Blog Archives

8th. and final set. Excluding conclusion.

21/5/2018

OFR-39 17.05
Start: 06:15   Finish: 17:53
Total km., for day: 242,5
Camped at: N47.124241° E26.050341°

Good long deep kip, must have needed it.

Had a good long chat with a Dutch couple who were there as well, they were really interested in the van and took down all the details of Campmobil in Schwerin.

On the road late, 10:10 and worked my way slowly down to where I’d found the charcoal burners on my way through. No luck the “Kilns” were all cut-up and broken-down.

I went as far up the valley as the terrain and prudence allowed and found this spot, back off the single track dirt road under some trees. Nice spot.

Fair bit of fieldworker traffic until about 21:30 then I had the world to myself again.

OFR-40 18.05
Start: 06:45   Finish: 14:15
Total km., for day: 198,3
Camped at: N47.05126° E24.62645°

At about 01:00 in the morning a whole bunch of cats started in on some nuptials making an horrendous din until I banged on the van roof like crazy and this decided them to move the festivities someplace else. After that peace settled in again and the rest of the night was peaceful. Black as pitch though.

At about 07:00 just after breakfast chores done a shepherd and his rather large herd swamped me on their way to pastures new, He had seven or eight dogs with him and boy are they big animals, Not at all like our good old Welsh Collie. Great deep throaty dark brown voices they have as well. Nice and friendly though.

On my way out past the charcoal burning location a great bunch of burly chaps were manhandling the shells back together for welding up again. All got me beat.

Headed out on the way properly at 08:00 towards Toplita, on the way checked out an old village by the name of Borsec, worth looking up when I get a chance, was really interesting.

I then tried to go up through a place called Bibor but this opened out into a big flat agricultrified (my word) valley which left me cold so in went back out again. Not long after that I turned N onto a very tempting looking road (track), which went straight up (N) turned (W) before going back down (S) in a great loop which would have brought me back to where I was headed. After a kilometre or so there was a big notice board with lots of info about the route. This included, seriously, all of the Emergency Services phone numbers, including Mountain Rescue and the probable response times. That combined with the fact that the mountains the track head towards were slowly disappearing in thick black storm clouds made an honest chappie out of me. Convinced me I’d had enough of dodgy routes for this trip and put me back on the B-Road.

Finally finished up in the hills though ‘cos that was the way my road took me, just tuned into dirt on the way. Great camp right up top with 360 degree panoramas, wow.

Later on all of the black threatening clouds, complete with their contained thunder and lightning arrived to go off right over me. I was high enough to be right in amongst them so it was pretty loud for awhile.

OFR-41 19.05
Start: 05:45   Finish: 15:10
Total km., for day: 211,5
Camped at: N47.60110° E24.892247°

The route I had chosen turned out to be a disaster. First off it was all dirt road, they were doing major, seriously major, work on it. So much so that in places only half of what was already a narrow way was out of bounds with great drops into excavations and invariable blocked by earth moving or concrete mixer trucks. Needless to say they had priority and the storm I mentioned last night had made it pretty much a quagmire. Combine that with the aggressive drivers here and chaos was pre-programmed.

Had to stop twice and all the other drivers in the queue had to dismount and buckle down to get the next pillock up front who'd got himself bogged down trying to push past large bits of construction equipment.

Long story short it took four hours ten minutes to do 106 kilometres which was the first chance to get off the route. I did!

After that it was easy going on tar which as is frequently the case here ran out and the bit that goes over the mountain turns back to dirt. Was a sign, which of course I cannot read properly, which seems to indicate that after 50 k’s it was closed. I kept going with a lump in my throat in the hope that this would not turn out to be the case. Would have meant over 150 k’s detour to turn around and get back on track. Luck was with me and a great sigh of relief escaped the van as I hit tar agin.

Finally camped up here where I had been on the 23.04. Great camp all by myself. I even plucked up the courage to get in the stream for a good wash. Bloody cold.

OFR-42 20.05
Start: 05:30   Finish: 16:06
Total km., for day: 247,9
Camped at: N47.77438° E23.95814°

Woke at 05;30 but then dozed off again until 07:00. Away again by 08:50 and had a great run with a couple of heart in mouth occasions but not worth boring anyone with.

I popped out in an area I’d been in with Radu right at the beginning of the trip. I’d come up and over a mountain track and there I was in the village where I took the photographs of the “legal” distillery and the lovely old girl with bright red rimmed eyes.

It’s not far from there that I found this spot to camp, maybe six kilometres. All out of the way and quiet.

