end of an interesting trip

Its always the way - you get home and within 24 hours the idea of being thousands of miles away gets totally blown away and reality cuts back in rather quickly.
Jet lag managed to blur my  first week home - except the excited reunion with Roxy will always stay in my memory... 

Now I look back on my trip and already the scary bits are disappearing and the beautiful autumn colours are coming back to the fore...  its been good to go through my photos and relive the great paths and scenery that Hennie and I rolled through...  I had planned this trip to coincide with the arrival of cooler temps and autumn colours.  I read somewhere that trees/plants know that winter is approaching because of the shorter daylight hours, rather than daily temperatures.  Well, that figures why I was treated with some beautiful oranges, yellows, reds and browns, while perspiring at temperatures hovering around the 26 - 28!  Especially in Serbia, the people were soaking up the sun, amazed at their good fortune of some extra warmth before the freezing winter cuts in.

It was interesting to see the changes in the Danube as I progressed along its length, how it widened and the many islands splitting up its width.  It was great to see that its banks were generally lined with a good barrier of trees, sometimes blocking its view all day, other times being lined by fishing shacks and holiday homes.  Near the villages and towns there were always some guys sitting on its banks, their fishing lines stretched out wishfully hoping to catch dinner, though I only saw one guy proudly walking back to his car dangling a rather large fish - I think that was in Golubac near the end of the trip!   In the larger cities, the river was lined with parklands and pedestrian/bike paths (sometimes separated) that were being enjoyed by the locals as much as by me.  Sadly, once arriving into Serbia, the banks of the river became more and more polluted with plastic bottles and general debris, but then that seemed normal throughout this country.

The traffic was the worst part of this trip - I hadn't factored that in, as generally where I have ridden in the past (and this includes Russia!) I haven't had too much to complain about, so it just wasn't on my radar...  next time if anyone asks me if I am scared to travel on my own, I will quickly answer that the traffic could give me some hassle.

But what was the best?  That's always hard to pin down...  does purling along a bike path on a sunny day, birds tweeting, sun shining and general happiness count as being the best?  Or is it a specific moment, when a woman comes past and hands me a bag of fruit or when I am handed 4 big freshly picked apples!  Its hard to say...  But for a day trip, I think it was the ride from Komarom to Esztergom, mostly on a bike path that ran behind houses and through parklands along the banks of the Danube.  Maybe after Hurricane Hungary the day before, everything looked so much rosier than usual...  But looking at the photos for the day, I see so many autumn colours captured a tasty lunch and arriving into Esztergom was pretty spectacular too... 

these countries were pretty unknown to me apart from the reporting of the breakup of Jugoslavia in the 1990's.  so now I have a picture in my mind of the environment along the river and a feeling of the people that inhabit these lands.  what more can I expect, when just briefly visiting a country. 
although the scenery wasn't mindblowingly spectacular, there was a peaceful and timeless beauty about it and I think the autumn colours really added a nice touch. 

so - yes, I did enjoy this trip and here's some of my favourite pics to prove it! 

Tourist in Belgrade

Keeping an open mind (as reminded by Emma) I headed off along the streets of Belgrade.  Firstly the staff at the hotel tried to track down a box to pack Hennie in, but the closest one was over 4km away and the suggestion to catch a tram there didn't really work for me, as I can't imagine getting back on a tram with an empty bike box - so we're going to see if we can wing-it at the airport!  wish us luck!!
So I wandered lonely as a cloud (especially with these blue skies!) around the close-by streets, trying to get my bearings, but the street plan seems to have evolved over the hundreds of years and Colonel Light would have a conniption if he saw this street layout...  Needless to say, without some app - in my case Map.Me, I would still be wandering but being a rather dark cloud!!
I had to come back for a break before lunch and after a lay-down, I was now getting hungry and had to find somewhere to eat. 
I had it in my mind to visit the Jewish Museum, but ended up in the middle of the shopping strip and its maze of streets and alleys and of course got lost.   I found a place for lunch and some people watching and enjoyed the Vegi spring rolls with chips, a totally different taste, with roasted capsicum and tomatoes with tahini sauce...  and sitting outside meant that some of the tobacco smoke was spread out.  But by then the museum was closed, so I had to find me way back to the hotel...  My biggest worry is "what if I run outa phone battery"!!  how did I survive before Map.Me...
So more photos today - here's a selection! 

too many leaves to sweep here, Carl!

