09:00. I kept off of Route 22 as much as possible and kept to the by roads as it lets me drive through all the small interesting villages. I was on the 226 I’ve just noticed.
At a place by the name of Mihai Viteazu I dived off onto a real bumpy old dirt road towards the coast and got to 44.618204° 28.811117°. At this location there was an area where reed cutters had set up what looked like quite a permanent facility with an enormous area of cut reeds all stacked to dry. Was a really great subject and I was out getting set up a bit back from the location to make some images when there was lots of shouting. This was followed by a bloke jumping into his car and buzzing around to where I was setting up and with lots of gesticulation and shouting let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not to take any photos! Maybe a bit like the great area distillery? Anyway I desisted, he was a lot bigger and younger than your good self.
Still it was a wonderful area and I know I’ve already mentioned it but a true paradise for bird watching. I’m such an expert I recognised them all, so much so that I’m still paging through my bird book trying to identify them. Bird calls in every direction and in most cases not one to be seen hiding in long grass or the reeds. But a great experience all the same.
From there on down to Corbu where I dived of onto dirt again and drove quite a long way down to the beach directly onto the Black Sea. Which is more or less blue, nowhere near black anymore than the Danube was blue. A dirty muddy brown was more like it. Never mind. Just ad to say I‘ve been there and finally seen it from ground level as well as innumerable times out of the air. Didn't stay long it was bursting at the seams with folks enjoying the long week end.
Carried on heading south and turned onto the 2A/E60 at Ovidiu. I only stuck that out until just past Gălbiori and dived off onto a dirt road heading sort of west to Băltăgeşti to get down to the Danube on its way to the Delta I suppose. After lots of interesting views and things I hit it and came to a stop exactly at 44.413511° 28.094530°. Made it there at about 16:00 and moved on at about 17:30. In Google Earth it shows up as a large area on the banks of the Danube. The reason for coming here was I figured there would be lots of places to camp and there are. However being a long week end it seemed as though all of Romania was out camping. Lots of bodies, noise and partying. Whatever, the area to the NE of where I give the coordinates was a lone tree offering shade and was as far as I could get from the madding crowd. Never occurred to me why the whole area was empty, What I didn't know was that this year the Danube had flooded its banks with all the rain. Was receding and the surface had hardened, but only just. As soon as I drove onto it the crust broke and I was in about 3cm of gray greasy mud. Immediately stuck and the wheels just spun. Didn't sink in and the clutch wasn't slipping, was like being in a thick layer of grease. Two cars where following me and one got stuck as well. They pushed him back and I asked them to help me which they did for about three minutes, then gave up and buggered of to leave me to it. This I did was getting somewhere with it but not very far when another bloke wandered up to help. Between us we got a bit further out of the s..t but that was it. The bloke shouted for his wife to come and drive so that we could both push. She had a better idea it seemed, she had spotted a group of young guys and persuaded them to help. Worked a treat and they had me out in no time at all. Lesson learned as they say.
After that I headed downstream for a bit further having decided that it really was a bit too festive and loud for my shattered nerves.
Found the spot above and all to myself. First thing I did here was to get out of my totally muddied up bags and try and get as much mud off myself and the inside as possible. Inside wasn't that easy and had to let most of what was inside dry out overnight and try again tomorrow. eating this done and all took quite awhile and finally managed to eat and crash.
OFR-16 01.05
Start: 06:15 Finish: 13:50
Total km., for day: 230
Camped at: N44.51721° E26.09269°
What a night. I was so proud of myself at having found such a seclude spot after all of the racket up stream when I finally made it into my pit. Unfortunately not long after that a raving 1st May party started up out of sight behind the trees on the other bank of the river. What I call Harvey Wallbanger stuff. Both the folks and the music by the sound of it. This went on all night and was still going at full volume when I woke.
Managed to get the rest of the mud out of the vehicle, except the foot mat my side. Think that will finally find a bin.
Started rolling in the direction of Bucharest at 09:15, the party still going strong. Hit 28°C on the way.
Almost without exception I stuck to secondary and/or dirt roads all the way and was in this camping place by 14:00. Didn't fancy trying it wold in the middle of town.
Nice secluded place, all the facilities and these were immediately put to good use to get the rest of the mud of me.
OFR-17 02.05
Start: 06:00 Finish: ?
Total km., for day: Zilch again
Camped at: N44.51721° E26.09269°
Very quiet here overnight and hardly any city noise during the day.
Another 1x friend, Marius, came out for a couple of hours to catch up and exchange news and stories. We were originally going to meet up in the centre but as it is near where he works he sneaked away. Suited me as it saves me going into the hustle and bustle. Marius said if I wasn't a city type was not going to miss much other than lots of jams or slow moving traffic.
Otherwise very little, camp is in a nice, pretty large park in which I stretched my legs.
The next four images just show a quaint cottage that is typical, (sorry about the cable) and just wide open spaces. The last one was a quick snap out of the van window after having been shooed off by the cutters. Spoken to Marius since then and he thinks it was because this was another one of those gray legal thingies 🤔
