Crossed into Romania and got welcome by a very similar language. From lots of gesturing and repating words louder and louder to be understood, I finally got into a country where Portuguese was the language of choice to get around.
Warned by other travelers, I had my eyes wide open to gipsys. I did see and meet a few, but they were not outsiders running around the country, they were locals who always lived on that area. Gipsys are part of the Romania culture.
People were quite nice and very friendly. On my way up to Timisoara, I met another cyclist. A sixty year old German who was biking from Berlin to Athens. While sittung at a police station waiting for an officer to ask for shelter, we sat and started to take our food out for our evening meal. I took out my bread, cheese, tomatoes and honey; he matched all my item and knocked me out with a 2L beer bottle.
We set camping at a near by soccer field (the officer never came), and in the morning we went on in different directions. I arrive in Timisoara, house of the legendary Tarzan. The actor Jonny Weissmuller, Tarzan, is a Romanian from Timissoara where I spent 2 nights, one camped in sport complex and the next at Mencaroni Mario's apto - an Italian spending a few months in Romania. Had a few beers and a great dinner with him and the next morning I headed to Hungary.
Crossed to Hungary and headed to Pecs, a city famous for being rich on culture. Indeed; quite beautiful, lots of monuments and a very rich architeture.
Spent a day around the city and keept on ridding on the way to the Croatia's border - Barc.
Already in Croatia, the weather had a switch from sunny and hot to wet and cold.
From Pecs, I rode till Grubina Polge, the top of the highest mountain after the border. There, I set camp on the lawn of a Bosnian family's house. Great ppl; I had dinner and breakfast with them.
After breakfast I went on to Zagreb. about 40km before Zagreb, I stopped at a barn to get shelter from a heavy rain that lasted about 30min. Had a coffe at this lady's house, got a pot of homemade jma and went on riding. Few km later I found a house to ask for a spot n their lawn to set camp. Ended up staying there for 3 nights - another Bosnian family.
Ivica Bozic and his family, Ilija & Ana (parents), Marko (brother), Marina (sister), and Marica (girlfriend). I was lucky to arrive on that evening, two days later, they were going to have a party to celebrate Ivica and his father's birthday. Ivica was building a house (himself) and there they prepared a room so I could spent my days well set. The next day, Friday, we drove to Zagreb, had a coffee and walked around the city. On saturday morning, Ivica woke me up to go kill a pig...I didn't kill it, but his father was quite fast on doing so. Fired started, and Bosnian style we kept on manually rotating a 35kg pig for about 4 hours...drinking Pan and Karlovachov beer.
The other guests arrived later and the party went on trough the afternoon 'till late at night. Sunday comes and I went back to the road. Ivica and his family tried to get me to stay a few days more, but it was getting too long, I had to get back on the road. I surely wanted to stay longer; they were very nice and we became great friends; plus, his mother was a great cook and baked delicious cakes...mannn , I miss those cakes!
Rode to Zagreb and on to Karlovac. On to the cross of a big mountain to the coast - Rijeka.
Croatia is GORGEOUS. If you are looking for a palce to see lots of green, relax, and even to spend time by the sea - GO CROATIA! Teh entire country seems to be a bigh National park with a heavy thick green forests, rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and a great coast.
Arrived in Rijeka and realized I had lost my passport...train back to Zagreb to make a new one.
Back in Rijeka, I kept on riding to Slovenia, where I just crossde about 50km 'till the Italian border.
Why did I kept on riding, not spending much time on the Croatian coast or in the Slovenia soil?
I wanted badly to arrive in Monfalcone, Italy, and meet my very good friend Savio Possamai who was supposed to be on this ride.
Here I am (DAMN HAPPY!), in Monfalcone with Savio. Already had 3 bottles of wine on the first dinner with Savio, Davide (a great cook) and Barbara, his girlfriend.
Today, resting to ride to Venice. Savio is riding with me 'till Venice - 120km.
to be continued...