OFR-43 21.05
Start: 05:15   Finish: 14:00
Total km., for day: 188,2
Camped at: N47.66080° E23.67545°

Up early and on the road by 06:50. Nice easy run through ground already covered right at the beginning of the trip. Pleasant and relaxing and I’m back at the place where I met up with Radu.

Caught up on notes and will post. I hope!

As I’ve spent almost all of my time here in Romania I’ve given up on the CZ part, instead, because I shall be back on German soil a few days earlier than planned I shall try out the place I’ve been noticing on a few trips in the area of approximately Paderborn where there is a very large Windfarm which I’m sure will offer up some image possibilities. If it does I shall post them.

Tomorrow be a straight eight hour bash without what had become the standard stop on the Polish/Slovakian boarder, or close to it., N47.66091° E23.67543°. Buggers have started to build an Hotel on the ground behind the Roadhouse and the river where I usually set up shop.Then day after through to Görlitz, Dresden and after that hopefully wind farm. Back in Düsseldorf on 30.05 baring the unforeseen.

Will post a conclusion on my whole experience in this great country when I’m back in my armchair.

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7th. set

16/5/2018

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OFR-33 11.05 cont.
Start: 05:45   Finish: 18:05
Total km., for day: 278,3
Camped at: N46.03836° E25.21185°

Finally got back on the road at 08.55. This was going to be my day of Fortified Churches. I won't bore you with all the details, if anyone is particularly interested go into Wikipedia and search for "Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania". This covers the major ones but the area is actually bursting at the seams with them. For all, or most of them try RomaniaTourisim.com.
Two we gad visited in October 2017 on the 1x Meet only this time I came onto them from totally different directions, and although enjoyed them back then having been driven I had no idea anymore which ones they were, so it was a pleasant surprise to see them again. When we did them last time it was better from the point of view, less bodies. Both were knee deep in tourists, like yours-truly, so I gave them a passing wave. Quite a few of the others were also closed and not accessible so I just had a look-see all around and carried on.

OFR-34 12.05
Start: 05:50   Finish: 14:45
Total km., for day: 252,7
Camped at: N46.29327° E23.47743°

Was on the go again by 08:50 and found a few more fortified churches, but nothing extraordinary.

It did turn out to be my day for potholing though. Seen some rough stuff so far this trip but today turned out to be the winner by far. Two I nearly didn't see in time, I was lucky to see them at the last second. Hate to think what could have happened to my undercarriage if I hadn’t. Was the sort of stretch where ideally one should have been assured of a mobile signal and all the necessary Mountain Rescue emergency numbers, they were deep enough to warrant the guys if you were unlucky enough to land in one.

Otherwise the drive was through pretty cool countryside and the landscapes were grand.

Finished up in a National Park again for the night. Cheile Rimetului be its name. High craggy mountains all around. Nice quiet night.

OFR-35 13.05
Start: 05:05   Finish: 14:40
Total km., for day: 303
Camped at: N46.59945° E24.15543°

Again interesting drive. Having done all of the main parts of the route that I had originally planned for I'm now more or less just following my nose around. That naturally has the consequence of struggling to find a suitable place to camp on occasions. Today after 303 kilometres I'd had enough and finally just parked up off the road a bit in a field. Great view, looking at lots of rolling green countryside. Just hope I don't get run off but there is no-one around anywhere I can ask. Time will tell. There was a town on my planned “follow the nose route” called Turda so I gave that a wide berth.

Blowing up a storm now great.

Plan to head up towards Botosani in the NE tomorrow, see how far I get.

OFR-36 14.05
Start: 05:15   Finish: 14:45
Total km., for day: 286,5
Camped at: N46.69595° E26.16170°

Had a great night and got the eyes open by 05:15 and up and away by 06:55. The drive continued through the same wide open rolling countryside for about 70 kilometres but started to get steep as I headed NE.
This was markedly so after having left Gheorgheni behind me. Then it turned into a really windy trip, hairpin bends almost doing an Oozulem Bird trick. Going down the other side of the pass into Bicaz-Chei it, the road, gets squeezed into a gorge and the sheer cliffs there must rate as a rock climbers idea of paradise.
I stopped at 11:30 for half an hour and a Bovril bevy. In Bicaz proper, (this closed a loop as I’d passed through there at the beginning of my trip), I turned E towards Piatra Neamt again to carry on towards Botosani. I was getting a bit tired though by then and noticed a sign to a Monastery, so I shot off in that direction. My thinking being that as they always seem to build the bloody things at the back of beyond there was a fair chance I’d find a place to camp.
I followed the road right into the monastery, about 25 kilometres up through the pine forest into the mountains. Tar except for the last ten k’s. The monastery wasn't much to write home about, looked more like a work in progress to me. Spotted one Nun doing her thing in the garden so I’m guessing it was ladies only up there.
There was nowhere to camp around the place but back the way I'd come in at the coordinates above there was a great big clearing in the forest which is where I put down roots for the night. Check it out in GoogleEarth, great camp, not too crowded. Bit eerie in the night and dark as hell. But great fun

