Day 67. 81km (53703kms)
What a great campsite! The roof exaggerated the sound of the rain but I felt so snug in my bed. Usually I bring everything inside at night, but there was no need here and I deliberately left my coffee making things away from arms reach to force myself up and out to enjoy the view come morning. Heading for a few nights in a hostel, it was particularly pleasing to pack away a dry tent, side-stepping the hassle of having to dry stuff out later.
With nothing much on the touristy agenda today I made a slight detour to a banya which left me relaxed and slightly eggy smelling, and quite unmotivated for the remaining 50kms to Plovdiv. Between the mild descending gradient and tailwind I didn’t work up a sweat though was soon increasing my pace in anticipation of some rest time in the city.
Fields of poppies and canola were stunning, with yet more mountains looming on the horizon as I approached Plovdiv (I don’t *think* I’m climbing these to get to Greece 😬) Arriving through the northern outskirts of car dealerships and smokestacks I realised Plovdiv is a great deal bigger and more industrial than I was expecting, but my hostel is smack bang in the middle of the old town and will make a great location for some lazy exploring in the coming days.
Nobody was around when I arrived, having forgotten what I was told about needing to book ahead to get the door codes. Fortunately someone leaving was able to let me into the then vacant hostel which soon filled up with people. Unlike the traditional (and empty!) Bulgarian hostels I’d stayed at previously, this is a compact 3 bedroom apartment with 8 bunks squeezed into each room so once again I’m not short of company.
#banya #bulgaria #biketouring
8 Comments
Have a good time in Plovdiv and enjoy the Hills and have look for the reopened Basilica and may be visit the 19.th century 😎🍺
Gotta love the detours…. they lead to very interesting discoveries like baths that make you smell eggy and rosie lmao 😂! Hope your hostel mates are cool 👍🏽. I guess my other questions would be, (although I can’t remember my previous questions so forgive me if I repeat myself 😆) is this your first tour? And do you have tours planned for the future?
Yes, that is a typical Thracian Burial Mound 😀 There are literally thousands all around Southern Bulgaria. Most of them have already been plundered long ago.
I’ve got a few questions:
What did you do prior to becoming a “full-time” cyclist?
How many countries have you cycled in so far?
Favourite country in the Balkans so far and why?
What follows after Greece?
😃
Enjoying your videos! Dreaming of being able to tour that part of the world. Which country has been the most bike friendly so far in terms of avoiding cars/pollution and finding peaceful roads/paths to ride?
did you have a good day
where are you now