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2018/04/19 – Croatia

CROATIA

Croatia has a land mass of 56,538 km2, a population of around 4.5 million and has 1244 islands along the Adriatic coastline.

The capital is Zagreb, the currency is Kuna and the official language is Croatian.

There are currently around 4.67 Kuna to the Aussie Dollar.

We are quite excited as we approach Croatia as we have heard so much about this country from family and friends.

It is a beautiful day and we are in shorts and summer clothes for pretty much the first time or maybe the second time in our fourteen months away with most of these months being equivalent to and mostly colder than home. The sunshine and warmth is a welcome relief. The daytime temperature is a wonderful 25 degrees.

We have no issues at the border as we pass firstly from Slovenia with a stamp and then into Croatia with another stamp – a little surprised at the 2 passport checks as both are Schengen countries and therefore supposedly no boundary – apparently the Syrian illegal immigrants have been accessing central and northern Europe through Croatia so maybe that explains the checks.

There are no vignettes required to be purchased here and within a couple of kms, we reached our first toll booth. Much more civilised here where you take a ticket on entering the motorway and only pay for the distance you travel.

Wild camping is not allowed in Croatia and we have heard differing reports about what is acceptable. We have opted to take the safe way out and stay in campsites and live the Life of Riley while we are in this beautiful country.

There are campsites around every corner – obviously the tourist industry is the major industry here and campsites are quite expensive compared to other countries we have travelled through. Even private home owners and restaurants have joined the band wagon and advertise rates to park in their yards and car parks. Restaurants offer free parking in exchange for a meal (usually at inflated prices).

Thursday 19th & Friday 20th April

We have moved from a tree to sea change and are relishing the change and so enjoying seeing the sea again.

Our camp for two nights: Autokemp Bor, Krk – GPS 45.022885N 14.560945E

Our next toll is to cross the bridge to the Island of Krk – only around $10 and no toll on the way back.

We travelled through the town and up a hill for about a km to this camping spot. Still not many motorhomes about, but we can feel the tension as the holiday season is just around the corner. This campsite is gearing up to be double its size before July. It is perched on a hill with limited views across to the sea.

Wandered down at dinner time to the village which is really quaint with many restaurants along the harbourfront. They even have two red submarines in the harbour (can be hired for sea trips) and some very unusual statues set in a garden that is now blooming with spring flowers.

After some exploring, settled down for dinner in a waterfront fish restaurant and tried out their seafood risotto – very good!

Most campsites take euros so as we had not had time to change money, the campsite and the restaurant happily took our euros until we found an ATM.

The bathrooms in the campsite are the best we have experienced but the electricity which is included in the price is about 50 metres away and water not much closer. The staff were very helpful and provided long extension cords but we found a drop off in power because of it.

Great little spot nonetheless and we enjoyed the two days spent here.

Saturday 21st April

All parking in towns is by prepaid parking tickets and even some supermarkets charge parking. Outside of the town there are lots of free magic places to stop for a break and take some great snapshots.

Our camp for tonight: Restaurant Martina, Senj

Decided to try the restaurant option – meal in exchange for parking. This restaurant was perched high on a hill with nothing short of breathtaking views across the sea.

Booked in for dinner with front row seats on a balcony in a really beautiful restaurant, with a spectacular sunset. We were disappointed at the quantity served (not much bigger than a child’s serve) and the price was ridiculous – very tasty otherwise. Decided there and then in future, to choose our campsite and then chose where we wanted to eat.

Sunday 22nd & Monday 23rd April

More perfect weather and from the future forecasts we were in for at least a week of sunny skies, no cloud and early summer temperatures.

The first two campsites we selected were closed until further notice – very frustrating to say the least as much time is wasted driving there only to find they are closed.

Our campsite for two nights: Autocamp Pisak, Seline – GPS 44.272888N 15.477690E

This is a lovely treed campsite right on the Adriatic Sea with all facilities and Internet for only €18.