OFR-37 15.05
Start: 00600   Finish: 18:45
Total km., for day: 525,9
Camped at: N47.60316° E25.85249°

A very quiet night.followed by a long old day, but my choice. The ride up to Botosani was pretty boring and my usual lack of any sort of major empathy with cities made me dodge straight back out once I’d got into the suburbs.

Its location put me in a corner of Romania which runs out east to Moldova and the Ukraine in the north. I figured it would be similar terrain as the trip down from Iasi down into the Delta. Long rolling agricultural land with next to nothing in it apart from lots of small villages. Still me being the way I am I had to find out for myself, and being the clever sod that I am it was as I thought it would be. Still that done I qualify for the T-shirt and don't have to rely on other folks say so. Which brings me to one of my favourite quote’s, it's from Aldous Huxley - “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”

If any one is interested where I’m talking of this is the route I took:
From Piatra-Neamt (N) to Pascani then (E) to Targu Frumos then (N) to Botosani. From there (E) to Stefanesti to go (NNW) on the 24C to Radauti-Prut. Thats as good as the Ukraine and I turned (W) and followed the 29A until I met up with the 29C which took me up to Siret. From there I just bashed down to Suceava and then (W) to here.
Here being a camping site with shower and stuff where I shall take another day off.

OFR-38 16.05
Start: 05:00   Finish: 00:00
Total km., for day: 11 (To the supermarket and back)
Camped at: N47.60316° E25.85249°

Up at 05:00 sorted van and myself out, good long shower and reverted to my usual beautiful handsome self, caught up on my notes and stuff and chilled.
Plan tomorrow is to head down to Hangu and back up into the hills, were a lot of image possibilities there and I want to see if I can get some more of the charcoal burners that were working there. Shall camp close I guess. After that a slow meander back to Baia Sprie which is where I met with my friend Radu at the start of the trip. I’ve found that this top northern part is my favourite so leave from Baia Sprie to head back home on the 26.05. That will be my final post then until I’m actually back home.

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6th. set

10/5/2018

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The image below epitomises what I've been saying about the drivers here. YOU NEED A LOT OF FAITH!
Why wasn't I surprised when I looked up the road traffic accident rate for Romania and found that they had the highest fatality rate in the EU for 2017.
Imagine that lot jingling and bouncing around in front of your eyeballs, doesn't bear thinking about.

This image epitomises all that I've been trying to say about driving in Romania YOU NEED A LOT OF FAITH

OFR-18 03.05
Start: 05:30   Finish: 14:45
Total km., for day: 263,5
Camped at: N45° E25.20904°
Another great night on the go at 05:30 getting the van and myself ready to go. On the road at 08:30. Just getting out of the northern half of Bucharest, which is where I was camped, was hard work traffic wise. Marius told me when he’s in town he leaves his car at home and uses local transport and taxis. Not worth his time or the stress he reckons. Can understand him.
First 120 km’s going North were not of particular note but improved after that, but photography wise a bit flat. Changed my route on a whim after awhile and instead of keeping east for some before turning north and the west to loop around to the south of Brasov to my “original” destination planned for this section, I cut straight north and went around Brasov to the north. From there up to Persani and Sinca Veche headed for Zarnesti. Not far outside of Sinca Veche I spotted tire tracks going off to my right straight through a meadow so I followed. Found my self another great spot, out of the way backed up out of sight into some Ash and Hazel trees for a quiet night.

After checking the map I’ve decided to change route again, may not work though, SatNav won't let me cut through the Mountain Ranges as I wish. Have to see tomorrow, the road may still be closed, its up over 2,000 m.

OFR-19 04.05
Start: 05:30   Finish: 14:15
Total km., for day: 178,6
Camped at: N45.46820° E25.22724°

Must have a clear conscience, I’m sleeping like a log. All fit at 07:30 fit and ready to rove, see what my route has for surprises. Road closed, yes or no?

