Hello again Bulgaria
Barely 2 km to go this morning and we cross the border. Hello again Bulgaria. We didn’t leave each other for long, 3 days. I contacted Bart and Sofie on the website Welcometomygarden.com who can host us in their garden near Varda this evening. So we have a long way to go, about 116 km and again a lot of elevation. It’s no laughing matter. Fortunately my legs have gotten stronger and it’s “almost” too easy. We take beautiful detours, which take us along the coast. Cliffs, superb viewpoints, tranquility, fruit, a swim, enough to enjoy the day before joining our hosts. They live in small streets, up high. We have to push the bike because the slopes are so steep. Fortunately Google maps exists, it’s a real labyrinth. We are welcomed by Sofie. She explains to us that they are Belgians who have moved here thanks to her husband’s job in a bank. They are here for 5 years. We are very well received, the garden is big, enough to find space for our tents. After a shower with solar hot water, we went shopping because this evening they are giving us access to their outdoor kitchen. So good. Unfortunately, I can’t make a big meal but just using utensils, I am in heaven. I miss cooking. Tonight it’s pasta with pesto/vegetables. We are enjoying ourselves. And after this long day, eating a hot dish feels good.
Luxurious wild camping near the Black sea
The next day, we have a mission: find the Decathlon in Varda. Varda is the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria, we weren’t close… It took us 12 km just to get to the Decathlon. We each buy patches, a bike bag (in anticipation of the bus to take for the return) and I buy brake pads. A little more loaded, we can leave. Already, leaving Varda is another mission. Because we have to cross the Asparuhov bridge, a 1.5 km bridge, with a lot of traffic and no cycle paths. We clench our buttocks and pray to arrive alive to the other side of the bridge. Phew, mission accomplished. Well, I hadn’t really looked at the positive difference in altitude of the day… first blow, a gentle slope bordered by the forest, where there are many prostitutes. I look at them, I ask myself a lot of questions about their destiny and mine, the luck I have, I savor my freedom all the more. We regain our strength near a church, under an awning because the sky is threatening. Second blow. Third blow, awful, we are attacked by midges! Impossible to go fast to lose them, we have to close our mouths and nostrils. We lose them on the descent. We find the sea again. We stop on a beach, the time for an iced coffee and a downpour before getting back on the road for the last kilometers that take us to a campsite. Demoralized, the campsite is full. The receptionist suggests we go further, camp by the sea. That’s how we ended up on the beach. A magnificent wild camp. Quick wash with salt water before a dinner facing the sea. Well obviously we have to accept having sand everywhere but it’s nothing when you see how lucky we are to be here.
And what could be more fantastic than being able to enjoy a magnificent sunrise over the Black Sea?! It’s worth getting up early, 5:50 am to wait on the cold sand for the sun to come out on the horizon. Magnificent. The day couldn’t have started better. And we have to store up energy because we start our day with a small pass. It’s hot, there’s a lot of traffic and little space for us on the side of the road. But these inconveniences are quickly forgotten when it’s time to go down with a superb view of the coast and the sea. Back on the coast, we regained our strength with a banista (Bulgarian burek). The kilometers go by. We are forced to go a little inland to avoid this major national road where cars drive fast. No regrets, we find a fountain, popular with the locals. The opportunity to chat with them and buy tomatoes and grapes for lunch. We arrive near Bourgas in the early afternoon. We go along Lake Atanasovsko, where there are salt marshes that give it a beautiful pink color. It is mainly an outdoor “spa”. We can see a few tourists covered in mud rinsing themselves in the Black Sea which is just a stone’s throw from the lake. No mud bath for us, but an ice cream by the sea, another passion of Jean-Luc after watermelon. No need to go back into the city, the quays by the sea are very well equipped for bicycles. In addition to being by the sea, Bourgas is surrounded by 3 lakes. We are never very far from the water. We go all the way around the Gulf of Bourgas. Not always easy. There are sometimes cycle paths, some of which end up on… a 4-lane national road. And we are on the wrong side, going in the opposite direction to the cars. There are police officers on the side of the road, I ask them where we can go. With a smile, he tells me that we can ride in the opposite direction, but to “squeeze tight because it’s a bit dangerous”. No kidding. Fortunately it’s only 200m but still, seeing cars coming towards us at 90 km/h isn’t very reassuring. We find a secondary road that runs alongside this national road. Abandoned roads, potholes, thousands of potholes. So yes we are safe, but no, we’re not moving forward. Our morale is put to the test. Now we have to find a place for the night. The coasts are very popular with Bulgarians. There are caravans everywhere! It’s hard to know if they are campsites or wild camping. After doing some shopping, we chose to camp on the beach. It’s not ideal because we are far from isolated, but for one night it will be fine. The place is still very beautiful with Bourgas in the distance. And the sunset is splendid. This is how we calm down and end the day on a high note.
