A Busy Month Back In The UK.

 After a night above Sennybrdge for a catch up with friends, a session in the Shoemakers and  dealing with mail I gave the van engine bay a good clean with Muck Off but must have been too enthusiastic as next morning heading in to Brecon the revs fell away and the glow plug light started flashing. Nothing else seemed amiss so I parked up with the bonnet open in full sun and after a few false starts the issue resolved itself. I drove north to near Dethick and stayed on a P4N listing that is no more than a lovely quiet field above Whatstandwell, the owner is currently heading to Georgia in his van so I pinned a tenner under his picnic table and left the following morning to give the van a much needed jet wash before Mandy arrived by train. We stayed at Dethick overnight for a catch up with friends I'd last seen in France and had a good meal at their local.

In Sheffield with time to spare I decided to tackle a small issue with the van loo. The original mild steel mounting plate had corroded away at the base so I cut away the sealant, identified a number of screws to remove, disconnected the flush electrics and carefully eased out the complete unit, fully aware that 25 year old plastics are somewhat brittle. Having no DIY tools anymore required some ingenuity in cutting a replacement panel from a sheet of aluminium and fabricating the necessary folds and tabs : for ingenuity read an old chisel and a lump hammer !

The panel was a good fit and the loo itself went back in without issue so I resealed everything and left it to cure.

We met the Dethick friends again at a pub near Froggatt Edge and later enjoyed a walk with superb views across the White Peak to the Dark Peak of Kinder away to the north.

After a good catch up with Penny over a curry, a ride in to Sheffield gave us a chance to explore the rivers and canals including out at Tinsley the remarkable canal boat art work : Invention. We had stopped in Kelham Island, fast becoming the trendy area to live in for young professionals, and passed through Victoria Quays on the city centre section of the canal. Earlier we had been amazed to see an adult deer bounding through an industrial estate near Meadowhall where we stopped for coffee at a quirky cafe nearby.

We joined a friend and her husband for a ride on the Trans Pennine Trail up to Dunsford Bridge, a great adventure for her on her recumbent as she is profoundly disabled. However new horizons await as they have ordered a tandem that with luck will enable them to travel even further afield.

Decathlon in Sheffield gave us a reasonable buy back deal on Mandy's bike that we had bought in Spain last year after the thefts. As she now has an excellent titanium Sonder from Alpkit we spent the vouchers on a few accessories and nipped in to Go Outdoors for other odds and sods. 

During an interesting walk near Hope which started in the rain as we climbed Cave Dale to emerge above the caves around Mam Tor where the sun appeared we spotted the open top double decker negotiating Winnats Pass and decided it would be worth doing. However it was too late in the day to do the full trip so we left it for later in the week.

On the Monday I dropped the van off for a timing belt change, a squeaking pulley had been a source of concern since Armenia back in April and some 6,000 miles ago. I also asked them to investigate the possible cause of an alarming creaking and groaning from the front suspension. The courtesy car was a new fangled Polo with far too many bells and whistles but we used it to go and visit family where Steve is processing a heavy haul of repurposed jarrah for winter fuel. All was well with the van but even after another test drive with the mechanic Sod's Law dictated that the groaning failed to materialise.

Tuesday gave us the chance to jump on the open top bus at Bamford, enjoy the run through Winatt's pass despite the rain and eventually arrive at Chatsworth where we hopped on to the other circuit down to Bakewell. After a couple of hours in town we arrived well in time for the return bus which didn't appear. The driver of the next bus said it wouldn't have waited at the town centre stop which is why we missed it. Unfortunately the later bus arrived after the last bus back to Bamford had left Chatsworth so we ended up getting a bus in to Sheffield, and then realised that if we hopped off at Totley we could save time by getting the train back to Bamford, complicated but successful.

So it was time to head south and after packing up the van we drove to Ellesmere, parked by the lake and after a decent lunch we cycled along part of the Shropshire Union canal to pick up the largely derelict Montgomery canal that reaches Newtown eventually from the junction at Lower Frankton.

Down at Brecon we parked up at the Promenade alongside visitors from Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands and enjoyed a very peaceful night. Foreign vanners are amazed at the lack of provision of water and waste facilities, and given that there are public conveniences alongside this really should be easy to address.

On the Thursday evening we drove up to the Black Mountains Gliding Club above Talgarth as Mandy had arranged a surprise glider flight for me and staying overnight in the van was permitted. We met some of the very friendly members and decided to walk up the steep scarp slope of Mynydd Bychan for the extensive views.

The following morning we took a look at the various gliders being prepared and the checks being made on the tow plane before, earlier than expected, Andy came over to say it was time to go. He explained the four point seat belt release mechanism as this would need to be released before in an emergency my parachute could be deployed and then helped me in to the front seat for a bird's eye view. Within minutes we were being towed up to 3,000', then released to begin a remarkable 50 minutes of soaring and gliding over an area I know so well. Ridge lift enabled us to climb repeatedly back over the escarpment with views across the Beacons to the Severn Estuary, the Cotswolds, Malverns and almost beneath us the bothy at Grynne Fawr. Unfortunately trying to take photos soon had me feeling very nauseous and whilst I held it in until landing I was grateful the van was nearby ...

It was a great experience and for insurance purposes I am a member of the club for 3 months so hope to go up again soon before November.

At Lower Chapel we helped Jan and Ian get exhibits in to the flower and produce categories in Lower Chapel show, watched Jan show a friend's Exmoor ponies and get the top award and later enjoyed the barbecue as we watched the speed shearing competition where a time of 16 seconds to shear a well grown lamb seemed unreal.