In Zarnesti there is an entrance into national Park by the name of “Craiuli”. Wonderful! I went in as far as I was allowed to drive, and had to turn around. Annoys the proverbial out of me finding places like this at the “OF” stage of my life. To enjoy you have to be fit, strong with major helpings of endurance. Never mind I’m just grateful to have got see the likes, and glare my best old git scowl at all the lucky young folks.

Where I had to turn back was a very interesting info display, nature really is having a spree in the park. Masses of protected stuff, along with bear, wolf, lynx etc., etc. All they seem short of is lions and tigers.

In Zarnesti I spotted an Undertaker’s offering “Complete Funeral Services”. Got me wondering what an incomplete one is like. Perhaps they just put you out to dry!

From Zarnesti I tuned south onto Route 73 and drove as far as Camplung to stock up, had absolutely nothing left in the larder. Then went back up the 73 going north again and at a place named Podu Dambovite towards Dambovicioara, isn't that lovely, and I’ve not used any of the accents etc., on the letters. Anyway that leads into the same park I just raved about only on the other side of the mountains. This dives straight into a deep narrow limestone Gorge which opens up into a not much wider valley flanked by steep woody hills. Another Wow effect. Once again I drove as far as permitted and camped alongside a little brook and just enjoyed the solitude and quiet.

OFR-20 05.05
Start: 06:00   Finish: 13:10
Total km., for day: 158,6
Camped at: N45.56324° E24.60977°

Was headed back out by 07:30 headed off on the route I chose but now know for sure that it is closed somewhere up in the mountains. Decided to go anyway as I’m hoping to meet with another 1x’er on Monday quite close to here, so I need to kill some time.

The road heads more or les due north from Cuerta de Arges towards Corbeni and on past Lake Vidraru made by a Dam across the River Arges. The dam is 150 meters high so it holds back a mass of water. It is really a rather large lake and I was hoping to find a nice spot on its banks to camp. No luck, the road gives no opportunities to get down to it.

The whole drive was very interesting. As far as Corbeni great rolling green hills, either wooded or planted with goodies with who knows what in orchards. Looked like Walnuts and Olives to me but I ain’t no expert. Bumpy and windy as hell though. After that the roads heads on towards the mountains, again in a gorge before it starts a very convoluted climb up the sides to land immediately on top of the Dam. Quite a view. Going back out I’ll take a couple of snaps. The road is open up as far as 1,285 m., up. Turned back down and found an awful spot to camp. I really am suffering. I’ve included a photo so you can share my pain. (On the way out and based on what the roadside vendors had on their stalls I’m guessing Pears, big fat juicy ones, although its an odd time of the year).

Its getting really cloudy so I’m hoping a good strong lot of rain is coming to wash off all the caked mud that refuses to detach itself from my good steed since my Danube debacle. Must be places where its possible but solar to dense to locate one.

It really did come down hard for ages along with sleet at one stage. washed a lot of muck off but not the real heavy stuff.

OFR-21 06.05
Start: 06:30   Finish: 18:40
Total km., for day: 235
Camped at: N45.37930° E24.31639°

Set off at 06:30 after a really peaceful night. Off back down again, I wanted to try going out on the other side of the water and got about 7 km., down the dirt road to 45.43583° 24.60598° where there is a fairly large resort. Considering the road over the short stretch I thought for a change I’d ask before leaping and got a most emphatic no to carrying on the way I was headed. Apparently it has not been properly cleared after the winter, shame but not the end of the world.

Mind you it has got me thinking that the next major section of my original planned route might not be on. Had similar problems in Norway at this time of year. Roads still closed down because of winter. Up there sometimes into early June. Just have to wait and see.

Checked in with Julien at about 15:00 about our meeting up and he had just got home so we arranged to meet at 16:00 instead of tomorrow which suited me down to the ground. Did so and we had a good catch up and he treated me to a great “Italian” nosh and I headed on.

Getting to him took me through the Cozia National Park and the villages, mist and everything was tremendous. Photo at the end, I’ve added a caption to help ID it. In taking it, it crossed my mind that hopefully the blind faith that I put into the well being and capabilities of my mechanical steed are not misplaced. Pretty lonely and away from it all. Wouldn't want to get stuck, not a lot of traffic and no Mobile phone signal here, nor a lot of football teams to push.

Finally found a reasonable spot to camp up.

OFR-22 07.05
Start: 02:00   Finish: 19:05
Total km., for day: 365.7
Camped at: N44.86936° E22.38855°

Turned out to be a long day of adventures and a surfeit of adrenaline.