Inside St Mark's

Impressive mosaics

St Mark's Cathedral

The broadcast centre that was bombed by NATO in 1999
has been kept as a memorial to the lives lost on that day

Photo bombing pigeon

great musician

Bus to Belgrade

And so ends my cycling along the Danube.  Immediate thoughts still linger on the crazy drivers and the stress they have caused!  Hopefully those will fade and the good times will come to the fore! I do remember fondly all the beautiful autumn leaves and the slow and reflective ever-moving Danube.  All the cute dogs, loved by their owners, primped or not - but none like Roxy - and sadly all those stray dogs that lie around on the streets, unloved and so sad looking - most have no will to bother, there was only a couple of occasions I was freaked... 

So this day, I had to pack up and get Hennie down the bus stop and catch the bus back to Belgrade.  Of course, I rocked up there about 40 mins early as usual, so had time to have a bit of a look around.  One thing I did spy was the workers off one of the cruise boats moored at the jetty...  They had unloaded bags and bags of rubbish, some sorted by the clink of bottles and the three skips were filled to overflowing... Now that was something I hadn't thought about...  I wonder if the tour companies pay for the garbage to be disposed...  wonder how much just gets slipped over the side in the dead of night...  surely not!
Eventually the bus arrives, bus driver looks at Hennie and says, No... (sign language) he can't take the bike... thankfully there were 2 ladies there speaking good English and said that I will have to wait till the 5pm bus that has carriers on the back!  No way I say!  I must get to Belgrade before then!  I put on my old-lady sad look and then they start to discuss - I butt in and say I can take off front wheel and put her in a bag...  Da Da Da!  so I had already kept the plastic bag at the top incase it was needed and bling blam, she's in her bag with a little help from some guy and she's shoved into the luggage compartment and away we go.  I could have waited until 5pm but that would mean getting into Belgrade at 9pm and I was not going to be doing that...  It cost $24 for 2 bags, a bike and me for a 400km journey...  and by half way, the bus was full and for the last 50km there were a couple of people having to stand.  Public transport is popular here. 
It was a bumpy, jerky trip as the driver had to keep suddenly hitting the brakes to avoid head on collisions as witnessed from my bike, but eventually we arrived around 3pm and again with the help of another kind soul, all my luggage and Hennie was dragged onto the footpath...  there's no waiting around for buses, even at this final stop.  So out of the bag she came, wheel back on, panniers loaded on and away we went...  walking because on a Sunday afternoon (probably every afternoon) its madness in Belgrade.  And it was uphill...  I really wonder how I got on without Map.Me app...  We struggled along, noticing one major street being closed to cars and people out walking with their kids and their dogs and eventually we arrived at the Hotel Marquise.  I was welcomed and quickly signed in and Hennie was unloaded and taken down to the garage for a well earned rest.  She has carried me 1297km (maybe I should do a little 3km ride tomoz) and deserves a good rest.
After a shower, I strolled out into the streets, looking for somewhere to have some dinner.  By now I was hungry because apart from one coffee and a small apricot danish I haven't eaten since breakfast!  I tried to find a nice little place without too much smoke belching out and was happy with my choice - especially as they had Haloumi on the menu - as a starter, which meant I had room for dessert, so tried the Chestnut torte - yummo!  Ready for bed!
Didn't take any photos along the way - dang, I sat on the wrong side of the bus and had the sun in my face and a very dirty window anyways...  But here's a few snaps before we left Donji Milanovac.

a great place to sit and watch the birds at Petrovic apartment

Preparing for winter - I heard one guy chopping wood all Saturday afternoon,
and had started again by 8am Sunday morning.

Rosemary bush - rather old I reckon

Sharing a War Memorial tradition with us - 1941-1945

Farewell Danube - hope one day your air is much cleaner

Waiting patiently at the bus stop

Last day - down the Gorge and back again

I had the best sleep ever last night...  some things weigh on your mind without you knowing about them, I think.
An early start for a quick ride down the valley was the plan...  but I was just feeling like I was on holidays!  but eventually Hennie - without all those bags - and me headed off down to the river.  Oh, there's a cruise ship in and a little market, I had better check that out!
The women in the area had all set up little tables covered with tablecloths with embroidery and crochet edges.  Some were hand done and others were machine stitched and all a bit inflated price for those wealthy women from the cruise.  But I found a couple of things, then Hennie and me were on our way...  But an elephant?  Here?  as strange as the head-standing elephant at GOMA!

