REFLECTIONS
I HAVE LEARNED:
Kindness doesn’t have a language barrier.
Every country has great food for vegetarians.
You can tap into community anywhere.
I APPRECIATE:
Jo, who is a relaxed, compassionate, fun and spontaneous travel buddy!
Matevz, who gave us guidance and support on the Trans Dinarica Route.
The team at Schodrinon: Rob & Kyla who create a fun supportive vibe and the guests, Chris and Uvi, who cared for Colin.
Ben Allen, who so generously found a home for my bike until I return to Istanbul in May.
Max, my son, who is always present to take care of things - especially after Hurricane Helene - filling in with dog care and attending to my property.
Eli, who cared for Sweetie and Bondo, my dogs.
My far flung community that is always so very supportive!
Don’t miss the TRANS DINARICA article about my Balkans adventure! READ IT HERE
THE NEXT ADVENTURE!
My plan is to return to Istanbul in May, have fun, pick up my bike and head to Romania. I’m going to focus on the Danube Delta in the east (including a boat excursion) and the Carpathian Mountains that run through the center of the country, from north to south.
The Danube Delta portion of the route is about 350 miles long with a max grade of 6%. That’s the warm up to the Carpathians which is 65o miles long for the Romanian section with lots more climbing! I’m following the route described in the book Cycling the Great Carpathians by Walter Hauer and Elisabeth Mattes. The route in the book starts in Vienna.
The entire Carpathian Arc is 2,300 miles through seven countries and supports incredible biodiversity. As described in the Hauer/Mattes book: “The Carpathian Region is the wildest and the most under-explored region in Europe with: vast deciduous mountain forests, rugged valleys with their meandering rivers, highland plateaus and lush green alpine meadows”.
In Romania, there is the famous Bran Castle (of the Dracula story) and many architecturally stunning monasteries.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE FUN SOON!!!