The beaches here are small pebbles only with no sand but again the views across the sea, like home, are amazing. Went for a long walk on the beach then to a boardwalk and small Marina and passed by many restaurants that were not open for the season as yet. Nearly every property on the beachfront offered some kind of caravan or boat storage or motorhome parking.

Ralf and Martina from Germany parked in behind us and soon Rob went over to say hello. Ralf has an amazing American accent and we were not sure if he was an American pretending to be German or a German pretending to be American. We spent many wonderful hours chatting and laughing and not sure if we should speak English or German – we spoke both.

The Navigator with Ralf and Martina – our lovely neighbours from Germany

Decided to stay on another day and did much the same on day 2. It is just so wonderful to be in shorts and we felt hot for the first time since leaving home 14 months ago.

Tuesday 24th April

Left around midday with the promise of trying to catch up again with Martina and Ralf somewhere in Croatia or back in Germany where we have an offer to spend time at their home near the Black Forrest and with a reciprocal to them to visit us in Australia.

We travelled back on the A1 again today with another toll but again only cost a few dollars.

Wanted to stay on the outskirts of Zadar and travel in from there to see the town, but the campsite we wanted was situated next to a cement factory (we had just had two magnificent days on the beach) so moved on into town in a free parking area only – GPS 44.113201N 15.236500E Great parking spot occupied by buses and ambulances and a few cars and only a 15-20 minute walk to the Old Town (Stari Grad).

Looking from Old Town Zadar across to New Town Zadar

Well worth the visit as the Old Town included many great old buildings, quaint narrow cobble stoned streets with open air restaurants and much of the architecture having a Roman influence.

The boardwalk around the harbour passed by some beautiful parklands with spring flowers in gardens now in full bloom.

At the end of the boardwalk, many tourist buses were parked and Asian and British tourists were everywhere. The feature at the end of the boardwalk is a sea organ, where the waves hitting the concrete boardwalk walls pass through various size pipes and create different sounds much like an organ. We waited until a tour boat went past and the sounds were intensified by the wake caused by the boats.

Tourists sitting and listening to the pipes of the sea organ

Couldn’t resist an ice cream from one of the shops in Old Town before heading back to Ziggy and moving on to camp somewhere for the night.

Our campsite for tonight: Camping Kozarica, Pakostane – GPS 43.911011N 15.499630E

Quite a large campsite with great ratings. We arrived at 5pm after rejecting some other spots and asked if we could just have a park for the night without all the trimmings as we intended to leave early next morning. Reception offered us a park just outside the main gates, where we could stay, have electricity (which we didn’t need ) Internet and use of the camp bathrooms for €6. Perfect and we could go for a stroll on the beach as well in the morning – who could ask for more!

2018/04/14 – Goodbye Slovenia

Slovenia

Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th April

After leaving Lubjljana with a sigh of relief, we travelled through beautiful valleys and saw many snow capped mountains still open for skiing.

Our first stop was the touristy Bled Lake. A stunning huge lake with a small castle on an island in the middle. Bled Castle sits on a sheer rock face high above the lake and the township.

After parking in town (parking meters everywhere) took the long hike up the hill (there is paid parking at the top at €3.00 per hour). Busloads of Asians and tourists everywhere. Far from our favourite castle as it has been renovated and is somewhere between old and new and set up as a museum inside. We don’t think it is worth the effort to go inside the castle, though would go to the top just to see the panoramic view across the lake.

Another Bled icon in the middle of the lake

Tried to find a place to stay overnight around the lake but most refused to take motorhomes even though they had signs up saying motorhomes were allowed and displaying their fees which were 4 times the price of cars – they said motorhomes took up too much room – very unfriendly area for motorhomes particularly on weekends. Frustrated we headed out of town into the countryside. The dedicated camping parks of course available at a huge cost.

Our campsite for two nights: Dovzan Gorge, near Trzic- GPS 46.3789N 14.3245E

Only a couple kms past the small village of Trzic we found our ultimate dream spot sitting right in the middle of Dovzan Gorge. Set on a level gravel patch this parking spot (takes about 8 motorhomes) was right beside the clear crystal waters of a mountain stream in full flow with waterfalls cascading down the valley. The water was so fresh we filled our tanks.