We met friends in Brecon on Sunday morning to see the Shantymen perform at the Rugby Club as part of Brecon Jazz before enjoying a ride along the canal to test the bikes which included a good lunch at the Royal Oak in Pencelli. Another ride on the Monday took in Mynydd Illtud common, the NP visitor centre and then a section of the Sarn Helen out towards Ystradfellte which reminded me of the many Brecon Beast Mountain Bike events we had routed that way.

Returning past the Maen Llia standing stone we dropped through Heol Senni to Defynnog where both the Welsh Rarebit cafe and pub were shut. Even the garage cafe had just closed but we bought some sandwiches before returning along the back road through Trallong to Brecon and then parking up back at Pentrefelin. Leaving the van there the next day we cycled across to Tirabad and picked up quiet lanes as far as Cynghordy and then Rhandirmyn before calling at the CACC site for snacks as the pub was yet to open. The superb road round the Llyn Brianne offered amazing views and a spot for lunch before we headed to Soar y Mynydd chapel and a final pull up to Tregaron before the exhilarating descent to the Talbot Hotel whose Garden Suite room provided excellent showers and a chance to rest up before dinner.

Three top quality courses revived us for a walk round the small town that saw the birth of banking as drovers on their way to London, Birmingham and Manchester sought to protect their wealth. A friend from the Mountain Bothies Association had been in touch and was planning to stay at nearby Moel Prysgau so we arranged to join him on Wednesday night after our return. Following a hearty breakfast we headed to Ffarmers via Llandewi Brefi and then back over to Rhandirmyn before reaching Llandovery for lunch in the Pengawse cafe before the steep climb above Myddfai to reach the Roman Road high above the Usk reservoir. From there we dropped to Trecastle and tackled the final few climbs back to the van after 90 miles and 9,000' of ascent.

Following a quick turn around we retraced some of our steps back round the Llyn Brianne and arrived at the bothy at dusk to find Chris and Frank settled in with a fellow visitor. They had removed a pickup full of other people's rubbish, an all too common problem at bothies these days, but retained three brand new tents, two camping chairs and half a dozen double inflatable mattresses. The tents and chairs could be repurposed but the mattresses were grubby and punctured so would need to be ditched.

On a drizzly Thursday we painted the interior walls of the snug, Chris treated the windows he had made 40 years ago which are as good as new and Frank and I created a brash and barbed wire barrier to prevent quads accessing the bothy from the Towy Track 4x4 route. We think it is the unauthorised vehicles that bring in most of the rubbish left behind so they have even less of an excuse not to take it all out with them.

After a peaceful night in the forest we headed out via The Devil's Staircase and Abergwesyn to reach Brecon via the Epynnt for food shopping before arriving at Jan's in Lower Chapel once more. Pete joined us for the weekend as we tackled the challenge of removing an old railway goods waggon roof, renewing many of the timbers and then fixing the six unwieldy replacement curved sheets and one of the iron structural supports. It was quite a challenge and presented a number of logistical issues but eventually the job was done and everything looked much improved.

Before Pete left I used his grinder to remove the 8 hook bolts that hold my fresh and waste water tanks in place, installed new ones with protective plastic in place and tightened everything up as there had been some play before, not surprising after the many rough roads of Georgia and Armenia but this still did not resolve the creaking and groaning. I put new front pads on and copper greased all points of contact, similarly to no avail and whilst underneath renewed the brake fluid. One of the bleed screws was getting rounded off so I have ordered four replacements and I greased the handbrake cables and operating mechanisms for good measure.

After badminton in Brecon on Wednesday we parked above Heol Senni for a walk across to Fan Ghyrich via Fan Nedd with more astounding views and then returned to Lower Chapel for an excellent meal. On Friday Jan and Mandy caught the same train from Abergavenny with Jan leaving at Shrewsbury for the BH Folk Festival and Mandy carrying on to Sheffield.

I stayed on with Ian at Lower Chapel to give the bikes a good clean and service and then

finally in a long overdue sort out I got all my tools together and sorted out the various spanners and socket sets to give me one comprehensive set in one place and repacked the space under the single rear seat to go through what was lurking in there.

A rotten old window frame in Ian's shed offered little resistance on removal and we used the casement window as a pattern to build a new frame. This was then fitted and the existing window reinstalled with new sealant before the surroundings were repointed. Half a dozen sturdy frame fixings will resist the winter weather and all Jan has to do is renew the old putty at some stage.

Thus as the title says a busy (but productive) few weeks and all hugely enjoyable.

I will move on down to Brecon tomorrow and may join a small group going in to Moel Prysgau midweek for one night, partly to test out a new bivvi bag, after which if the weather settles down I will return to the gliding club.

Beyond that in early September there is the Work Party for the cycle path at Shelton Mallet, a gathering of friends at Priddy and then we hope to head to the Isle of Wight for a couple of weeks as Autumn arrives.....

Extras

Finally back in the UK......

So after 7 months away I am back a week early and occupying my familiar haunts in and around Brecon.

A couple of weeks ago I had found a quiet park up on the Rhine far from the busy Bavarian Alps and enjoyed a couple of rides along the bank with one incorporating one of the substantial locks where I watched two huge barges enter the lock, descend gracefully and continue on their way. A small yacht coming the other way looked very insignificant in the deep chasm.

In France I stopped in the understandably popular town of Colmar with it's traditional houses covered in flowers and a tranquil canal passing numerous restaurants.

Heading on in to the Vosges mountains I parked up at an old station at Vagney on one of two 'voies vertes' that provided me with a couple of memorable rides through wooded valleys.

Fireworks at night to celebrate July 14th were augmented by a thunderstorm but the days returned to dry conditions for two excellent rides on well marked mountain bike routes. The temporary fix to my saddle clamp held up and I started planning my route up towards Nancy and Metz for more rides.

