Day 64 – We daren’t stay off our bikes for too long . . .

Our journey. It’s like a really, really long and exhausting bike ride. The longer you stop for. The more difficult it becomes to think about getting back on. Especially if you’re on a great site and you’ve still some distance to go.

Not that we’re thinking of getting on our bikes today. With direct access to some real Bulgarian countryside it’s walking boots’ time. Though a short way in to our six mile circular Mrs S was fearing the worst.

We make it to our lunch-time stop just as the heavens open. Time to dry off and re-fuel. The portly owner shows us to an undercover table. His English stretches to very few words. “Fish?” Our “No thank you” accompanied with a shake of our heads confuses him for a brief second. Head shake means yes. Nod means no. “Salad? Our “Yes please” plus smile ticks the box. With fish off our menu, it’s unclear what else he has to offer. We share some shoulder shrugging exercises before Mary-Ann goes with him to inspect Le Menu. Returns with absolutely no idea what she’s ordered. Other than it’s the one with the most ingredients.

The large burgers resemble barnacle covered cow pats. Not long made. Sun-dried. Crispy outers. Warm soft inners. They are surprisingly mouth-wateringly good!

The roadside return leg through the outskirts demonstrates clearly the crumbling chaos blighting many of the villages over here. The decline in the Bulgarian population since the nineties not helping.

Mary-Ann doesn’t quite overdose on anti-histamine when we get back to camp. Although it’s clear she’s been under attack. From more than one quarter. On investigation, she learns there’s an army of minute mosquitoes in this area. They obviously took a liking to Mary-Ann’s legs!