Spent two quiet relaxing days walking through the Gorge and staying away from the weekend crowds in the Bled area.

Navigator and Driver setting off on a hike through the Dovzan Gorge

The locals have provided this magic spot at no cost and are trying to encourage tourists to come here. Give it ten stars if you don’t need services except water – just breathtaking.

Some of the series of linked tunnels we encountered on the hike through the Gorge

Monday 16th April

On the return journey on the other side of Trzic, we found a dedicated motorhome area overlooking the beautiful town, which provided all services and couldn’t find a pay station so would be free – they are definitely looking to attract tourists.

We didn’t stay here and moved on toward Lake Bohinj. Another stunning lake and the scenery was like everywhere – just stunning. Towards the end of the lake, there is the Triglav National Park which is the home to the Bohinj Waterfall.

A very steep climb up with 20 minutes of steps all the way (as usual) rewarded us with a spectacular view and thunderous noise and water spray of the falls. Really worth the effort.

Could not stay overnight here in the national park so headed down into the valley.

Our campsite for tonight: Bohinjska Bistrica – GPS 46.276161N 13.958880E

A very unusual spot for motorhomes only, set beside a railway line above the town with views across to the snow capped mountains and valleys. Only heard the car train a couple of times during the day but very quiet at night. Normally a cost of around €10 but free off season.

Our early morning view on awakening at Bohinjska Bistrica

Tuesday 17th April

Woke up to another beautiful day where the church below appeared to be sitting on a low cloud and with this in the foreground and the snow capped mountains in the background – was awesome.

Our campsite for tonight: Veri Krajnik, Idrija – GPS 45.998623N 14.025956E- address: Carl Jakoba 9, Idrija

10€ incl all services and Internet. This is a private property that can take 3 easily and up to 5 Mohos at a pinch. Best to phone first to check on availability 00386 41 725 262 as it is a very narrow, steep and windy road. Veri, the owner, speaks excellent English and some German and spent some time providing information about this UNESCO world heritage town.

He drove us down into town and showed us where some of the sights we needed to visit were and also a shortcut back up the hill for the way home.

This town is the home to the 2nd largest Mercury mine in the world. It officially closed down in 2007 and is now open for tourists only.

No that is not the Navigator drilling in the mine

Very interesting walk down into and through the mine and the guide provided excellent information. Another 200 steps – more punishment to these old legs but really worth it.

The Navigator with our guide inside the Chapel in the mercury mine

The town produces some of the finest lace in Slovenia and many shops proudly display their wares.

Spent time in one of the many squares with a pint before making our way up the hill back home. Had to stop a couple of times to catch our breath as it is quite a hike.

The views from this campspot again are across the mountains, valleys and the village below and at night we enjoyed just a coffee whole overlooking the towns lights below.

Wednesday 18th April

Veri was disappointed we did not want to stay on longer and said he would be our guide for today if we wanted to stay on. Our vignette runs out tomorrow so we are keen to make it across the Croatian border on Thursday.

Our visit to the Skocjan Caves, another UNESCO site, is situated not far from the town of Divaca. This was just one of the many highlights of our trip through Slovenia. It comprises numerous caves and passages, natural bridges and sink holes. This is a 1.5 hour walk through the caves where the centre cave is the largest we have ever seen. Thunderous mountain streams and waterfalls fall at the bottom of the cavern. Just awesome walking along the well lit paths and one could be reminded of Jules Verne’s – A journey to the Centre of the Earth.

That is the exit from the caves – unfortunately photography was prohibited inside the caves

Another 500 + steps, though not all at once, was just what we needed, but the experience was one we were pleased we did not miss. Photography in the caves was sadly not permitted.

Our campsite for tonight: Park Military History, Pivka – GPS 45.668610N 14.190080E

This is a Super motorhome spot supplied for all by the Park of Military History. For €10 with all services including electricity and great Wifi as well as one ticket to the museum, it rates highly as one of the better spots. The pitches are on level bitumen, well lit, security cameras and a view across the valley below as a bonus.