However whilst nosing around on Auto trader I spotted another T4 based Topaz van, two years newer than this and with almost half the mileage. I rang the vendor based outside Gloucester and decided it would be well worth a look. Dunkirk was only a day and a half's drive away so I booked the DFDS ferry (£103) and passed steadily through Northern France, Luxembourg and Belgium before parking up in France again half an hour from Dunkirk.

The ferry crossing was only two hours with the White Cliffs looming unexpectedly out of the mist to the delight of the various Europeans travelling over. 

A reasonably quiet M20,25 and 4 brought me to just south of Gloucester where the Pilot House Inn allows overnighting and I settled in with a pint and a pizza.

Round at the motorhome and caravan dealership I parked up and wandered over to inspect the van which was in good condition, had the correct mileage, a very comprehensive service history and a washroom area that looked unused.

Unfortunately though they were very reluctant to let me remove a couple of inspection hatches to check the Eber, water pump, water heater etc or test the batteries or other systems with the gas connected or on hook up. As apparently a test drive was also out of the question I decided to leave it be. They cited insurance cover as the stumbling block and looking at all the paperwork I don't think they had anything to hide but as always caveat emptor.

So with the rest of the day free I trundled across to friends at Sennybridge to collect mail and meds and join them for a pint in the Shoemakers. I had given the engine bay a wash and clean with Muck Off but had obviously been a little heavy as on the way through Sennybridge the following morning the engine lost all power and the glow plug light started flashing. Fortunately after a few repeats of the same symptoms things cleared themselves and I headed up to Lower Chapel to collect an aluminium sheet for a small repair project. Tucked away in Llandefalle Woods gave me the opportunity to ride out over to Erwood for refreshments at the old station craft centre but I got caught out by heavy showers on my return so as always the opportunity of a hot shower in the van was very welcome.

Tuesday saw me completing the stunning circular route over the Beacons, starting at Brecon, heading to Pontsticill via Talybont and returning over the Gap Road in dry conditions. I was joined by Luke who is over visiting Jan with his family from Switzerland and I joined them all for an excellent meal last night before returning to Brecon for an eye test today and badminton tonight.

The next few weeks will see catch ups with more friends, the timing belt on the van being done and then a return to Brecon for much of the second half of August.

Looking back over this trip which began just before Christmas it has been a hugely enjoyable and varied experience with many many highlights. My main pleasure has been meeting people from new countries and cultures and realising yet again how much we all have in common, especially with regard to the essentials of life.

The next few months will be largely UK based as I begin the early stages of planning a significant trip starting in September 2026.

Final phew here!

Heading West ...ISH....

My night on the pass passed peacefully with the noise of inquisitive cows and their bells rousing me from my slumbers. It was a foggy morning with quite a chill so the Eber was fired up for the first time in weeks, given the altitude it roared in to life after a couple of false starts - apparently a high altitude kit is available but as I've found in Morocco and elsewhere it does seem to manage without it.

Descending soon brought me out in to warm sunshine and I passed through the Marmures area of Romania which due to its relative isolation up against the Ukrainian border has retained a more rural and traditional feel although increasing visitor numbers are allowing farmers to diversify. One of the main attractions is the Mocanita Marmures, a still commercially viable narrow gauge forest railway that extracts 50,000m3 of timber per annum down the Vaserului Valley. Whilst the loaded waggons largely run downhill by gravity small diesel locomotives are used for braking and to haul the empties back up.

However passenger services are still hauled by steam engines that take a couple of hours each way to rattle their way up to an old station where a mixed grill is provided. I arrived on a sunny afternoon to find the carpark full but the station and adjacent areas virtually empty. Basically everyone was on board one of the three daily trains that leave in the morning half an hour apart and return around 3pm. The very helpful staff said it would be fine to stay over and I booked a ticket for the first departure on the Monday at 09.00 including refreshments before taking a look round the goods yard, engine sheds and a fascinating display of old standard and narrow gauge steam engines. A blast on the whistle heralded the return of one of the trains and happy looking families descended from the open sided wooden carriages as well as a couple of enclosed ones. I watched as the loco ran around to get back to the front and then remove the whole lot to sidings to allow the next arrival to use the platform. After a walk round the town I returned for a quiet night, ready for an early start.

It was only when I saw the engineers loading logs on to the tender that I realised the locos are wood fired which is unusual and then I watched as things were coupled up, noting with some concern that there were no vacuum brakes or breakaway cables. The first departure was less than a third full and in the cool of the morning most people had opted for the enclosed carriages with padded seats but I had brought along a sit mat and had an open sided one more or less to myself apart from the brakeman, one of whom was allocated to each carriage and in charge of a large wheel that applied the brakes as necessary. We were away on time with food and drinks loaded in to a goods waggon and clanked steadily up a lovely valley passing traditional houses that soon petered out as we hit the mountains proper. After an hour we stopped at a small halt where the loco filled up with water, our vouchers could be exchanged for coffee and cake and the bizarre Transit van mounted on railway wheels overtook us taking staff on up to the lunch stop. We arrived there an hour later and enjoyed a substantial mixed grill at a remote spot in the middle of nowhere. Whilst looking round the small museum our train moved off to make way for the next arrival followed after another half hour by the third after which it was time for us to board for the return journey. It was all very well organised and hugely enjoyable and by mid afternoon we had rattled back to the station.

I carried on and stopped to visit the Happy Cemetery where in a tradition more of us should adopt the departed are remembered with cheerfully painted crosses and graves alongside an exquisitely decorated church. Nearby a new wooden church has been recently finished and I noticed that inside the frescoes are nearing completion with scaffolding in place for access to the last empty panel. After a night on a riverbank next to a small circus I crossed back in to Hungary with the abandoned border buildings reminding me of similar structures on the Spanish/Portuguese border near Marvao. The freedoms of such a huge area as the EU are remarkable and I still feel our exit was shortsighted and irresponsible. 