Its so different cycling without the bags!  It was just like a Saturday morning ride at home... without Roxy in her basket tho...  At first, we had to ride up alongside a river that was almost as wide as the Danube, because that's where the bridge was...  and once over that, we turned back to the Danube to keep going down with the river, but it wasn't all down, in fact it was more a gently slope upwards.  The river was still wide at first, but then Romania started to creep closer - or was it Serbian encroaching towards Romania...  But the Danube keep them apart and at peace, for the time being anyways.

The road was right on the edge of the river, with the forested hills coming right down to the edge.  I am a bit puzzled with what I see in Romania...  There's a huge wind farm marching off into the distance.  The road on that side, looks bigger and wider and in places it looks like it might even be built out over the water...  In fact it looks much more modern than Serbia.  I really don't know anything about Romania - except being warned about farm dogs (and I love their music!).  maybe another time... or not!

One thing I wanted to see on this trip was autumn colours and I have certainly seen heaps of that, especially this past week.  There's hardly any green leaves left on most of the trees.  Some are already bare, while their leaves litter the ground.  Each little town I have ridden through, there's someone out there with a straw broom, sweeping leaves.  Unfortunately, often there's also a smouldering pile of leaves as well. 

I decided to stop at the 22km mark just on the other side of the longest tunnel.  I was still about 4km away from where the really tight bit is, but it was all downhill and that would mean a long grind back up and I had a fair bit to do today, so I pulled the pin and lent Hennie up against a barrier, had a snack and watched the antics of the tour boats, dodging each other trying to get to the best part of the gorge.  Of course there was always one that had to do "wheelies".  

Now it was time to get back to the unit and get another load of washing on, sort out my stuff and also to give Hennie a very good bath...  but going back meant I was now riding on the side closest to the river!  a bit scary as there wasn't always a barrier and no shoulder.  But we made it without too many hassles and with great relief.  

I must say, that I have really enjoyed being in this apartment - making me think that maybe it could be fun to stay in one place and look all around before moving onto the next place...  hmmm....  where to next time???

and so I have caught up on the blogs.  and so to bed!  goodnight!!!  :)                                                             

Bagless!!

