Enjoying the South Bank

After a quickly scoffed breakfast, Hennie and I rushed off to catch the ferry.  It was 12 km away and I wasn't sure what the road was like, but apart from one little rise, it was an easy ride and we were at the ferry 40 minutes early...  I could hear deliverance music ringing in my ears - am sorta glad I didn't just rock up here looking for a bed...  there are a couple of options, but I reckon they would all be worthy rivals for the Rollingstone Pub...  I bought a coffee and waited and waited.  I eventually got the nod that I had to move to the other ramp and then I see a rough sign saying ferry departs at 10:30...  so no drama...
Eventually it arrived and unloaded its 3 cars and once we were all on board, we chugged off to Ram.  What a nice little place! And what a difference a border makes?   Immediately I felt a different vibe, but maybe because Ram is only a little town... The 3 cars and one motorbike roared off and suddenly there was peace and quiet.  I could hear voices of men discussing whatever, as they sat outside the corner shop, there was a rooster crowing, birds tweeting - a dog barked somewhere but not at me, so peaceful!  I pushed Hennie up the hill and at the top there was a little lookout, so thought we would sit and ponder the scenery - unfortunately shrouded in a blue haze of pollution, but even so, it was a really good vantage point...  I wonder how many do stop...  there was only a bit of litter around, so maybe not too many.  Its always a great idea to stop on the top of a hill...  Hennie and I just coasted down the hill and we just kept going!  mostly on minor roads, which at first I thought were bike paths as they were so narrow, but not so!  cars going back and forth but not too many... 
The signs seems to be made for me today...  so many seemed spot on!  so excuse the extra photos of them today.
The air pollution is constant tho - blue haze!  hard for photography!  some is smoke from farmers buying corn stubble - sad that practice is still happening...  but why is this side so much tidier?  Obviously the council has a better garbage collection policy as there are a lot more garbage bins and skips that aren't overflowing or surrounded by piles of rubbish.  People seem to be quicker to smile here too - and some houses are looking new and/or well cared for.  Maybe its a more affluent area, but the farms are still growing corn and apples...  who knows.
so no dramas and just an easy pedal makes for a happy chappy on a bike!!   I cruised along a nice new bike path right on the edge of the Danube into the small township of Golubac, saw Murphy in action with his bricklaying (see below!) got growled and barked at by two stray dogs, but found the great little apartment, that's straight out of an Ikea showroom! 

getting the hang of a foreign currency - 3430 dinar = $33 roughly - I think

Minds, like parachutes, only function when they are open

Like all good travellers I have seen more than I can remember,
and remember more than I have seen

The ferry...  it grinds into the gravel bank and the workers come
out with shovels to smooth out the dirt so the cars don't
bump off too sudden!

Castle at Ram - closed for renos

Nice place to stop on the top of a hill

Fancy house with a vineyard

so here's me...  apparently I don't take too many selfies - I wonder why!!

If you look like your passport photo, you're too tired to cycle
- take a rest at Silver Lake

Bob Hawke in his younger days

Maybe you are lucky to be going so slowly,
because you maybe going in the wrong direction 

And about 50m down the road, I did turn right instead of left but thankfully Map.Me found me again!

so what did I mean about Murphy not being at work?  Well its an old Irish folk song, about bricks falling out of a wheelbarrow as its being hauled up a floor or two...  I tried to upload the clip, but it didn't work, so here's just a moment, from the video...  you might have to squint a bit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ9pPgOdjjg for reference!

so... what's in all those bags?

I am sure plenty of people wonder just what I am toting around in those bulging panniers!  I see them look at me and they give a wry smile - Westerners with all their possessions!  so let's just see!