I stopped for a walk round Debrecen in hot sunshine and had a good look round the main church including access to the roof top where there was a cool breeze, passing a huge bell on the way up before moving on to Lake Tisza created after the construction of a large hydro electric scheme. There was little shade from the fierce sun but it was a peaceful spot and later that evening I walked back over the dam to observe the remarkable fish ladder. A series of walls, rocks and weirs has created a route for fish to bypass the dam and  just below the final haul through a series of stepped pools thousands of fish were lining up to attempt the climb, a remarkable sight as they broke the surface and shimmied around.

The lake is popular with fishermen and boating and other watersports enthusiasts but is a large enough area for everyone to enjoy the space. Cycling around the perimeter is possible so I set off on initially a forty mile circuit but found it so enjoyable that an extra option tempted me and I returned late in the evening after 106 miles with just one stop for a schnitzel at a very nice restaurant.

Moving carefully on the next day I stayed north of Budapest, having visited a couple of years ago and instead pulled in at Szentendre on the banks of the Danube where I tucked away almost invisibly under trees for the night. The arty town was well worth a walk round and I found the 70's Retro Museum collection fascinating if a little too familiar for comfort. A Guinness in an Irish pub added to the disorientation before I headed back to try and find the van......

In Gyor further west I stopped to try and get a much needed haircut which proved surprisingly tricky as most of the barbers were shut or required an appointment but as it clearly was hardly a huge undertaking one place agreed to squeeze me in and I returned to the van for a sweltering night with little breeze. A Dutch lady in a van mentioned the necessity of a vignette which although aware of I had thought I could avoid but she reckoned the extent of the tolls had increased fairly recently. Although I was directing my sat nav to avoid tolls it's quite possible that the older Aguri device is out dated so there may be a surprise in the post when I get back.

As I was entering Austria the next day I decided to risk it and was soon over that border as well. The gradual change in various countries fortunes from right back in Armenia through Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Hungary came sharply in to focus in Austria with smarter cars, neater houses and almost no littering. A small free aire including hook up did me very well for the night, shared with a couple of other vans and I had dealt with the loo before people turned up to organise a music concert on the adjacent sports field.

With a thousand or so miles across to Dunkirk and lacking a guide to Austria I decided to pass through fairly quickly and leave it for a future visit so enjoyed a few hours driving through stunning scenery before parking up above Eisenerz. In the pretty village preparations were underway for a performance here as well so I returned later, ordered a beer and sat with a number of others as a traditional Austrian brass band struck up some old favourites. Unfortunately dark clouds had been welling up and before long a most spectacular downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning saw us all huddling under the large parasols to escape the worst. Several inches of water pooled around the band's feet so they climbed on to chairs and kept going to rounds of applause. However the rain was relentless and after an hour or so people began to get cold and drift away, myself included so I felt sorry for the young rock group due to appear later as there would have been few hardy stalwarts.

I got soaked dashing back to the van where the bouncing rain had come under the skylight and wetted a few things. However a touch of the Eber and a hot shower soon saw me warmed up and in bed as the storm continued until well after midnight.

As expected, it being July, I found that the Austrian Tyrol and Bavarian Alps were far too busy and understandably popular and decided to leave both areas for another time. Much of the last six months has been spent in the emptier and quieter places that I much prefer where the creeping demonisation of van life has yet to be felt. Sadly that may change in the near future and whilst I fully understand that the explosion in camper van numbers of all types creates issues the steady erosion of wild camping opportunities forces people on to sites charging upwards of £50/night with many, and even the paid for Aires, already full booked until the end of August.

So I am now focused on heading back although a number of options for voies vertes cycle routes in Eastern and Northern France will I hope provide more memories as I head to Dunkirk over the next few weeks, whilst with luck avoiding the crowds.

I have the van booked in for a timing belt at Autohaus Dolby for the first Monday in August but will need to get back to Sheffield a few days earlier as there is a lot of cleaning and emptying of the van to do.

 Last night and tonight I have been in Germany near Munsinge, west of Ulm, where a cracking little aire has provided a smart park up with excellent WiFi and metered power for 10 euros a night with water and waste facilities also available. I cycled down to Bad Urach via Seeburg for coffee and cake and then spent time this afternoon trying to get a malfunctioning seat post clamp to do its job. A temporary fix seems to be OK for now but I may try a bike shop over in France where I am slightly more au fait with the lingo.

The weather looks set to return to warm and sunny, although the cooler temperatures of the last couple of days have been very welcome.

More flics..

Moldova, Transnistria and finally heading West.

 An elderly couple on a horse and cart passed me during the evening on the Danube but otherwise it was a quiet night and I returned across the toll bridge to head east towards Braila where I had considered staying overnight on the opposite bank of the Danube but as I arrived early I decided to head on to the border crossing in to Moldova. This was very straightforward and I purchased a month's insurance (the minimum) for £60 plus a ten day vignette for £5. These costs were immediately recouped at the filling station as I put in almost 80 litres at around 80p/litre and then stopped in Cahul where two friendly girls in the Orange shop sold me a SIM and 20Gb of data for £2. They set it up for me and by chance I won a bonus 10 GB - remarkable value. An ATM dispensed £20 worth of Leu and I was all good to go. Moldova uses a dialect of Romanian plus some Russian and in the north Hungarian and whilst a separate country it has a long history with all its neighbours and seeks admission to the EU although this may follow a reunion with Romania in due course. Although apparently at an economic disadvantage to Romania Cahul itself seemed somehow brighter and more affluent and the streets were certainly cleaner. A turning off the road to the capital Chisinau provided a memorable night having taken a dirt track down through maize fields to the meadows alongside a large salt lake where although the number of flying beasties was remarkable the salt meant that mosquitoes were thankfully absent.

