Ruth: My blogging app is misbehaving so I am drafting this one in my notes so I don’t have to write it over and over again. As I write this a thunderstorm is raging outside. Each day the weather forecast has looked very grim but so far we have beaten the odds and...
Last night we stayed in Sapanta up near the Ukrainian Border. Sapanta is best known for the Merry Cemetery. Stan Ion Patras carved, painted and added the sometimes irreverent verses. Here I lie to take my restThey call me Gogea GeorgeGreen leaf of DogwoodI was a...
Ruth: Today we climbed over a 1070 meter pass and descended into the Mara valley. This is the heart of the historic region of Maramureş. Things are suddenly much more traditional. Horse drawn carts are common, as are the traditional wooden homes. When we are not...
Gordon: Yesterday we left the comparatively flat roads of Transylvania for the hills of Maramures. Travellers come here for two reasons: to see one of the most traditional cultures remaining in Europe, and to visit the UNESCO designated wooden churches...
Gordon: While we are waiting for our bikes and gear to arrive we have taken a sidetrip to the town of Sibiu, which is perhaps 200 kms south of Cluj. We came by BlaBlaCar, which is a rideshare app popular in Romania. A BlaBlaCar ride is faster and...
The number is listed as “Customer Relations,” and the message that repeats with the electronic music assures us that they understand that our time is valuable. Forty five minutes into this process I begin to feel that I am playing a role in some twisted psychological...
Our bikes and bags are still missing in action. Today I am buying deodorant and shampoo, but it is amazing how little we can manage with. Fortunately, we have our camera, chargers, and a second pair of socks and underwear. Cluj is also a lovely city, but we are both...
We made it to Cluj-Napoca after travelling roughly 24 hours door to door. Our forty minute transfer in Toronto made us scramble, but we made our flight to Munich and on to Cluj. Our bikes and luggage were not so lucky. If all goes well they will be delivered to us at...
After one of my toughest springs ever, it is time to turn my mind to preparations for our cycling trip in Romania and Bulgaria.