two small panniers at the front and two large at the back...  lets start with the large!
1.  Clothes - apparently we need to wear them!  and riding a bike means sitting on a rather small seat all day - so 2 pr of long knicks - ie lycra cycling pants with padded insert where it hurts the most!  2 pr of long-sleeved t-shirts that I really needed in the first week and 1 pr long-sleeved fine woollen singlet, also needed in the first week and on the plane.  there's 3 short-sleeved t-shirts, 1 bought in Vienna and 1 light long-sleeved t-shirt that I bought in Osijek because it was getting warmer and 1 long-sleeved jumper to wear on the plane and when I am out walking around the streets...  there's 3 prs of undies and 2 bras...  3 pr sox, 2pr that I bought in Vienna and 1pr of compression sox for plane....  so that's all squeezed into 3 zip-lock bags that you can squeeze the air out of and then shoved with a bit of effort into largest pannier.  Then I push my little laptop in between those bags and she's nice and snug and hopefully protected (so far so good).  ooh, nearly forgot the wet weather gear...  so in another zip lock bag, there's wet weather pants, booties to cover my shoes and my rain coat and helmet cover when the sun is shining...  so far have only used the raincoat and helmet cover...  the rain just hasn't been wet enough to need the pants or booties!!  amazing!
2. Other large pannier has stuff I really only need when I am packing up Hennie - there's the fancy wheels for moving the boxed Hennie in, there's a cargo bag for luggage on the plane and a small one for carry on luggage (when Hennie is packed for flight, I also include the panniers in with her - as added protection which means I need the cargo bag, but it rolls up really compactly.  There's also bits of pool noodle as protection for Hennie's front forks once the front wheel is removed.  There's also a roll of tape and I also shove in my non-cycling shoes.. and even a nail brush (bought here) for scrubbing her tyres before returning home... oh and there's a spare tubes too.
3. one small front pannier is my larder.  Crackers, bread bun, cheese that gets a bit melty by the end of the day, but only lasts for 2 days... I bought a little traveller kit of knife, fork & spoon at a Spar supermarket in Hungary at their salad bar and they have been extremely handy.  There's also a plastic container that I can use the lid as a plate...  at the end of the day, its usually filled with empty chip packets, squashed banana and a dented apple, but that's ok...  I can handle that...  But after coming out of a supermarket in the morning, I do wonder where everything is gunna fit.
4.  other front pannier has my toiletries bag, first aid kit, and travel bag of info, receipts from hotels and general blah that is collected along the way, plus copies of passport and flight details.  Also the external hard-drive where I download my photos each night.  so there's space here to for the early morning overflow from shopping - usually 1.25l of water.
But that's not all!
5, 6 & 7!  there's the front handle-bar bag that has my camera and binoculars, plus lip balm, tissues and then there's the fancy new bar bag, which has a see-thru (reflections included) pocket for my mobile phone and helps me from getting too lost, if I remember to look at it.  stuffed in under the phone, is often a muesli bar and a handful of boiled sweets type of thing - my favourite are the coffee flavoured ones - remember Kopika (I think) - given out at some government meetings.  I found them in Hungary, but not since and I reckon today I will probably finish the last 2 - soooo sad!!!  but there are always alternatives - surely.  lastly there's the trunk bag.  bike lock in here, plus shirt in the morning while I am still wearing my jacket then vis versa... I carry my water bottles in there too, going up and down from rooms... rain coat is there if I think I need it and the helmet cover. and bike lights and spares.
8. & 9. Oh nearly forgot my back pack...  it doesn't have too much, just my travel folder with my passport, purse, more lip balm, note book and pen and guide book.  I can jam my camera in there when I leave Hennie tied up somewhere....  and the saddle bag, which has a spare tube, repair kit and a coupla bits and pieces there...
So - now you know!!!  I wish there was some way I could pare things back, but this is as skimpy as I can get.  I have already left an uncomfortable jumper that I wore on the plane...  it was too hot then and just not comfy, so left in one of my rooms - hoping with winter approaching sometime soon, someone will be able to make use of it.  I probably won't bring home my 3 t-shirts as they are getting a little worn looking (surprise) and because I have even less baggage allowance for my return, (26kg) I am going to have to post most of my clothing home.
so...  with the weight of Hennie herself (26kg which includes her 2 racks and the empty panniers and packing), there's 30kg plus my weight, which I hope is getting less every day, but let's not go there! so dear faithfull Hennie is doing a marvellous job, spinning us around this lovely flat land...  I have to work a bit harder on the ups, but there haven't been too many of them this time...  her strong steel frame means that I can have the front panniers, which Maggie couldn't handle...  it means that although there are more bags, they spread the weight - I actually don't know how I managed with only the two, but I also needed a bigger back pack then.....