Passing through rolling farmland I reached the capital but thought the park up was rather too busy and as cities really aren't my thing carried on to Orheiu Vechi.

This turned out to be a very good decision as the historically long inhabited valley contained much of interest and offered a choice of places to park up. At the reconstruction of an earlier fortification I paid my £2.50 park entrance fee to a young lad keen to practice his English and then had a look round the ramparts and small museum before dropping in to the valley and driving through the old village of Butuceni with its traditional houses, ornate wells and accommodation options in various low key eco resorts. The revived Aguri sat nav that had temporarily replaced the Garmin sent me up a track that I would have found challenging on a mountain bike but yet again the van amazed me with its ability to tackle the steep uphill of mostly loose scree to emerge on a grassy plateau. Unfortunately the actual place to stay was 10m away horizontally but a good 100m lower down on the river bank. I could have stayed on the plateau for the night but as I intended to remain in the area I decided to aim for the proper spot, fortunately finding another way down that was less challenging. Out by a complex of ancient thermal baths I saw that the route to the suggested spot was in fact blocked by three large tractor tyres and a sign saying no vehicles so I returned to the visitor centre where the staff said staying on the large, empty grassy parking area right by the river would be fine. I settled in with the solar panel doing its bit and later walked up to the spectacular church that sits on a ridge above the Raut river that meanders through the area. The three shining domes caught the late afternoon sun whilst inside the walls and altar were richly decorated in stunning frescoes. Combined with immaculately kept gardens it was a stunning spot and I had the place to myself. A steep path down the limestone cliff brought me to the river where the carved monastery could be reached after a short climb and as elsewhere on this trip I was amazed at the extent of the excavations to provide a ten room complex plus meeting room, church and storerooms. A return along a little used path by the river had me back at the van for the last of the evening sun and a very peaceful night.

The following day I got the bike off, pumped up a rear tyre that must have a slow puncture, despite being tubeless, removed the road dust and oiled the drivetrain in preparation for a day in the saddle. I followed the Raut on a good track down to the Danube and Criuleni and then picked up a return route which seemed to climb steadily on a very corrugated gravel track for miles. Eventually however I could drop down to Mascauti where a tiny shop provided a very cold and welcome fizzy orange juice and a rare ice-cream. Outside an ancient motorbike and sidecar was obviously still in regular use and I soaked up the atmosphere of this quiet corner of a quiet country tucked away in some of the furthermost reaches of Europe. Winter would be tough here and each property had a large wood pile outside with some having a gas connection as well and the small simple houses are no doubt a cosy retreat from the worst of it.

I arrived back at the van after perhaps 40 miles, enjoyed a cool shower and then soaked up the afternoon sun before an early night. The following morning I walked through the village to visit the two houses restored in a traditional way with exhibits about daily life, the various trades and crafts and finally at a small cafe a welcome coffee. At the modest visitor centre I looked around the museum which had some interesting displays on the archeological techniques used on the various finds from the area before checking it would be OK to fill the van from the nearby tap. Thus after 3 fascinating days and two comfortable nights I was away north to a planned riverside stop at Ribnita.

As I crossed the bridge I saw a barrier and various booths either side and suddenly realised I was inadvertently heading in to Transnistria, a pro Russian breakaway state not recognised by any other nation or global organisation. It would have been daft to try and turn around so I stopped as requested by border officials in uniforms sporting the Russian language and was soon issued various pieces of paper and directed to stop at another building for the vignette and insurance. Google translate made this process easy and before long I had both valid, for a fortnight, for a fiver. I had no intention of staying more than 24 hours so didn't bother with currency and as I was staying on the banks of the Dnister river my phone still picked up the Moldovan signal. It was a very strange experience seeing all the signs and shop fronts plastered in the Cyrillic alphabet and I drove carefully through small villages to reach an idyllic spot on the river bank having passed some very fancy houses. Transnistria is very much Russian leaning although its eastern border is in fact Ukraine and it separated from Moldova during the break up of the Soviet Union. The area prefers to be called Pridnestrovie and although it has some autonomy it relies on Russia for military and other support.

Next day I travelled north for an hour before returning to Moldova at the bridge south of Camenca where again the officials were helpful and friendly. They are not allowed to stamp your passport so a Migration Card is issued and then cancelled on exit. The Moldovans just watch you go past...

Up at Soroca I stopped to look round the castle which has been extensively restored, did a supermarket shop and then decided I really should start heading west so on a hot afternoon benefitted from the aircon as I drove to the Moldovan/Romanian border that sits on the huge dam on the Prut river that has created Costesti Lake. Moldova is trying to build it's way out of a dependence on Russia for energy so this hydro scheme and a new national grid are part of the process to link in with a network more aligned with Romania and the European grid. A €4 toll for crossing the dam allowed me to continue to the Moldovan passport and customs checks which were a bit slow as the staff were dealing with two full 52 seater coaches.

Eventually I was away across the dam to the Romanian checks where fortunately they didn't think to check the fridge as my recently purchased meats, dairy products and even fruit and veg were not supposed to come in to the EU. Being back for me meant my UK insurance was valid, the O2 roaming was live and as I already had a month long road tax vignette I was free to go. I drove through Drochia with its remarkable church as far as Botosani where a quiet parking above the leisure centre was only interrupted by dealing with numerous mosquitoes and a brief tap on the door at 1am from a friendly enough police officer.

Today I visited two of the famous painted monasteries out of several in the area north west of Suceava. The first was heavily clad in wooden scaffolding as a new shingle roof was being installed but down at Voronet the full majesty of these buildings could be appreciated with stunningly detailed and colourful frescoes adorning both internal and external walls with meticulously kept gardens adding to the overall scene.