Romania

Final Destination - Plan B

You all know by now that the drivers here have little regard for others and sometimes even for themselves!  this stress has caused even more of my hair to turn white, so last night I did some serious thinking.  the day ahead was going to be on major and then minor roads, then back on to the major road.  Now these roads aren't Major, just the only one around and they are not wide, nor do they have shoulders and Yes, there are trucks and huge tourist buses (usually filled with rowdy teenagers!!) plus the usual drivers and Farmer Brown on his tractor or driving his huge corn reaper....  so am over it...  What if I find somewhere nice in Donji Milanovac for 2 nights, then I can just duck up into the first really narrow gorge and back for 2nd night in DM...  There's a daily bus service to Belgrade from Donji Milanovac and they take bikes and its just under 4 hours (how many days have I been pedalling from Belgrade?).  That would mean one less border to cross into Romania - one less currency to work out, no catching trains and worrying if I will get back to Belgrade in time for my flight home on Wednesday!  so Ms Google is called up and she suggests staying at Petrovic apartment for 2 nights and then I checked my credit card balance and geez!!  I can afford some "comfortable" lodgings in Belgrade, so keeping away from the sites that suggest if you like partying and music, I tracked down the grand old Marquis (hopefully its not too old! - just sounds like it would be!) its breakfast table looks pretty good and reviews say so too AND they offer a shuttle to the airport!  Click click clickety click!  done deal...  Plan B is sounding just fine! and really it is only half of one stage of cycling that I am opting out of...  so....
the morning dawned another warm day ahead - temps in the shade are supposed to be around 25, but out in the sunshine, its quite a bit warmer, so much for autumn chills! 
On the outskirts of Golubac is their castle - a mighty fortress that over the past 700 years has been front line protection between the Hungarians, Ottoman Turks and Austrian Hapsburgs...  Eventually Serbia took control of this area in the last 1800's but with the building of the massive dam downstream by Romania, 1972, the lower parts of the castle (and Donji Milanovac too) was flooded but its upper parts are still sticking up out of the water... Old DM is completely underwater, so this DM has been built since then...  but still in a smiliar style, to has echoes of Soviet times too!  Of course when I pedalled past at 9:30, I find that the castle is not open to the public until 10 and well....  I have been in other castles... so onwards we went... 
I was sorta dreading today's ride as it was all on the road, but it wasn't as busy as I imagined and actually wasn't in too bad shape...  the traffic wasn't too bad either, just the stress of always checking the rear view mirror, especially when oncoming traffic approaches, because its too hard to someone to slow down for a nano second...  There was one serious climb - 2km drag up to 500m and although there was a slow lane, I still chose to walk the last 1km!  Maybe the old legs are getting tired!
Autumn has really arrived and if it cools down soon, winter will be just around the corner...  the hillsides are almost all brown now, not much green to be seen anywhere...  Still some wonderful red and yellows and I am still enjoying seeing them...  I spy tiny old farmhouses, with their lifestyles hardly changed for years...  It makes me wonder what the old people are thinking here...  Can they remember when there was no blue haze and that, from their front verandah, they could clearly see the receding mountain ranges...   I wonder if we will ever get our act together to clear up this air pollution that as been caused by the oil industry...  but lets not get political, political!!
Most of today was spent pedalling along the shores of Lake Delap (caused by the dam) - which is still the Danube, but it was over 5km wide in some places and Romania was fading into the distance...  It is always strange to be sitting on one side of the river and seeing life go by on the other side, in a totally different country...  At one stage I could hear voices of Romanians down on their beach.  so close!  Bit hard for an Aussie to get their head around that... and wonder about the wars that have been fought over country...  sigh... 
And before I knew it!  I was arriving in Donji Milanovac, a couple hours sooner than I had expected.  There was an Information centre - and it was still open! - and a young guy with very good english, informed me that yes, the bus does stop across the road, there would be one on Sunday at 11:10 and yes, it should take Hennie no problems...  Phew!
I had been given clear instructions on where the apartment was and that the key would be in the door and sure enough, here it is, just like the photo and yes, there's the key...  I am already inside and half unpacked when a young girl arrives (also with very good english) and after a quick walk down to the ATM I hand over 8000 dinar ($110 for 2 nights) and she heads off home and settle into my little home for 2 nights!  I really wish that I had got onto these apartments earlier...  I have loved every one and they are really cheap but also really private...  I like that...  so that's it...  am just under my 1000km October challenge by 7km, but I am planning a quick dash downstream tomorrow, so that will cover that! 
And there's a washing machine here, so a nice hot shower and all my grotty clothes are chucked into the machine and while that was churning away, I skuttled down to the corner shop and bought some grub.  I tried to buy 2 stubbies of beer, but was told that I couldn't buy bottled beer unless I had 2 empties to replace...  Now I had seen an old geezer in Golubac, get out of his truck with 2 empties and rush into the corner store there and come out with 2 full ones, so that explains maybe why there aren't so many bottles on the side of the road...  now they need to start doing the same for the plastic bottles and cans...  anyways, I was able to buy 2 cans of beer, so all is good in the world...
I bought a packet of Leek soup and a small bag of fruz veggies and that will be tea for tonight.  Got milk and yoghurt for my muesli in the morning and there's Nescafe here and that will do...  And!!!  I worked out how to switch on the TV with the 2 remotes...  but couldn't find "Open All Hours"  I have loved seeing 2 episodes of that the past 2 nights!! Never too much of Ronnie Barker :)
Good night!!

Golubac Castle - keeping its head above the water

When this place was new, it would have been a
wonderful place to sit and sip!  but there was a loo!

someone slowly in the process of building their own castle

Try bunny hopping up onto that walkway!!  At speed with a
bus or truck up ya clacker!!

How most people see the Danube

Well, so nice and clean, that calls for a stop

and some zip-tie fixing - and yes, I did cut the ends off!

even a bike rack at this one

Good excuse to stop and catch one's breathe - and then to plod onwards to the top

traditional haystacks, or corn husk stacks

Lake Delap - aka The Danube

This church (like most!) chimes for 5 mins at 8am, noon and 6pm
I kinda like it!