so this morning, I am up early and already packed because breakfast is at 8 and I need to be on the road by 9, to hoon down to the ferry terminal to catch the 10am ferry across the Danube to continue cycling in Serbia.  The border with Romania starts here on this side of the river, hence the dash across to the other side to continue to stay in Serbia...  hmmmm.....  apparently Romania is much less organised than Serbia...  and everyone says the farm dogs are vicious!!!  well, I know about that...  but there are no bike paths at all in Romania, so I will stick with the guide...  its been basically correct for 98% of the time!
tally ho!!!

Hennie having a break - ferry ride over the Danube to Ram -
yes, that is air pollution

Soviet styled Kovin - Goodbye!

I hadn't realised just how Soviet this area was...  I am having flashbacks to my trip with Matias when we cycled through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania...  Serbia feels a bit like that trip, only with a lot more trash scattered around... am hoping that Serbians start thinking of ways to re-use their plastic - could be good employment opportunities.
So today, after a cranky stay at the pretentious Grad Plamen (was advertised as a B&B but actually a hotel), Hennie and I headed into town to stock up the food bag and it is the first town where I was actually a little worried about leaving Hennie, fully loaded, outside the supermarket...  so locked her securely - back and front wheel - and zinked into the Mega supermarket...  only not so mega and it gave me an idea that this town could be struggling...  and no sweet pastries for morning tea...  but coffee in UHT!  Saved...  I almost bought a 2 ltr bottle of metho...  no colouring here, but because it was down where the washing powder was and there weren't many, I got a bit cluey and put it back... Yes, I do buy water here...  when one sees how many bottles of water are for sale (and how many are scattered around) the locals mustn't trust their water supply either... I feel a bit hypercritical going on about litter and buying bottled water...  am hoping that the places I stay at, put the rubbish out for collection and not just go and toss it in the bush...  who knows!
However, today was back to the river and onto the rather rattling path along the flood dyke and I am smiling and Hot!!  now one of the reasons why I chose this time of the year to go for a pedal here, was to experience autumn and a bit of chill weather....  so why am I pedalling along in 26 - 27s!!  sunburnt lip and thinking I could have brought my 3/4 knicks!!  dang!!  but the autumn colours are all here and its happening really quickly...  some trees that were yellow a couple of days ago are now almost leafless..  but there is still a lot of yellow and brown happening (sounds like the 70's!).  I don't see the river that often, but I went down a track to a small village right on the edge...  it was quite a nice little village - one row of nice beach shacks...  ya just can't beat a beach shack I reckon.
The last 20km was back on the road, but it wasn't very busy and I became very passive and just hitting the grassy verge when a truck came along...  at least the shoulder was tidy...  The countryside had really changed as I turned away from the river looking for my booked accommodation in Bela Crkva (yeah...  I do not know how to pronounce that!!)  shades of dry Charters Towers...  and chased by a dog or two... and I was worried about Romania!