A twisting road through the Carpathians has brought me to a park up at 1500m above the high Prislop pass with the last remnants of winter snow lying in shaded clefts and the coolest night for weeks to look forward to. Further up the tracks shepherds are grazing their flocks and a few cows are wandering freely, some with calves so it should be a quiet and memorable night with superb views. I have about 2000 miles to go and whilst I have a slight concern about a chirping idler on the timing belt, some creaking noises around the front suspension have been resolved by the application of a silicone spray. I think the bone dry conditions of the last few weeks are the main cause of this. The shower tray has developed a small crack, hardly surprising after 23 years and sustained use over the last 8 so I have repaired it with some gorilla glue and will look at a relining kit when home in a month or so. There are always things to be done especially after such a long trip as this one (fast approaching 7 months) and my list of jobs to prepare for the next one includes the following - new timing belt, discs and pads all round plus brake fluid renewal, Eberspacher service, shower tray repair and possibly glow plugs, a new engine battery and rear coil springs although these are not a priority.

So west we go with Hungary next followed by Austria, Germany, Belgium and France so I will post again shortly.....

Odd ones

On in to Romania....

We returned to Nessebur in the evening via the old windmill and harbour before stopping to watch a children's music and dance competition which was supplemented by a dancing bear much to their delight. Held to promote Bulgarian/Ukrainian relations it was both heartening and poignant. We walked the streets on a very warm evening and looked at the illuminated ruins of various churches before stopping for a bowl of mussels at one of the numerous restaurants and returning to the shore front parking for a quiet night.

A couple of hours drive brought us to a huge area of open meadow surrounded by shady woodland where we tucked away out of the sun and later walked up a track in search of Kipilovo Castle which amounted to no more than a few ruined walls deep in the woodland. A metre long black snake added to the interest for one of us and back at the van we had a very peaceful night before heading off via a water point in a nearby village to Veliko Tarnovo where after a few blind alleys the sat nav gyided us to quiet parking beneath the impressive Assen Dynasty monument. We walked out to the extensive Tsarevets fortress complex stopping on the way for a much needed ice cold lemonade. The fort sits high above the meandering Yantra river and has at its highest point the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension which contains some striking modern murals. We walked along one of the oldest streets in the town which the sat nav had tried to send us down and we're glad we had ignored her guidance as it was narrow and had limited headroom. 

After cooling showers we walked across the pedestrian bridge to another part of town and found a good restaurant with friendly English speaking staff for a very decent meal. Our central park up was very peaceful and we moved on north to another tree edged meadow right on the banks of the Danube. Again we sought deep shade and sat enjoying watching the huge barges plying up and down, some guiding two or three other additional cargo carriers and many with the captain's car perched atop the crew quarters.

Tuesday saw us heading for the rock hewn churches of Ivanovo where one is accessible via a path through the valley and then up the side of the limestone gorge. Despite some collapses in the roof area there were some remarkable frescoes in both parts of the main church which the friendly guide was keen to point out. We noticed that the repurposed railway track used to strengthen the floor had been produced in Middlesbrough and was presumably originally in use somewhere on the Bulgarian railway system.

On a similar theme we hoped to visit the Bulgarian National Museum of Transport in Ruse but it was closed for the week so to console our (?) selves we dined well on the Crazy Fish floating restaurant which for now no longer cruises the Danube but offers a memorable dining experience from the sail shaded top deck with views of the active cruise vessels and merchant barges passing by.

To use up our Bulgarian currency we did a shop in Lidl but miscalculated the sub total so ended up paying by card, thus a top up of diesel hoovered up the last of the cash and before we knew it we were at a booth on the approach to the bridge over in to Romania. It turned out that this was nothing to do with border control any more, just the toll for the crossing. Extensive repairs on the other carriageway had reduced the road to a one way system and whilst we were lucky heading north the traffic in the other direction was subject to huge delays with drivers clearly suffering in the heat. We particularly felt for the HGV drivers as it would be adding hours to their day. At the first garage I stopped to buy the Romanian toll vignette, £15 for a month, and we drove on another half hour or so to a P4N where a bumpy track put us alongside woodland and a slow moving river. To our delight this contained thirty or so basking water buffalo which we were very much absorbed by. The river was a turgid mass of muck and manure so there was little temptation to join them but I was reminded of my time in India 40 years ago when I had ventured in to a much cleaner river with a similar herd.

Tucked away in the shade behind the van we played Scrabble and drank plenty of ice cold water before a salad tea and a warm night with not even a sheet required.

With Mandy's rebooked flight on Thursday from Bucharest looming we headed for the capital city but aware that it is a congestion nightmare circled out to the east and north before arriving rather abruptly at the Camper Hub, another P4N location just 10 minutes by bus from Otopeni airport and under half an hour from the centre to the south. Razvan operates a camper hire business from the location and had messaged me with the instructions to download a clever app that allowed guests to operate the electric gate remotely. The only shade was occupied by a UK plated van so we parked parallel to a line of hire vans that were being prepared to go out and plugged in to the 240v supply that was included in the €20/night fee.

An 800m walk on an unpleasantly busy road put us at the stop for the fast service  #100 bus in to the centre. I'd called at an ATM and taken out 300 RON (about £50) but the bus was just a tap and go fee of around 50p by bank card for any journey. The ten mile journey did indeed include heavy congestion but of course there were bus lanes so the air conditioned bendy bus soon had us down at University Square. Signs on the bus advertised a 24hr tourist pass for just £2.50 so we bought a pair as the sights of the capital are quite spread out. It is activated on first use so we also knew it would cover us out to the airport the following evening.

