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The Adventures of RoadKapje in Bulgaria:

After gaining a short, small impression of the coast of Romania, we drive quietly into Bulgaria. We switch back to the Slavic language. Just like in Ukraine and Romania, we see many grape plants at the houses.

We continue to follow the Black Sea coast. We practice our ball techniques on deserted beaches, we build castles and volcanoes. We enjoy sunrises and sunsets, both on the beach and from Roadkapje with the shutter open. Here too, on the Bulgarian coast, it seems, just like on the Romanian coast, that it can be busy in the summer. This is confirmed by the local population, which is surprised to see Dutch people in this season. In the month of July, the dune area is crowded with foreign tourists. Including many Dutch people, who visit the local music festival.



Now we enjoy the peace in this area. In the night we hear wolves howling from the forest next to Roadkapje. During the day we see and hear cuckoo, hops, finch, jackdaw, crow, magpie, various types of swallows, various types of insects and butterflies, a snake, lizards and tortoises. We drive through the elongated dune areas and past cities with many hotels and casinos. We arrive in an area where an old city has been preserved. With a view of the sea and the Unesco city of Nesebar we see dolphins, we also take refreshing dives in the Black Sea and we have pleasant conversations with various fellow travelers who also sleep in this place in their camper.



The historic part of the city of Nesebar has been around for centuries and is located on a peninsula. The old building, with its cozy narrow streets, has been beautifully preserved. The majority of the buildings are now restaurants and standard souvenir shops. We meet a Dutch-Bulgarian young family who run an art / souvenir shop in this cozy town. They sell authentic products from Bulgarian artists, including the traditional porcelain bells. We enjoy the first steps of their young daughter and have nice conversations together, while enjoying Dutch pancakes. Via the large city of Burgas, we say goodbye to the Black Sea. We draw medicinal drinking water from the 41 ° C age-old mineral springs at Banevo, which are already known from the Thracian era. During the trip we get a lot of history lessons as a gift.



We continue to drive inland and we are now getting closer to the mountains. Of course we see many bears on the road, but no wild bears. These are located slightly more north and south in the mountains. The howl of the wolves in the twilight is adventurous enough for us and the Roadcap! In Kazanlak, the Bulgarian rose valley, we give a Hong Kong lady a lift. She lifts around the world and is on her way to a family to couch surf for a few days. It is the same family that we are going to! Together we visit "Bulgaria's UFO" or "Buzludzha monument" at Shipka, high on the mountain. It has been a former socialist meeting room, in the form of the space ship 'Starship Enterprise'. The abandoned and now completely dilapidated building stands in a very beautiful place, with a magnificent view of the wild and rugged part of Bulgaria.



At the end of the village of Bogdan, we are enthusiastically and warmly welcomed by an originally English family, with a Sherlock tracking dog. We have a great time with this special family and Asian hitchhiker. We experience beautiful adventures during our walks in their "backyard", the Kazancheto hills overlooking the Sredna Gora mountain. We do homework, music, play, do board games, dance together, eat together various traditional delicious dishes, learn a taste game, watch a movie, have very nice conversations, do odd jobs and stare into the campfire. We have done little talking so far in Bulgarian. Our English is used a lot again!



The roads in Bulgaria are in good condition. Roadkapje rides alongside the horse and wagons without any problems and is itself beaten by the more luxurious versions of Bulgarian vehicles. She climbs the mountains steadily. By turning on the heating in the car, she can cool down a bit more easily during tough climbs. However, she has difficulty descending and the braking force decreases halfway down a descent. That is a shock and we can happily call Jeroen again to brainstorm. Thanks friend! Of course we don't want to experience this again, so Roadkapje will be in the garage the next day. It does adorn her that she likes to choose big boys when her is a little wrong. She is standing in a Mercedes-truck garage above the smeerput. Her brake line system is thoroughly flushed and the old oil is replaced with new oil. This difference in braking force is clearly noticeable!



We drive the last kilometers in Bulgaria through the mountains, on narrow roads, past villages with a mosque. We take a villager to the next village and are treated to Turkish köfte. This is the mishmash of cultures that we experience at the border regions. In which villages have often experienced a turbulent history of governance.



Bulgaria has offered us beautiful encounters with diverse special families and has pleasantly surprised us with its beautiful flora and fauna. We also thank and wish Bulgaria and its various inhabitants a healthy, sustainable future!



More Roadtrip stories are to be found at 'Our Adventure'.






 

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