49.3 km - Total so far 3,734.80 km - Route pedalled. Relive Video (with pictures)
Video of the day: Europe Day 68 741 Left to pedal
We are safe and secure in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.We were pretty excited this morning as we headed out of Dragoman, aiming to ride the cobblestone road, the old road to Istanbul. Pavers are pavers and we got to experience the old rattle and shake. Fortunately the experience wasn’t more than a couple of kilometres before we hit smooth asphalt.
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| Daniel and his poppies |
We were surprised to find the paved portion of the road closed to vehicular traffic and a detour onto a dirt road used by large construction trucks. A local informed us bicycles can go through on the closed road but to be careful. We had no problems getting around the barrier. This would not be our only under construction/closed road situation. It happened again on the way out of Slivnitsa. Again we just charged ahead and everything worked out fine.
Our next big challenge was a 12 km ride on a busy 4 lane highway. Vehicles would move over to pass but boy did they drive fast. From 4 lanes we went down to 2 lanes again on a fast busy road. It’s never a pleasant experience to cycle into a large city.
We eventually got onto the Sofia bike paths and things quieted down. At about noon, we stopped for a quick break. Sirens started and all traffic and people walking came to a halt. Most people got out of their cars and stood to attention. Turns that on 02 June, sirens sound across Bulgaria for two minutes at noon in an annual custom honouring the memory of revolutionary, poet and rebel Hristo Botev, who died in 1876 in the struggle against Ottoman rule, as well as in tribute to all who died for the freedom of Bulgaria.
From there we found a nice spot to picnic before heading to the apartment. It is a self check-in apartment and check-in did not go smoothly. Something was lost in translation.
Our next big challenge was a 12 km ride on a busy 4 lane highway. Vehicles would move over to pass but boy did they drive fast. From 4 lanes we went down to 2 lanes again on a fast busy road. It’s never a pleasant experience to cycle into a large city.
We eventually got onto the Sofia bike paths and things quieted down. At about noon, we stopped for a quick break. Sirens started and all traffic and people walking came to a halt. Most people got out of their cars and stood to attention. Turns that on 02 June, sirens sound across Bulgaria for two minutes at noon in an annual custom honouring the memory of revolutionary, poet and rebel Hristo Botev, who died in 1876 in the struggle against Ottoman rule, as well as in tribute to all who died for the freedom of Bulgaria.
From there we found a nice spot to picnic before heading to the apartment. It is a self check-in apartment and check-in did not go smoothly. Something was lost in translation.
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| History museum we will most likely visit tomorrow |
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