The city was seeing temperatures in the mid 30s so we stayed in the shade where possible, stopped regularly for cold drinks and walked through any of the misting pods available. The huge fountains in another square also kept things slightly cooler and at night are the setting for a sound and light performance. The second largest (after the Pentagon) public administrative building covers 82 acres of prime land in the city which was widely remodelled during the Soviet era and again by Ceausescu following the 1977 earthquake so contains a mix of ancient and modern buildings linked by tree lined avenues and boulevards. The beautiful Stavropoleus monastery and courtyard were a highlight easily overlooked by the few vest clad groups of Brits intent on a probably stag related drinking session.

 After a few hours we caught the bus back but stayed on right out to the airport so we could familiarise ourselves with the Departures area and then caught the next bus back to the van. It was very hot all night with little breeze and a few persistent mosquitos but we dozed off eventually only vaguely aware of the few overnight flights.

So yesterday was another unpleasant walk down for the bus in to town with the construction of an underground line out to the airport adding to the melee but we were soon in the centre and jumped off a few stops early to enjoy walking through one of the tranquil parks and emerging at the huge Arcul de Triumf from where we took the underground back to University Square and visited the Bucharest Municipal Museum. A shady restaurant with a powerful fan tempted us in for a final excellent meal but we both felt for a deluded drop out sitting barefoot in the sun and yelling out at passers by who we had seen in exactly the same place the day before. As always cities in particular seem to highlight the huge disparity in wealth across populations as moments earlier we had seen a senior official from the National Bank arrive in a sleek limousine with two armed policemen.

Back at the van we had more welcome cold showers, assisted two French couples who were failing to master the gate app and then caught the bus out to OTP airport where Mandy headed off through security as I returned to base and watched her flight's departure on Flight Radar. It was sobering to see a total lack of flights over Iran and Iraq given the current conflict with Israel.

So I now have 6-8 weeks to get back to the UK and have decided on a whim to head slightly further east and check out Moldova. Both Romania and Bulgaria will feature on a future return trip so this quirky corner is worth including. Before leaving I changed the fuel filter with no issues this time, ran a load through the included washing machine and dealt with both the loo, grey water and a tank full of fresh before heading away. En route I stocked up at Lidl, pulled over for a huge convoi exceptionel in the form of an enormous wind turbine base and am now back on the banks of the Danube where a sorry tidemark of plastic bottles rather takes the edge off the view. However it is peaceful enough and and a very welcome ten degrees cooler so now this blog is up to date it is time to do some research regarding onward travel......

Pics Plus

Final Days in Turkey and off to Bulgaria.

As we walked back through Foca after watching the sun set the council workers were busy with a tractor mounted scraper, JCB and dump truck clearing up all the market litter before jet washing the entire area and leaving us in peace for the night.

We headed off stopping north of Dikili where a short track saw us parked right on the beach with a calm and warm sea proving too much to resist. Later we cycled back in to the centre on a good cycle path for an excellent kebab in a cafe on the bustling main road through the town.

Market day in Ayvalik the following day made for an interesting couple of hours having walked down through the back streets from our parking up on the hill before we arrived at a secure paid parking in Geyikli Port. We were lucky enough to be able to park under the only tree and then walked over to the jetty to enquire about crossing over to Bozcaada the following day. £2 return each, free bike transit and hourly crossings gave flexibility to our plans so we walked along the long sandy beach noting that as well as private sections with umbrellas and loungers for hire there were free public areas as well. We took another dip and after cooling showers back at the van we enjoyed a couple of drinks in a beach bar as the sun set. Next morning we joined a surprising number of foot passengers and a full car deck for the half hour crossing to Turkey's second largest island.

On arrival we were away through the port village and following a circuit anti clockwise round the island with my 1:25,000 SatMap map making route finding easy. Out on the north coast a few turbines were spinning in the welcome breeze as we looked out across a blue Aegean with a few dozen cargo ships awaiting their turn through the Dardanelles. Further round a beach restaurant tempted us in for cold drinks and a superb mezze of various cold dishes served by very friendly staff. Swallows were nesting in the roof and seemed oblivious to the presence of the staff and guests. Another few miles with views across to the large Greek Island of Lesbos saw us approaching the port again but a sign outside a house tempted us in for fresh homemade lemonade in their shady garden. The two young girls were keen to try out their English and said they were on the island for the summer which would be a huge change from their home city, busy Izmir. 

The return ferry was fairly empty as most people stay on the island for a break and back at Geyikli the van was cool despite the temperature being in the low thirties. The friendly parking guy was happy for us to fill up with water as we left paying just £12 for the two nights and he was delighted when we gave him biscuits to accompany his cay.

Moving north on the toll road which we assumed would be covered by my as yet unused HGS RFID tag we crossed the 1915 Cannakale suspension bridge, opened in 2022 and currently the world's longest. It soared over the Dardanelles with the Gallipoli Peninsula away to the south which had been my first destination way back in March. Presumably the toll cameras weren't working as at the booth all traffic was stopping to pay manually which was no problem and before long we were at the spot I had stayed at on my first night. However it was of course much hotter and with little wind we decided to head further north to a small picnic place in the hills. It was a lovely spot with the possibility of tucking away under the trees but sadly as ever there was garbage everywhere. A couple of groups of local guys were having a beery picnic but were friendly enough and we were amused as the final three left, clearly well lubricated and perched on their tractor. We walked out to where a new concrete lined irrigation canal was being constructed and later watched as a herdsman brought his dozen or so cows back home. The lane was surprisingly busy during the evening but quiet overnight and we slept well before heading north again and stopping at Kirklareli which would be our final Turkish town. In the centre stood a statue commemorating Ataturk and a cool tree lined pedestrian avenue down to the old station which was now a cafe. Alongside was a substantial steam loco and nearby the old water tower and huge grain silos. We had lunch, bought cherries and made our way to the stopping point for the night reached by a short steep climb up a track to a stunning wildflower meadow with plenty of trees for shade. Ten minutes of litter picking transformed the idyllic location and we had another peaceful night ready to head the ten miles or so to the Bulgarian border the following day.

