Day 18 of 22. Tue Aug 25. Kotel (Bulgaria) to Sredets (Bulgaria)

Distance: 114 km

Time: 5 hrs 28 min again

Speed: 20.8 km/hr

Climbed:  2482 ft

AHR (Average Heart Rate) 99 bts/min

Cum Distance:  1737 km.

Cum Climbed: 33,819 ft.

Punctures: 0

Just had a packed breakfast (and porridge) before leaving Kotel. It was chilly at 8 degrees and as we dropped onto Highway 48 cycled for 10 km on the shaded side of the valley.

It was only when we passed through Gradets that we got the benefit of the sunshine. I started the day with a gillet and armlets but they were off by 28 km.

Generally today we were coming off the Balkan Mountains and onto rolling countryside thus accounting for the feet climbed. We had 3 long ascents where we (5) broke formation and regrouped at the top. The last of these was a 6 km pull at 5% out of the town of Sredets up to the location of our hotel in the woods.

Kotel is up in the mountains and we were well informed that the big drop would come after 24 km. And the road signs got the message across also.....didn’t understand the language but the sign said it all. Around the bend and the whole floor opened up before us. It reminded me of the swooping right-handed drop down into Dover last year. Mokren at the bottom provided a coke stop for almost all groups.

From here on it was an up and down day. Great open tracts of agricultural land stretched away over the slopes. Grain had been harvested and ground was being ploughed again (by heavy machinery). Soil was much blacker than back in Romania. Plenty of activity in the fields and machinery moving between fields along the road. Farms seem to be vast and I wonder if they are collective or company owned!

For the vast majority of today's ride we had excellent road surfaces, smooth and solid. Generally roads are more predictable than in Romania. No gravel stretches to contend with. For one climb today, the one just before lunch, the surface was broken and difficult. Also when we came into Sredets, we were straight onto cobblestones for 2 km right through the town.

In so many villages many of the houses are abandoned. Factory buildings also are abandoned and just rusting and crumbling. Have people just left to seek better on the cities?

In Nedyalsko we paused to ask a gentleman for directions. He had no English and apparently didn’t recognise the name of our destination as we had it written down. Perhaps he only recognised Cyrillic script. But we communicated and he informed us we had 10 km to go and then turn left. At this point his wife came out to assist. Quite friendly in this almost deserted village. Cyrillic script isn' very helpful on signposts.

After 45 km we moved quickly through the town of Stradalsa. It was more downbeat than others and we were advised to pass through here in groups. Nothing unsavoury happened to our group of 5 going through.

Lunch was at 62 km in an area of massive tillage all around. With the day warming up we halted again for a drink at Zornitsa at a shop straight across from a memorial statue. It is a memorial to those locals who Lost their lives in WW2. Oddly enough a stork colony had their vast nest perched right on the top.

Our hotel tonight again is in the woods (about 8 km outside Sredets) with a pool. We got on at 2.30 and with such sunshine and a nice breeze, I got the washing done and hung out to dry. There was a clothes horse in the room. As I write this all are dry and packed away.

A great day of heat and satisfying cycling again today. At lower altitude ow but those roads continue to rise and fall.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.