Day 65 - Krusevac to Niš

77.5 km - Total so far 3,560.90 km - Route pedalled.      Relive Video (with pictures)

Video of the day: Europe Day 65                        911 Left to pedal

We are safe and secure in Niš, Serbia.

We had a long day planned and we wanted to leave by no later than 8:15 am. We were well on our way to meet that deadline until one of our neighbours showed up for work. He had heard about us from a coworker who mentioned seeing an older guy walking up the stairs with a bicycle. That day, the coworker offered me help bringing the bikes upstairs. 

We had a good 15 to 20 minutes chat with this young civil engineer who worked for a small engineering management firm located in the building where our apartment was. These kinds of encounters are one of the reasons why we prefer apartment rentals over hotels.

It was pretty straightforward riding by the Turkish house we missed yesterday. From there it was straight out of Krusevac onto Rd 159 and our first climb. Today we had a good tailwind pushing us. Once in a while, our direction would change and we then got a crosswind or a nasty headwind. 

Turkish house

We kept picture taking and stops to a minimum so we could get to Niš early. Traffic got pretty busy as we neared the city but eventually we made it to a large green space, the Niš Fortress built by the Ottoman empire in the 18th century.

Old Istanbul gate

We headed to our apartment for a quick change of clothes, a stop at the grocery store and a bakery for sweets.

Our apartment is small and functional and okay for an overnight stay only. We are on the 7th floor but have no view. We only have skylights for ventilation and the ceiling is high. 

Tomorrow we are heading to Pirot and our final night in Serbia. The big challenge thereafter will be to cross into Bulgaria with as few Serbian Dinars (SRD) as possible.