The tiny nearby village seemed to have exactly the same old men sat at exactly the same tables I had seen on Street View as I had investigated the possibility of a gas cylinder outlet as our Turkish one had just run out. A couple of the guys were very helpful and disappeared off but could only source those with the wrong diameter thread so we thanked them and headed off through wooded hills to the quiet border crossing. Our vehicle documents were checked and passports stamped and that was it re Turkey. Fifty yards further on our passports were stamped again and the V5 inspected but as Bulgaria joined the EU in January of this year we did not require insurance but did have to buy a vignette which was €15 for a month, probably more than enough but it was €9 for just a week. The process was very simple using a multilingual ATM type machine that took the card payment, noted my vehicle details and triggered off an email confirming all was well. The final procedure was a €4 disinfectant bath that achieved nothing as none of the lateral or overhead jets were working, again payable by card at the small booth.

And that was it.....both our phones on O2 soon picked up the free roaming limited to a reasonably useful 25Gb per month and we followed a quiet road through wooded hills towards Burgas before turning off to coastal Sozopol where P4N indicated a place to stay on the headland between the two beaches and handy for the small town. Workmen by the barrier moved their tools so we could line up with camera and then the barrier lifted for us to park on the edge with a stunning view of the blue Black Sea. We walked round to the north bay and were tempted in to a simple restaurant by a friendly guy whose daughter studied at Portsmouth Uni and is now living in Fleetwood. We ate very well and walked back to the van via the port and main centre to chat to a German couple who had just arrived.

The following day we drove out and then back in again as the limit is 24 hours with the ANPR system working well, parked parallel to the coast for the best view and then set off on the bikes for a thirty mile ride passing through Primorsko where again we found a great place for lunch. On a quiet back road to Yasna Polyana we saw a variety of wildlife, mostly in 2D, including large snakes, small tortoises and a marten of some sort. In the village we stopped for water and watched adult storks feeding their young who were just about outgrowing their ramshackle nest and reached the van in time for a swim on the south beach. The following morning a steady breeze had stirred up the seas and the lifeguards were preventing swimmers from going in unfortunately. Thus after a paddle we packed up and decided to drive back to Yasna to fill the van with water under the inquisitive eyes of 3 local kids and then drove to a point on the coast we had seen during the bike ride that offered us an exceptional park up right above the beach. The waves were rolling in but with no lifeguards around we were soon out there enjoying the battering after which I fetched my mask and fins to do some snorkelling. It was a sublime spot enriched by a strawberry moon with just a couple of other vans a few hundred yards up the coast. 

Plenty of showers to rinse off the sand meant we returned to Yasna where the same boys were friendly and very excited when I returned from the shop with a choccy bar each and a packet of biscuits for the group of old ladies sat in the shade of a tree.

Burgas was on the list as a service stop with the first port of call being a basic little set up who were happy to refill my Turkish cylinder for £4, swiftly followed by a car wash where much foaming followed by a prolonged session with the power washer saw the van looking smarter than it had for months. A small and superficial patch of rust on the NS B pillar will be seen to in Brecon along with a bumper scuff caused by an over enthusiastic scooter rider in Bursa a few months back.

A town centre parking area had the same ANPR payment system so £5 saw us parked up for 24 hours just 5 minutes walk from a laundry. This turned out to be part of a hostel run by a friendly French guy, Michel, who moved here a decade ago from Normandy. He says it is busy for four months of the year after which he is free to travel for 8 months and regularly visits Morocco. Anyway he said our laundry would be ready in 90 minutes so we nipped back to the van for lunch, responded to his text that the wash was done (£5) and after draping it round the van set off to explore Burgas. There is a large park along the coastal strip with artworks and gardens plus access to a long pier with busy beaches either side and kite surfers out to sea. Large cargo vessels were awaiting their turn in the port area and a few yachts also passed by.

In an ice cream booth a young lad made coconut and then strawberry ice creams for us by first chopping up the relevant ingredient and then pouring over a helping of cream, all this taking place on effectively an ice cold aluminium dish. He spread the mixture thinly enough for it to freeze and then scraped it up in to tubs, remarkable and delicious. After a rest in the van we walked back to the main part of town and selected a pizza restaurant for the evening meal. It was fascinating watching people go by as everyone was dressed to their best and families were enjoying communal meals. Ours was excellent and as the sun set we returned to the van for a night slightly overshadowed by the local seagulls having an all night party.

Today we returned to a different gas man in error who was equally happy to fill a CG907 for a fiver so we now have more than enough gas to get me through to Germany and probably even France where exchanges are possible once more. In under an hour we stopped at Pomorie for a look round and are now parked up at Old Nessebur, a UNESCO World Heritage town sited on a peninsula where overnight parking on the north side has given us a cool breeze and peace and quiet. We walked in to the town for a look at some of the old churches and will return there later for the sunset.

Tomorrow we start to head west and north through Bulgaria and on in to Romania and Hungary before I look towards the Channel Ports. I have 5,000 miles left on my van insurance and as the direct route according to Google Maps is 2,000 miles I will have to stay more or less on track. I had considered ringing my insurance company as the 4,000 miles in Turkey, Georgia and Armenia where their cover didn't apply should perhaps be ignored but as I think I have enough and won't be going far in the UK before the September renewal I have left it for now.

Heading away from the Black Sea means that the next coast will be the Channel so with lots to look forward to that will do for now......

Additional material here.