We arrived in time to register at the museum reception but the museum itself closed at 3pm so will visit it tomorrow. Wanted to eat at the cafeteria which gets wonderful ratings but it was booked out by a large group and is generally not open after museum hours.

Thursday 19th April

The museum features many tanks, planes etc from the second world war but also has a large section on the “Road to Independence” which presents the process of gaining independence in the Republic of Slovenia with an emphasis on the independence war of 1991.

A very small part of the exhibition area

2018/04/11 – Slovenia

SLOVENIA

Slovenia has a land mass of just over 20,000 klm2 with over 50% being covered in forests and a population of just over 2 million.

The capital is Ljubljana, the main language is Slovenian and the currency is Euro.

There are no regulations against wild camping but it is not generally accepted – ask if in doubt.

Wednesday 11th April

Being a Schengen country, the border crossings again were a non event where there were no inspections or customs booths.

Our campsite for tonight: Gostilna Trnek, Ljutomer – GPS 46.555161N 16.219290E

Set beside three lakes and a forest reserve and surrounded by green fields, this Inn has a spectacular location and did not even insist on a meal in return for free parking.

We dropped inside to make sure we were permitted to park for the night and were greeted with a warm smile and shown where to park just outside the Inn on the grass. There are so many beautiful places around the lakes where seats have been provided to just sit and watch the ducks go by.

As it was lunchtime, we strolled over to the Inn and sat in the warm sunshine and had a pre lunch Slovenian beer and booked ourselves in for dinner at 7pm.

Walking tracks and information about the reserve were posted beside the first lake so armed with a bottle of water, a jacket (just in case it got cold or we got lost) headed off through the forest reserve. There were 5 information boards along the 2.5 km track but there were times when we reached a fork in the road with no signage, that we wondered if we could find our way back.

Our hike came to an end when we encountered a river and a punt

There were lots of track indicators along the way in the form of coloured ribbons, empty water bottles hanging from trees, a tyre and of all things – an old muffler. We came across loggers in the forest and tractors hauling out timber and finally reached the river where there was a ferry to take you across to the town of Mura. Not sure if it was large enough to take a Ziggy bus across. Sat and watched the ferrymen on the other side for a while and then headed back hopeful of finding the track indicators on the way back. Felt a bit like Hansel and Gretel and thank heavens the ribbons were not eaten by the birds.

The forest itself was beautiful with a few causeways running across streams where there were ducks and swans swimming happily – so peaceful with only the streams and birds to be heard.

Took just over two hours to get back and have a rest before dinner.

All day the Inn was abuzz with local men coming in and having a man’s chat and beer before venturing home. The same in the evening when we came in for dinner. We sat in the small dining room and listened to a group of men chat and laugh for many hours – they were still there when we left and have to say, the clear liquid they were drinking was definitely not water.

The dinner was a country feast with Rob’s Zander or fresh water perch and my veal scallopini filling the whole of a large plate – we could not finish it. The owner – also the barman – was asleep when we approached him at the bar for the bill. I think he too had been drinking some of that clear liquid.

Thursday 12th April

Our campsite for tonight: Gostilna Koblarjev Zaliv, Maribor – GPS 46.565559N 15.619740E

Another Inn situated just on the outskirts of the large town of Maribor. The river setting was very pretty with a small bridge to take you across the river to the Inn side. Very quiet in the day and night with only a few walkers passing by.

Requirement here was to pay a small parking fee or have dinner, so for the second night in a row, my driver took the navigator out to dinner. This time we were the only people in the dining room and enjoyed a fabulous seafood risotto which we could not finish and took the rest home in a doggy bag.

Friday 13th April – black Friday

First town we have seen with a Harvey Norman store. All the way over here – very strange as we had not seen another one anywhere else.

Just have to keep repeating over and over again how very awesome and breathtaking the scenery is in Slovenia. A beautiful, beautiful clean country with absolutely no signs of anything derelict.

We passed by rolling lush green hills topped with acres of pine forests and dotted with little villages of quaint Tyrollean style homes with mansard or alpine roofs – reminds us so much of Austria.