Bye bye Black sea
We don’t delay in the morning. We still have a bit of altitude difference today, the idea being to get closer to the border with Turkey! The excitement is mounting. But first we still have about fifty kilometers to do on the coast. The opportunity for another flat tire for Jean-Luc; to enjoy the landscapes – not always idyllic, beaches of parasols and concrete constructions never finished; a burek and gözleme (Turkish crepe). We arrive around noon in Tsarevo, the last Bulgarian city on the coast. Optimistically, we only buy the minimum for lunch (a small pizza) thinking that we will cross many villages to buy something to eat for the evening. Because the fun is over, now we are heading into the mountains. So there is no question of getting too heavy. The good thing about looking at the elevation in advance is that I often tell myself that it’s going to be really hard and finally, once you have to climb, well it’s fine. Like this afternoon. Plus we have the road all to ourselves. Well not so alone, we have to share it with the flies!! The way back. It’s really tough. And then we come across soldiers, quite a few soldiers. We learn that as we are near the borders with Turkey, the Bulgarian forests are very closely guarded against refugees… In this atmosphere very different from the coast, we went to a small village, recommended for wild camping. So there are houses, but no habitants. There are 6 of them living here! There is still a chapel and above all a coffee machine! So, despite the desertion of the place, the few cars that pass by stop for a coffee! A guy from the village reassures us, no problem to put our tents near the chapel, and for this evening, this little snack bar will be open! Perfect. Quick wash with a glove in the toilets at the bottom of the garden (it’s already cool to have a water point, we’re not going to complain about the hygiene of the toilets…). Jean-Luc had gone to change my brake pads, but we realize that they are not suitable for my bike… Well, we’ll have to wait for the next bike shop. In the evening we can dine on sausages and kofte cooked on the grill by the owner. Another man we had seen in the afternoon but who doesn’t speak a word of English, comes back with a small nature gift made of pine cones and walnut shells for the two of us. We came across a small hamlet with very nice people. Jean-Luc could almost have left with the boss’s glasses! A very nice way to end our stay in Bulgaria.
Because yes, the next day, we have “only” 40 km left to reach the Turkish border. Well, 40 km that sting a little in the legs. Fortunately, the freshness and the calm of the forest make us “almost” appreciate the moment. If we forget those damn flies, always there. Short stop in Malko Tarnovo, the last Bulgarian city before the border. We eat a great cheese bread/brioche to give us strength (because the climbs are far from over!). And also the opportunity to spend our last Bulgarian coins to buy something to eat for lunch. The village is at an altitude of 340m, the border with Turkey, at 660m. 7 km between the two. Turkey is worth it! But here it is!
After having skirted Bulgaria from the northwest to the southeast, I can say that I have seen a lot of the countryside. Unfortunately, the Bulgarians are not easy to approach. The language and a certain restraint mean that I did not have the opportunity to spend time with them. And I confirm: Bulgarian roads are not made for cycling. Or you should not do like me and have your nose in the air but stay focused on the road, on the lookout for every pothole. But Bulgaria, in addition to superb landscapes, allowed me a first taste of Turkish-influenced cuisine. So here it is, the excitement is at its peak 7 km from crossing the border. Last country of the adventure, I am a little moved to have already arrived in Turkey.