Another stuff up with my booked vila!  I couldn't find it...  I had tagged it to Map.Me from the booking and here I am... standing on the exact spot - yes behind me is Hotel Laguna and in front???  a rather cute Vila Marija, but not the other one...  OK... switch on Roaming and give them a call...  yay, phone is working... but no one answers...  dang!  try again!  rang out again...  I had already gone into Vila Marija, in case there had been a change of name...  but they had never heard of it - checked at the Hotel and she hadn't heard of it either...  Oh Well...  so I booked into the Vila Marija - costs me 1950 dinars for my room with en suite and breakfast included = $27...  the other one cost me $40 so if they charge me I won't be that cranky!  well... not That cranky!
I have stayed in so many different places - and I think the one last night was the worst and most expensive!  on surface it looked flash - cost me $86 (inc breakfast) and was all glitzy...  but when I struggled up to the 2nd floor (no lift) with my 4 panniers, was cranky to find my room again stank of tobacco...  open the window, turn on the air con and fan on full blast - that did seem to help a little.  There was a restaurant so I went down and the waiter asked the chef to prepare me some mushrooms with tomato creamy sauce and with a beer and a mineral water, I was pretty happy with that.  Back in my room getting my blog done, I hear this thump of bass reverberating through the whole building...  hope that's not going for too long...  1am!  peace at last!!!  so a couple of reviews for this place raved about the breakfast, so that might be its saving grace...  but no!  First in best dressed and by 7:45 there were only scraps left...  dried salami slices do not appeal!!  AND No coffee!!!!!!!  I asked for one and just as I had given up the waiter appeared and asked if I wanted coffee...  eventually got an very nice espresso...  but too late I was not feeling forgiving...  and I did mention it the guy when I handed in the key and got my passport back... now that hasn't happened before and it was a bit nerve-wracking too!  so compared to the breakfast I had at Vila Rosa...  French toast, with 4 different soft cheeses, fresh tomatoes and capsicums from their garden.  Homemade apricot jam, home preserved figs - now they were delicious!!!   freshly made espresso and conversation! and more!!  fresh plums from their tree...  well, you just can't compare the two!!
I have also stayed in a beaut little Ikea apartment and a quiet old and quaint Serbian apartment, plus there's been the usual hotel/motel rooms - some sweet smelling others reeking of tobacco...  Tonight in Vila Marija I have a double bed, bedside tables and a wardrobe with an old analogue tv and a program with Serbian music...  which I actually quite love!  the bathroom is a little tight, but I have done my washing and all is hanging on the shower rail...  No tobacco smell!!  am happy!
More bike paths and some rough road ahead - even a hill, but I hope to make it Golubac, which is at the start of the Iron Gates Gorges and that means my holiday is drawing to close...  so soon???  my legs are saying please!!!!  but apart from all the whinges and groans I am actually enjoying myself and still loving this travelling...
will see what photos I can find for you...  no promises as I need an early start tomoz because I need to catch the ferry to Ram and they only go every 3 hours - and I need to catch the 10am one or I am stuffed!    stay tuned!

