Turnu Magurele to Giurgiu 109km Tuesday 19th June 2018

 

Ionela and Daniel had prepared an excellent breakfast of an omelette with vegetables from their garden and plenty of coffee. Accommodation along this part of the Eurovelo 6 trail seems to be rather scarce. For anyone plotting their course through Turnu Margurele, I highly recommend staying here. You will not get a better welcome or insight into the town and locale. They plan to add a pool to their garden next year too. Contact details are as follows:

Ionela + Daniel PirlanTurnu Magurele, street OLTETULUI, nr 48 (not OLTULUI).
phone number 0040763793736, email address ionelle2000@gmail.com

 

Thus it was that we left as the Sun began its glare at the floodplain. We were like turkeys that voted for Christmas. The end of the journey was upon us and we were glumly making our way direction Constanta and the Black Sea. It is telling of the mood that today was the only day that I took only two photos:

 

This mixed adulation to various architectural styles seemed to my untrained eye to have been gleaned by someone who travelled all over Europe and perhaps beyond. Several locals told me that this house belonged to Gypsies and was constructed over time with money they sent back regularly from wherever they were and that they would ultimately retire to it.

The road eased us eastwards, mostly straight through many villages lined with fruit trees. Mostly plum and cherry trees.  Ciuperceni, Traian, Seaca, Navodari, Vanatori, veer north around Lake Suhaia through Lisa and turning south again through Piatra and a quick stop for a coffee in Viisoara. It looked to be the only place open in town. There was a speaker outside on a chair blaring very bad version of local folk music. We were the only customers. We tried to ask the two young men running the place if they could turn it down or off but they seemed to plead powerlessness to change anything. Another, older, man came out from the neighbouring garden where the speaker’s lead ran into. He noted our presence, disappeared back into his garden and the music was made louder. I can only surmise that the neighbour was engaged in some sort of war with the cafe. We stayed less than five minutes.

We continued south through Viisoara, Suhaia, Fantanele and took lunch from a supermarket in Zimnicea. There were no children coming out to give us high fives all through these villages. The villages however appeared to be somewhat more prosperous and well maintained than those we had flitted through further west. Perhaps proximity to the capital had a bearing on this. Traffic also built up as we went further east with many large trucks that seemed to be less considerate too than the ones we had experienced before. We crossed the Vedea, another tributary to the Danube and were regularly buzzed by the traffic. On one occasion I bopped the bike down the 5 cm drop off the asphalt onto the verge. Normally this would not be a problem but after the traffic had passed and things grew quiet our progress was marked by a tickledy tick coming from the rear wheel. Perhaps a stick or a we stone bouncing through the spokes? A pause to investigate. Lift bike, spin wheel, squint. No sticks. No stones. Spin and squint again. And again. Change angle. Wheel has a slight wobble. Check spokes. One had snapped and wheel had indeed a slight buckle. Nothing to impede progress directly but worriesome enough. Norman and his amazingly well packed bags had a spare spoke of the right size! Bike on its back. Off with the wheel. Off with the tire and tube. Not off with the damaged spoke. It did not want to move. Another problem was the bit that had snapped took the holding nut with it for a visit into the hollow chamber of the rim. No holding nut no holdy spoke in the righty placey……. My left pedal had also acquired a habit of ticking on the downside of each revolution in the later part of each day. Something I put down to a lack of grease in the spindle housing. I was going to have to find a bike whisperer that evening or the next day….

We gingerly continued our way through Bojoru, Pietrosani, Vedea, Slobozia and into Giurgiu. Giurgiu is a large town full of trucks in a long queue waiting to cross the Danube into Bulguria. A friend in Ireland had suggested that I might want to favour Ruse over Giurgiu for accommodation on the basis that Ruse was slightly better quality and value for money. Norman had a place booked just north of Giurgiu at Daia and I managed to book in the same place but had to cancel when it came apparent that I would have to check back into Giurgiu and possibly Ruse for bike repairs. I found a simple 2 star hotel and installed myself, leaving Norman with the arrangement that I would catch up with him at Daia the next day once I had sorted things out.

Things took a turn for the better as I was having my dinner at the hotel – two other Euroveloists – Luca from Italy and Jozef from German were having a vivid conversation via google translate at the next table. It turned out that they had just put in a huge day from the west – about 150km and they were planning the same the next day as they wanted to have to time to explore Constanta and Tulcea when they got there. I told them they were crazy but that we might see each other down the road and we exchanged contact details.

Our original plan was to have an easy day to Oltenita (about 75km) the next day. However I was going to need to get some repairs done and information online and via local intelligence as to where it might be possible, was very limited. An early night for an early start as many places around here open at 7 and 8am.