One of the dozens of quaint villages encountered on the back roads

Our campsite for tonight: Tivoli 2, Lubjljana – GPS 46.0598N 14.4975E

Comments regarding rates in the Park4nite APP are very confusing. Parked in Tivoli 2 where at the boom gate it gives two rates with a car costing €0.60 per hour between 6am-8pm Monday to Friday (weekends free) and motorhomes €2.40 per hour 6am-8pm and €6.00 from 8pm to 6am (seven days a week) = €39.60 for 24 hours. Definitely do not want motorhomes to stay here. However, when you take a ticket on entry there is no option to select car or motorhome.

We had already taken a ticket from the auto machine at boom gates and parked before we did a google translate to discover what the sign really said. Terrified at the prospects of the potential cost, we took our ticket back to the gate and inserted it in to get a reading – €0.60 it said, the car rate. Fantastic, we thought – the sign must be an old one so happily set off to do a quick trip around the town before our full day here tomorrow.

Didn’t get far enough to see a lot but the exercise was welcomed. Found a great place just across the road from the carpark called Union Brewery which was packed with locals in the outside beer garden so decided to venture in for some early dinner and sample some different beers. The venison deer goulash with rolled dumplings was superb and was served with a basket full of hot fresh buns to soak up the goulash. Shared one between the two of us – yum, yum, yum!

The pub filled up quickly inside and watching the locals was a real hoot. This unique place is really worth a visit.

Inside the Union Brewery restaurant – the sign reads “One beer please”

Checked our ticket again as we walked back past the boom gate and it read €2.40 after about four hours. Feeling confident all was well, we settled down to some reading while watching the comings and goings in the car park.

At 7.30pm there was a knock at our window which we opened slightly. The man spoke to us in Slovenian and the gist of the conversation mostly via sign language was telling us we had to move out as we were not allowed to stay overnight here. Having had a few drinks, there was no way we were legally able to drive.

Took out our iPad with Google translate and asked the person for identification as it appeared he was asking for cash in addition to what we would pay through the automatic machine. We showed him our ticket which he quickly snatched away. Scary, because without it there was no way past the boom gates. We asked to speak to an English supervisor. He phoned someone, we have no idea who, spoke and then handed the phone to us. This person, after finding out we were in Tivoli 2 said we were OK to stay. He spoke to the man who then gave us back our ticket and waved goodbye (with a not so happy face). At no time did he show us any identification.

We left very early next morning, hoping to be able to get through the boom gates before our not so happy man arrived for work. Paid a total of €4.80 (very happy) though we suspect that this man is responsible for getting the extra motorhome rate.

All inner street parking is chargeable on an hourly rate and all parking stations charge a whopping penalty rate for motorhomes.

Did not stay on in this non friendly motorhome town.

2018/04/08 – Goodbye Hungary

Sunday 8th and Monday 9th April 2018

Our campsite for two nights: Budapest – GPS 47.4827N 19.0553E

Spent three wonderful days and two nights here. What a great city – well laid out – easy to drive our Ziggy bus through – wide streets – clean – great bikeways – wonderful sightseeing – and just the best parking spot.

Our overnight view from Ziggy – right on the river on the Buda side looking across to the Balna building in Pest

Hungarian national Election Day today (on a Sunday?) so hoped we could get a spot in town. We arrived mid morning Sunday and already there were only a few spots left. The parking is right beside the Danube on the Buda side with a short five minute walk to Freedom bridge and all the sightseeing you could wish for within an easy walking distance.

Almost a summers day today, the sun is shining brilliantly so took advantage and hit the tourist trail immediately. First stop was the Citadel and Buda Castle district. Massive climb to the top starting with a visit to the Stone Church which is closed to tourists on a Sunday, however we were lucky enough to get there just as a service was finishing so got a sneak look – just amazing to see the inside of the church walls sculptured out of the rock face.