welcoming tea and homemade biscuits at Vila Rosa, Vukova

My room at Vila Rosa

My room at Hotel Grad Plamen

Looks grand

But would those walls pass inspection?

Up on the bank again

Little weekenders

Original tiny home - make an offer!

Birds are all very nervous here

We should never be afraid to try something new.  Amateurs built the ark,
professionals built the Titanic

Lagoon at Bela Crkva

Rattling along the Danube to Kovin

I was determined to continue with my short cuts theory and on checking Map.me, I reckon I could see a farm track down to the Danube - even a couple of options.  So lets go!
Well, the first turn-off was a bit confusing - seemed like I should drive into some large industrial site...  hmmm... better keep going a bit.  The 'bike path' alongside the road was getting smaller and rougher, so when I got to Starcevo, I was sure I could find a farm track out the back of this and sure enough...  looking good.
There were a couple of tractors coming back with trailers of corn cobs going one way, empty trailers going the other...  They gave me a smile and a wave. but am sure that they thought I was crazy, but I was on a mission...  the track got smaller but now I could see the tree-line of the Danube, so keep going!  the track finished, but I was so close, so couldn't stop now.  Pushing Hennie through a stubble patch, I could see that there was a drain ahead!  hoping there wasn't muddy water at the bottom and Yay!  dry as a bone... but too steep for me to push a loaded Hennie to the top, so off with the four panniers and a bit of grunt, Hennie and her panniers were soon up on other side...  The flood dyke was just there and of course the next problem was to get up that steep bank too...  But aha!!  up ahead there was a not so steep road...  so we rode off to that and with a bit more grunting, we were soon standing on top of the dyke and it was a nice gravel road - better than some of the roads I have been riding - and no traffic...
Just down the other side was a shady spot - perfect place for picnic, so we skidded down there and a banana and a handful of pistachios was just enough to get us on our way! I probably added an extra 3km to my ride today, but who cares, we were on our way and life just got a whole lot better.
Suddenly autumn was showing her beautiful colours again...  I think that there's a bit more serious colouring happening now.  Sun shining, birds chirping and occasional glimpses of the Danube - what more could I want...
so this was more apple orchard country, tho corn fields were scattered in amongst the orchards.  I stopped to allow a tractor and trailer pass.  As they got closer, I could see that it was a woman driving, looking very serious.  But when she was passed me, she stopped the tractor and we smiled at each other.  There were 3 helpers crouched on a ledge between the tractor and the trailer.  She said something and one of the guys reached up and gave me 4 big rosey apples...  win win!  with a bit of a wave and away they went!  Later on, I was munching on a crisp, juicy apple!  yum!
later on I caught up with another cyclist - a young French woman that I had seen earlier at a ferry crossing.  Lily is doing the whole distance, starting at the Atlantic going all the way to the Black Sea.  didn't get to find out how long she's been on the road, but she's ditched the others and progressing ever forwards...  we discussed the traffic and then she was on her way.  i went down to the river for a break...  sad to see that now, here in Serbia, the edges of the river are chokfull of plastic bottles and other rubbish...  a clean environment is just not on their agenda...  its pretty sad!
but ever forwards and eventually Kovin was starting to appear...
there was another altercation with a pack of dogs, but I decided to do the passive trick...  getting off my bike and walking slowly and talking quietly - they were much calmer than yesterday's mob...  and that worked...  there was a real junk pile and a very fat man came out to look up at the dogs, but did little else...  I walked on and they lost interest, so back on Hennie and we pedalled into the outskirts of Kovin... I thought I had booked into a B&B, but it was a grand hotel.  Well once I signed in, I was shown to my room, up 2 floors and no lift...  great, just what I need...  think I should have gone with another apartment, because the room smelt badly of tobacco - again.  I opened the window and turned on the air conf fan full blast and fingers crossed the smell will go away.  After I cleaned up and washed my clothes, I sauntered down to the restaurant, ordered a beer and a mineral water and the waiter said the chef can make a vego dish - all good...  not sure how long that thumping music will go on for - just after 11pm now...
again, the photos will have to wait until the next time!

cutting thru the corn stubble

autumn picnic spot

collecting boxes of apples

Flood dyke path!!  rough but noooo traffic

there's always a church

proud tiny town of Ivanovo

baby plantation of birch trees

Business opportunity - Coffee stop for cyclist - needs some work

littered with plastic bottles and another one coming in

weird tree stumps?

my favourite for today:
The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water,
but to walk on the earth.

No scary dog movies today - tho, wonder if I captured the police "talking" to some lads!  Later!

Dirt tracks!! Yay!!

