On the seventh day
OK, this is not my seventh, but my ninth day, still the Transalpine Highway and the preceding days took quite some energy out of me, so I needed a little time to rest. It's not that I did not bike at all, but it was less than 40 km...
It was a warm and sunny day when I started, on a road that could be best compared to a roller-coaster ride, there were signs warning about the strong inclines, so every kilometer or so, it went up 10 percent, then down the same, then up the same, then down...you get the point. I was heading east, on the foot of the mountain I had crossed the previous day; through some rural, but pretty well-off territory. Every now and then, there were some houses that were impressive even by western standards and the other ones were well-kept. It is strawberry season, some of the farmers offered their produce (for free, that is...).
It turned out that this is actually an area visited by tourists, not only because of the caves to be found every three-four miles, but due to the beautiful monasteries. Don't think though that it was bustling, no, quite the contrary, the monastery I visited at Polovragi was one of the most tranquil places I have ever seen, set right next to a river as it emerges from a gorge. I would love posting the pictures I took, but the technical equipment I am using is very slow.
Then came a road that someone warned me not to take and it turned out he was right: it had some crazy climbs; and the surface was not road-bike-friendly at all - still, I managed to make it to a town called Horezu. I found my way to a tourist information center, where a very friendly gentleman spoke perfect French and his even friendlier son spoke perfect German. Treating me like a VIP, they gave me a lot of infos, we had a nice chat and sent me to the Monastary of Horezu, which is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites.
It was a few miles outside the town, so they told me to leave my bags (it is uphill, of course), so it was easier cruising without my load. The monastery is truly amazing: set on hill-side, it boasts some beautifully preserved wall paintings. The main monastery is surrounded by other smaller churches, some with wonderfully crafted wooden gates. I am glad my trip brought me here.
On the way back to town, I saw a nice hotel, where they again volunteered (well, I volunteered them to...)to wash my clothes, borrow a laptop (which I am writing from) and I have a large room overlooking the hills, for the amount of Eur 20, breakfast included.
Generally speaking, I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the accommodation. The best sleep was next to the shepherd's fire in my tent, with an unbeatable price niveau. The motels and B&B's are well equipped, are inexpensive and do not seem to mind my special requests, such as washing my stuff. This is not quite the experience I made in central and western Europe.
OK, it's time to retire for the night, I have some big plans for tomorrow, but as I don't want to jinx it, I won't say what they are. You'll read about it, even if I don't make it. See you!