The Navigator – outside the Stone Church

Another 200 or more steps took us to the top of Gellert Hill where there were 360 degree panoramic views across the whole of Budapest and the meandering Danube River. Here is the Statue of Liberty and expansive views across to the Royal Palace and Sandor Palace on the Buda side.

Came down the opposite side of Gellert Hill (much easier going down and watched people struggle on their way up – know exactly how they felt!). Walked across Chain Bridge, the oldest bridge in Budapest, to the Pest side.

There was so much to see here and over the three days we walked so many kms per day that we were exhausted at end of each day.

Some of the sights we saw were:

St Stephens Basilica (only $1 entrance) – the largest and most impressive church in Budapest.

Heroes’ Square – massive square with statues of Hungarian chiefs and kings (really worth the long walk to it).

Vajdahunyad Castle – just opposite Heroes’ Square. A romantic looking building and exactly what conjures up in my mind as a “fairytale castle” set in the middle of a beautiful lake and park.

The Houses of Parliament – the most beautiful building in Budapest – in my opinion. Just spectacular architecture and set on the mighty Danube.

Central Market Hall – closed on Sunday’s but really worth a visit. Local fresh fruit and veges and meats, wines and herbs and spices are available at really great prices. Certainly lots of tourists taking photos of this unusual building and its local produce.

Vaci Street, Vorosmarty Square and Deak Square – spent many hours walking up and down these very touristy and mostly pedestrian only streets with Curbside cafes, elegant shops and the famous ruin pubs (very funky pubs set in mostly old derelict buildings and transformed into interesting masterpieces).

There was a spring festival held in Deak Square where numerous stalls filled the square and provided the most wonderful smelling and interesting looking foods as well as souvenirs. Dined out regularly here.

Traditional Hungarian street food at the Spring Market

Advice: the parking spot is just magic as far as location is concerned but was constantly full. Arrive before 6am or after 9pm during the week or on the weekend as locals take up these free spots really early and many stay till late to enjoy what the city has to offer. It can be quite noisy as the car park is part of a road with central street parking. We just sat and watched the cruise boats on the Danube, bikers, runners and walkers taking in the magnificent river Boardwalk. The lights across the Danube to the Pest side were just stunning in the evenings.

Our night view from Ziggy as a tourist boat goes past

Tuesday 10th April

Another beautiful sunny day today and we are so enjoying being able to wear short sleeved shirts for a change and hope this is the start of a warmer Spring.

Headed away from the hustle and bustle and noise of cars, sirens and trams, buses and boats into the countryside.

Somewhere before we arrived in Budapest we managed to get a slow leak in the rear right hand tyre – similar to the previous one we picked up at the Helsinki Zoo in Finland – the tyre pressure would drop from around 5.5 bar to 3 bar in about 2 days – not sure whether a leaky valve, a puncture or a slightly buckled rim which will let air out with tubeless tyres.

Decided not to look for a tyre repair shop in Budapest because of the traffic congestion and so headed out in a south westerly direction towards the Slovenian border and look for a sign that said “Gumiabroncs Javitas” which is Hungarian for tyre repairs.

Found one near the town of Szekesfehervar but they only did trucks so pressed on – found another in the town of Veszprem – they had a laugh and a giggle and referred us to an Autoklub place about 2 klms away.

It was a very modern repair shop with about 8-10 staff – I tried English but no one spoke a word – I tried German but no one spoke a word (surprising).

We had keyed in a message onto one of our Ipads in English and translated to Hungarian about the problem with the tyre.

I asked Krys to bring that message up on the Ipad screen and went back inside the shop and showed them the message – I did not check the message before I handed the Ipad over.

There was a man and a woman behind the counter – they looked at me strangely and just smiled – then the man led me in to the workshop and passed me over to the foreman who also looked at me strangely, smiled and took out his mobile phone and spoke to a few different people.

I started thinking something was amiss but because of the language problems couldn’t get him to stop dialling on his mobile.

I took our Ipad back off him turned it around and had a look at the message on the screen which read in English – “We are looking for a safe place to stay for one night – we have our own shower, toilet and electricity – can we stay here for one night or can you advise of somewhere where we might be able to stay”.