Got a major scare at 02:00, guess I wasn't as far off the beaten track as I should have been to stop where I did. Woke just before two for a pee (this takes place in my portable loo bootle inside the van thank goodness). If I’d been outside who knows what might have happened, the least would have been that I’d have died of fright.
Anyway business done and as I was about to lie down again the van was briefly light up by a torch which then swung away and gave me a glimpse of two other bodies lurking around before quickly being extinguished. That was when I proved to myself, often wondered how it would go in a situation, that I could get the front of the van in a driving state from the back, get into the pilots seat and do a flier, that is now a proven fact. I can do so.
As a result also learnt a few better ways of stowing the gear up front at night before settling down to make it a great deal easier to do. This includes being sure I can either drive straight through and out of the spot I’m camped in, or, reversed around so I can get straight away in the direction I came from. In this instance I had already checked I could drive straight through and out. There had been and still was a lot of rain coming down and was very concerned about waking up to find myself bogged down.
I headed down to the main drag and drove to where I had spotted place yesterday where spring water was available to fill up my canisters as I was almost empty. Then parked up in a Petrol Station forecourt for the rest of the night and slept some more, after my adrenaline level permitted.

Couldn't resist it and after waking up went back to have a look and there was no trace of any “lurkers”. Going back in I did pass a pair of horses, one white and the other chestnut coloured and briefly wondered if my imagination had got the better of me and it had been them. It is pitch black in these places and no real moonlight to write home about. I am also in the middle of reading Glen Cook’s “Instrumentalities of the Night” series, and in the middle of the “Surrender to the Will of the Night” volume.😳
I’m a bit doddery but not that much, I know a torch when I see one and anyway discretion was most definitely the better part of valour in this case was my my considered opinion. Not that I took long to consider it.
Moved a bit further up the valley and had a sedate and enjoyable breakfast to sooth my ruffled feathers, got my teeth all nice and shiny and set of on the part of the route that since I planned it over fifteen months ago has been a source of great excitement for me and I’ve been really looking forward to it. Assuming winter will not have put a damper on it. The way is straight through the National Park which goes by the name of Parcel National Cerna-Domogled.

When I had asked my Romanian friends to comment on it this particular section I was first told no, but when I mentioned I had four wheel drive yes. I did not mention that the van was not a 4x4. Perhaps I should have!
If anyone is interested look for a place named Uricani on Route 66A and from there straight on in a sort of SW’erly direction down to Baile Herculane. That was the plan, but Murphy showed up and somehow I landed up in Baia de Arama. That was most definitely a f’up as I have subsequently sorted out from the map I’ve got. Somewhere on the way past Uricani I missed a right and got off the 66A, which meant I was on a most definitely Off-road, road. Clever after the event and all that. The way up was a bit of a doddle and didn't give me any real cause to doubt that I was going the right way. Maybe the last five kilometres going up to the highest point made me a little edgy. Once I hit the top it was beautiful. the entire area had been cleared with views all around and it is some real wild country. Cracking. I took a breather and toyed with staying up there to camp, but with an eye on the weather decided no. Thank goodness I did.
The barrier on the continuation of the road down was open so I thought righty ho down we go. Mistake!
I started my downward trip at 13:30 and as can be seen from my driving finish time I finally camped up at 19:05 and that was all downhill. I’d got bout three kilometres behind me on the way down before I started to thing “oh dear”, but not much to be done at that stage, I was the wrong side of the rubicon, I doubt that I’d have got back up. So onward ever onward. It was all either in first or second gear all the way to Baia Arama, and having no ground clearance worth talking about I spent most of my time trying to balance along the tops of the ruts or with on set of wheels in the rut and the other up top.
After I’d been negotiating this lot for about eight kilometres I was suddenly confronted with four, 4x4’s going like the devil himself was after them. I had to laugh they were a German group, all young guys with all the gear. All had rally lights and intake snorkels and really looked the part. The lead vehicle was the one that got me. He had two rows of rally lights, five in each row, one row at bumper level and the other on the roof. If that wasn't bad enough they were all full on in bright sunshine. 🙄😳😋 . Reminded me a bit of Puff the Magic Dragon and his "Big Boy's Jeep" in Sohar! Anyway they were having their fun, but meeting a VW Caddy tootling along in the other direction being driven by an old fart took the wind out of their sails a bit I think. We had a nice chat, I told them what was coming their way and they mine and we parted.
Must confess to breaking into a sweat on more than one occasion and near the bottom got another wrong turn under my belt. By this time it was chucking it down and I found myself going up hill again thinking this can't be right. After about six kilometres in dodgy mud the track was blocked by loggers. Thank goodness it was or who knows where I might be now! After lots of hands and feet linguistics and laughs along with my by now torn and tatty map they put me right and one of them helped me not slide over the edge doing what must be the tightest three point turn of my life and I set off again. There were only a few minor set backs after that before I finally found this camp site. Bit loud etc., but with facilities of which the shower was the best endless hot steaming water for my nerves and weary bones.
I have to confess when I finally hit tar again I heaved a sigh of relief. That turned out to definitely be a, “I didna aughta dunn’it" ride. But I also have to confess once my heart had slowed down to normal again and I was able to relax that I was glad I did dunnit! Wont bother again unless the vehicle is right and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to others. Got away with it and done is done and behind us. The rest of the trip is all on tar and apart from potholes and Romanian Kamikaze drivers nothing to write home about.