By now you've realised that the drivers over here are scary as!  so unless that improves I am moving on and won't mention it again - you must be all soooo bored about my whingeing!
so "Always look on the bike side of life"  !!!
Short cuts have been a speciality of mine, so time to look into that!  Why yes, there looks like a track leading parallel with the main road, although it might peter out by the look of the dotted line, but we shall see!
So after zinking into the local supermarket to stock up my food supply and water (yes I have been buying water!) then I turned back off the main road and rode for a coupla kms thru the back streets of Banovic Dunav, passing neat - but needing a paint - houses, with heaps of beautiful roses blooming in sparse gardens.  eventually the street ended and to the right was the highway or left was just a dirt track - well, lets see how far this one goes.  Soon we were bumping along between drying crops of corn as usual and apple orchards with farmers are out there picking these and getting them into boxes for sale. Then a tiny snippet of sealed road - that's right, there's a hotel down on the river bank - and then back on the farm track.  recently some of these corn stubble paddocks have been burnt - that might explain some of the air pollution...  There was a couple in a car talking to a man sitting in the shade of his tractor.  so we stopped for a quick chat.  The young guy could speak a little English, surprised that I was solo and they just smiled and shook their heads.
So my biggest fear has been being attacked by wild dogs... well, today this happened but I survived.  Just before re-entering the real world, I rode past yet another rubbish dump and a couple of dogs came out and barked half-heartedly and I was cool with that... but then I heard a more serious barking and I knew there was a cranky dog there...  I didn't try and ride faster and I just hoped it would get sick of chasing me...  Thankfully ahead, there were a couple of guys herding goats, and one came back and yelled at the dogs...  Now, did they belong to him...  maybe that was a gypsy camp... anyways I survived and have now seen the clip and I am glad I don't have eyes in the back of my head!!!
so to Belgrade and out again as fast as possible... which wasn't very fast.  What a Tip!!!  The air was blue and choking.  Sure there were some wonderful cycle paths along the bank of the Danube.  There were heaps of floating restaurants and clubs so its easily seen what sort of tourist is welcome here...  Now true!  I haven't been into the centre, so just skimmed the edge, but what a mess...  the garbage collection must be minimal, there is new and old rubbish scattered and stacked everywhere.  Footpaths are cluttered with parked cars, in some places, people have to walk onto the road to get past!  No Comment!!!
Has it been cold?  nah....  I seem to bring the sun with me - 27C today - 28 expected tomorrow!!!  so stopped for an ice-cream at a servo before crossing the bridge.  So 3 guys employed there to fill the cars, noticed one strolling out to a car, unwrapping a lolly and he just flicked the paper onto the ground... says it all...
So back over the Danube again - already once today - and had been warned that the track up to the bridge was a bit dicey!  well, if you call a single track in the dirt behind the steel barrier leading up to the bridge 'a bit dicey' then you'll agree!  once on the edge of the bridge, there was about a 30cm step up onto the bridge foot path...  planners are obviously in short supply here...  As I had been pushing Hennie along the track, I saw a cyclist riding on the road - no helmet of course - brave or silly I thought...  decided silly!  its 2 lane and a bus came hooning up behind him just as he reached the footpath bit...  the bus tried to change lanes, but the other drivers weren't having any of that!  cyclist tried to bunny hop up onto foot path!  fell of course, bike spun onto the road, but luckily the bus managed to stop and he limped back and hauled his bike out of the way, kicked it a bit, back on again and on his way!!!  yep!  silly!  so that's the traffic story for the today!!  there might have been a taxi strike back in the city that had blocked a full 3 lane street, with blue flashing lights and a van of cops unloading, as I rode past...  or it could have been an accident... but traffic was backed up and horns blaring non-stop!  Belgrade...  do I really want to come back to catch my flight home?
so back to bike life...  well on other side of bridge was escape country!!  eventually found the path that led to the flood dyke path, and after crossing one two-plank bridge over a smelly drain, then back again, then over another cement bridge we were eventually bumping along the dirt track on top of the dyke...  ahhh!  heaven...  at last I can see autumn colouring the trees, hear birds chirping, seeing the odd farm cow or horse tethered to a rope while they munched happily on the grass on the verge.
There was a huge flock of swans in the distance - they had settled onto a small lake amongst the trees in the distance - mute swans, so noise to be heard!  Oops!  was that a small snake I had just ridden over!  jeepers!!  had forgotten to look out for them - anyways, it had motored off when I turned back!  hope it just has a belly ache for a couple of days.  It was green and yellow pattern, just for the brief moment that I saw it - about 60cm I guess...
I managed to get in Pancevo and I had booked another of these apartments - like AirBnB but thru booking.com - and as usual, there's no-one at home  and my phone not working again...  I knocked on a door and a young guy - who spoke good English, came out and didn't really know what apartment it was...  but I was at the right building.  I asked if he could call the number - it was engaged...  so we chatted a bit and then he tried again and got onto the guy who was on his way around...  sigh... so we chatted some more...  He was Serbian, but when he was 3 they went to live on Cypress - smart move as I reckon it was a good time to be away from Serbian.  So he spoke Serbian, Greek, German and English....  sigh... I only speak English!  We laughed together about the Hungarian language, but its one he is not going to try and learn!!!
so I am in this old style apartment - not very flash, but has everything needed, even tho in a slightly different way than I am used to...
I was so tired last night, that I haven't sorted thru the photos - so will post my rant now and will get onto it tonight...  I am booked into a B&B tonight - a lot more expensive than the $30 - a whole $80!!  and its not too far away and most of it is on the flood dyke!  so am looking forward to today's ride...  getting further away from a major city is always my objective!!!  :)

pesky dogs!!