Day 13 Bulgaria

Helmet time is an important aspect of travelling which sometimes gets overlooked. I spend an awful lot of time just riding sometimes thinking about the practicalities of the day, sometimes concentrating more on the riding if there's questionable road conditions or difficult road conditions, quite often my eyes will be wandering to the left and right taking in the surroundings as best I can but other times are times of reflection. The roads to Bulgaria were largely empty and flat with easy, long sweepers and lengthy straight bits. When I got to Bulgaria they were even straighter and longer but not necessarily as well looked after. The Roman influence stretches far and wide or is it just that the landscape lends itself to this type of road construction?

Today I had some extended reflective time, I didn't come up with any revelations but it was all part of the process. How privileged I am to be able to do this at all and how grateful for the opportunities I have and have had in my life. Although not a wealthy upbringing by any stretch, by luck of birth I find myself a fully paid up member of one of the wealthiest cultures and nations in the world. What I went without in my youth is nothing compared to some of what I've seen whilst on the road. I will expand on this another time because it lends itself to much more time and space than an entry in this humble blog.

I was wondering what I would do with all the video footage or whether or not I will make a film, write a book and/or give presentations. I find it difficult enough keeping up with one small WhatsApp group and this blog let alone Facebook, instagram, typing/writing, filming and audio recording. At the time of writing I have a more distilled idea of what I'll do but one thing is for sure, taking photos, recording videos, keeping notes or making commentaries on events is so important in this process and it doesn't matter the medium or mediums used, as long as even a basic record is being kept. these collected snippets really help recollection later on.

I was excited to be in Bulgaria! I'd read books by people who've made their home(s) here and I was keen to see the Roman Amphitheater in Plovdiv, I was hoping to be able to speak some Russian and arranged to stay two nights but as I crossed the border I kept noticing little signs and I could make out the word "vignette", then the camera gantries came. No problem, I thought, I'll stop at the next garage and get the vignette...

I've mentioned them before, vignettes are basically prepaid toll road fees, the idea is that you purchase your vignette for whatever period you're in the country and then enjoy the ride/drive. According to my research, in Bulgaria, all vehicles up to 3.5 Tonnes require a vignette and pretty much all roads require tolls.

...this was the first garage...it didn't even sell petrol, it was closed.

The second didn't exist...and then this came along...

The camera gantry! I was getting concerned

This was the third...

I needed fuel as well...this was quite a few miles in and by this time you can imagine how I was feeling! I was so worried, many expletives in the helmet!

Finally! The fourth petrol station was one and it did do vignettes. Woohoo! Happy days! Though I wondered why the young woman at the counter didn't know how to categorize the motorcycle. Having never been in her country before I suggested she put it in the Under 3.5 tonnes class. Finally, I had fuel and I had a vignette...phew!...I could breath a sigh of relief and get on my way again.

The, what I assume were Roman roads remained long and straight, the riding was easy and my mind was easing. I had a brief curvy ride through the Rila mountain range and my first proper rest stop was at an old, disused, thin gauge railway station where the platform (if you could call it that) was low and the cafe just an overgrown shell of it's former existence. It was a refreshing break nevertheless. The perfect place for a cafe in fact, what a shame.

I arrived in Plovdiv at about 2.30pm

After a short phone call and a short wait, the owner arrived to let me in. What a treat, the apartment was lovely, close to the centre, perfect.

Lovely apartment, air conditioning, washer, cooker, wifi. All the pictures you see are completed and framed jigsaw puzzles, this was a theme throughout the building.

It was a good end to a good day, just dinner to find now. A restaurant by the "singing" fountain will do nicely I think.

Smoked salmon and avocado salad, how very Bulgarian!? I should've gone for the Caesar, ...when in Rome...