Romania, Constanta and the Black sea – 200km

After snack time, it’s time to cross the border. Here we are in Romania! Almost 5pm, we’re pedaling looking for a place to camp. No campsite in sight. We first do some shopping so we can treat ourselves to a feast tonight. Our quest for an ideal place to sleep near the Donau seems compromised: first we find ourselves pedaling high up on an endless path with the fear of leaving a tire or a bag there… then we quickly realize that the few beaches on the banks of the Donau in Romania are unfortunately very dirty and not very well frequented. The waste is left abandoned in the middle of nature, how sad it is. We found a small beach to at least swim and wash ourselves but not enough to pitch a tent. But time is running out, our legs are getting tired, it’s time to find somewhere to sleep. Following the advice of Mirjana, whom I met in Serbia, we knocked on the door of a monastery. A first for both of us. And indeed, the monks open their door to us. The sun begins to set on the Dervent monastery. The beautiful evening light and the silence of the monks make this enclosed place a little spiritual interlude. As it is already 8pm, we both dine in the courtyard of the monastery. On the menu pasta, tomatoes, peppers, cheese (bivouac feast!). Night has fallen, it is time to go to sleep in our room, on the 2nd floor, under the roofs.

I was delighted at the sight of the small beds that looked very comfortable for the night. I quickly became disillusioned. The night was not good at all. It was not as quiet as I thought with the barking of stray dogs in the yard, the stifling heat in the room and the impression of sharing my bed with bugs… these nights I would prefer sleeping in my tent! Fortunately we still have some energy in reserve because today we have a goal: Constanta! Tonight, we will see the sea. But for that, we have to finish the 118km and the 1000m of D+. The day is going to be long. Fortunately there is some entertainment on the road to break the monotony of these incessant climbs/descents: first a phone rings on the ground on a road in the middle of nowhere, I answer but not speaking Romanian I manage to make the person understand that I am going to drop it off at the next gas station. We meet up, she wants to offer us a drink to thank us. I imagine her relief to find her mobile phone, which finally has “our whole life in it”! Then a flight of storks comes to brighten up the day. A lunch in the shade to perk up with grapes for dessert offered by a vendor on the side of the road. Young girls selling homemade lemonades to earn a little money. And then the rain and the wind, which intensifies as the kilometers go by. The last kilometers are hard. The sea has to be earned! Especially since we find ourselves on the edge of a 4-lane road! It’s not much fun anymore. But as the last few miles pass before our eyes, the excitement builds! And there it is! I get chills, the Black Sea is before our eyes. After all this distance traveled along the Donau, seeing this vast blue expanse in the distance (yes because tonight we can see it from afar) is somewhat moving. But no time for daydreaming, we need to know where to sleep tonight. And we are not very organized on this one… because we are in a big city, and ultimately more expensive than we thought. Naively I had told myself that with the Romanian leu life was cheap. But we are on the coast, a tourist place, in August. Thanks to Booking we find a room for not too much money, only 3km by bike, the last ones.

The next morning, the storm passed. We go to have a king’s breakfast in the city center. From there, Jean-Luc, who was still undecided about what he will do after Constanta, decides to continue the road with me to Turkey. I did not plan to stop any longer in Constanta, this city did not charm me. After a quick tour, souvenir photos in front of the sea, we leave again. This time we head south, the sea on our left. There are still about sixty kilometers to the border for Bulgaria. The idea is to go to sleep a little before. We start pedaling only at 10:30, which is relatively late, especially since it is already very hot. And to slow us down a little more, a small puncture. It had been a long time. This time a small stone won against my rear tire (still) not inflated enough.. Jean-Luc takes things in hand, and it is not to displease me. I’m fed up. And at least I’m not the one with black hands, hehe. Well, he has better technique and doesn’t get it everywhere… we move forward, pass a few seaside resorts, take crowded national roads, try to avoid them but end up on dirt roads, as always. We don’t learn, always thinking that the small roads will be a good retreat, no way. Either you have good tarmac roads but you suffer the traffic, or you are alone on the roads, but you suffer the jolts. After a few kilometers on paths where we move at 15km/h, the choice is quickly made. We aimed at Vama Veche, the last Romanian city before the border where there are many campsites. It’s the opportunity to test a Romanian campsite. Well that evening it’s not really a campsite, but rather the garden of a Romanian couple who have installed toilets there. The sky is dark, we arrive in a downpour. Since we’ve been near the sea, the weather has been very stormy. The rain stops, we set up our tents before finally going swimming! After having rode along it all day, it’s well deserved. If we forget the crowd around us and the parasols, it’s a real pleasure. After hundreds of kilometers by bike, there is a feeling of completion. Even I haven’t arrived yet… but it’s a first step taken. Jean-Luc convinces me and offers me the restaurant tonight. I was ready to eat noodles but he did well, it started to pour with rain. Very happy to be sheltered, we enjoy the Romanian dishes (in astronomical quantities) and wait for the rain to stop. Tired and full, we are ready to have a good night, a big stage awaits us tomorrow. But as always, plans are not made to be followed. This night is going to be one of the worst of the trip. A group of Romanians decided to have a party at the campsite. And I had the great idea of putting my tent right next to them. Naively I thought they would be respectful and stop the music and gurgle around 11pm. Nope, midnight no… even the manager, a disgusting old man who made me feel very uncomfortable, was there and didn’t say anything. At 3am, the alcohol and fatigue stopped them. At 6am, we got up, with dark circles under our eyes and the desire to make a racket by folding up our tents to get revenge… but that would be childish. I tried to complain to the old man who strangely didn’t understand what I meant. Come on, it’s time to pedal to calm my nerves.

I don’t have such great feelings about Romania. But I must say that I didn’t spend much time there, 4 days including 3 on the coast in the middle of August. This country deserves to linger longer and to go and discover more of its mountains and countryside. The Romanian coast is not really suited to the traveler looking for authenticity and nature. The beaches are places for relaxation and parties. But the time has come to set foot in Bulgaria again and go and discover other southern landscapes.

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