OFR-23 08.05
Start: 06:15   Finish: 14:15
Total km., for day: 188,3
Camped at: N45.18877° E22.00735°

Moved out at 08:30 intending to do no more than 150 km’s. But as always by the time a suitable place to camp is located it always ends up a bit more.

It was a wonderful scenic drive full of passing interests, but that was all, nothing out of the ordinary and I was thankful really. Yesterday was enough excitement for a day or so. Finally found this place right out of the way down on the banks of a fairly fast brook, looked like a major trout fishing area as I came in. I’m definitely far enough off the beaten track for “lurkers” not to come and haunt my pee break in the night and I’m content.

Had the van sorted out, all doors and windows open to air the place and the kettle was on when my visitors arrived. A whole herd of cows came wandering through, they paused long enough to check both the van and me out then continued on their way, all by their own some, no herder. Going home for the night I suppose.

OFR-31 09.05
Start: 06:00   Finish: 12:50
Total km., for day: 214,5
Camped at: N45.68850° E22.85390°

Really short day mostly all on an E Route so I could cover the ground fairly pronto. Just as well as this drive has been utterly boring. First time that has happened on this trip.

I have never seen so many walnut trees in my life though. The road the entire way lined with them, left and right, as well as fields full of them and at least one in everybody's garden. Need a freight train to harvest the crop.

Picked a pay site again ‘cos nowt around that is anywhere worthy of a wild camp.

Spent the afternoon eating, reading, catching up on my notes and generally taking it easy. Tremendous thunderstorm been going on for almost the last two hours. lovely.

Hope to have an internet connection either tomorrow or Friday.

OFR-32 10.05
Start: 06:00   Finish: 15:50
Total km., for day: 335,4
Camped at: N45.70625° E24.10438°

All quiet overnight on the lake and headed off back towards Uricani, which is where my little off-road adventure started. Reason to go back was that the town is the left over from coal mining that used to go on here. Used to be a major industry and then closed down. All min heads and processing plants built up in support in the area have been left to run, fall apart and make a blot on the landscape. The apartment blocks , presumably for the miners and ancillary stuff are still there, and in a terrible state of disrepair, but still lived in. It was these that caught my eye first time and I thought it was a missed photo opportunity. But back there today it was just so depressing to see how the folks live I couldn't bring myself to take any.

Must be, or have been something going on in the mountains that I went through, somewhere up there at least. As i was driving back in over twenty, Swiss registration, serious looking 4x4’s and support vehicles came down the other way, looking very dirty indeed. Must be a rally of some sort going on.

After that headed back to Petrila towards Brezoi in the opposite direction as that a few days ago. Then when it meets the 67C took left to go north to Saliste, then east towards Sibiu. At Sacel dived down onto the backroads to this place, Cisnadioara. really torturous route but absolutely fascinating.

Small neat little camp site here for all of €7.00 with WiFi. Hence the stop. tomorrow I do the rounds of the Fortified Churches, two of which I saw, briefly on my first trip, and found them rather interesting. They are the centre of the villages which grew out around them. In times of trouble they all dived inside the walls.

OFR-33 11.05
Start: 05:45 Finish: 00:00
Total km., for day:
Camped at: N° E°

Up early today in the hope that I can get the rest of the images and blog notes uploaded, too much traffic last night. Anyway got it done. This will probably be the last post for about the next ten days so don't hold your breath.

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5th. set

1/5/2018

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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 🤔

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8th. and final set. Excluding conclusion.

7th. set

6th. set

5th. set

Hawkeye the Ageing

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