I laughed and then put the correct message on the screen and showed it to him – he laughed and then started organising to get Ziggy in to the workshop to fix the tyre – they noticed the AUS sticker next to the number plate and the Australian flags in the shape of the map of Australia on the body panels and smiled.

They had modern hydraulic hoists but because of Ziggy’s size we could not get her on the hoists and so had to use the small bottle jack that Mike Steers had lent to us.

It was quite a task with the small jack but they got the tyre off and found a huge screw embedded in the tyre and they then proceeded to plug the hole.

I went back in to the office with credit card in hand to make payment but they refused to charge us. I said that we insisted on paying but they still refused.

We had spent all our Hungarian cash as we were heading to Slovenia but still had a wad of Euro notes as they can be used in most countries.

I had to force the Euro notes in to the mechanics hand and step away quickly – he did not want to accept the money.

The staff then ushered us out the driveway and waved goodbye.

What a fantastic experience – one we will not forget – genuine hospitality towards foreign visitors – yet another case of being really well looked after because we were from Australia.

Our campsite for tonight: Hegymagas – GPS. 46.8352N 17.4500E

Just the perfect remedy as this magic spot high on a hill has stunning views across vineyards, mountains and the western side of Lake Balaton in the distance. Only a small village with quaint houses all with their own vineyards and wine tasting on offer.

Hegymagas house with nice attics and vineyard as front yard

Only a few spots are available and we were pleased to see another motorhome for the first time in ages. Heinz is German and Gabi is Hungarian but Heinz has lived in South Africa for about 8 years and had a distinct South African accent (even in German). We spent many enjoyable hours talking with them and hope to catch up again as they are heading in the same direction as we are.

Then along came David from Kent, UK, with his rather large dog on a walk up the hill. So very British, it was funny to hear such a broad British accent in this part of the woods. He has lived in Hungary on and off for twenty years and told us quite a few funny yarns about the area. He has a house and vineyard not far from where we parked – next to a mountain spring with beautiful fresh water.

The Navigator topping up our supplies of beautiful mountain spring water

This little village looks about to boom with renovations of a guest house and old church well underway. So tranquil and picture perfect – really enjoyed our stay here.

We enjoyed our stay in Hungary – the roads were better than Bulgaria and Romania and we always felt safe no matter where we went – the people were friendly and understanding of foreign tourists.

2018/04/04 – Hello Hungary

HUNGARY

Wednesday 4th April 2018

Woke up before 7am to another wonderful sunny day and left our park shortly afterwards – two sunny days in a row – wonderful!

3.5kms out from the border gates, we saw a continuous line of trucks heading for the border – they were at a stand still. Fortunately there were two lanes so took the other one, for cars and soon were at the border gates.

Handed in our Australian passports, our MOT and registration papers followed by a cursory inspection inside and then waited – and waited – and waited. Seemed like an eternity before a customs official asked us to move over into the parking area beside the office and wait.

Romania where we had just left is a non Schengen country and we were trying to enter Hungary which is a Schengen country and we wondered if for the first time, we would be stopped for breaking the Schengen rules. Funny how you become worried when you are made to wait. About 10 minutes later, the official came out, handed us back our documents and wished us a happy time in Hungary. We are still no wiser as to why we were kept waiting.

Hungary has a population of around 10 million and a land mass of 93,024 Km2.

The official language is Hungarian but as Hungary shares its borders with Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Austria and Croatia many people speak several, languages.

The currency is the Forint (HUF) and there are currently approximately 195 Huf to the Australian dollar – quite a shock when filling up with fuel or grocery shopping and looking at the bill with lots of zeros on the end.

Another thing to watch out for – a very elderly gentleman on a tricycle on a busy roundabout

After travelling a while, it was obvious our dodgem potholes days were over (for the time being) as the roads, still patchy, were at least pothole free and we could travel at a good speed.

Didn’t strike a mountain all day and mostly went through flat agricultural country. Towns we passed through were very modern compared to Bulgaria and Romania and were not as affected by the snow and rain we had been experiencing.

Arrived in Szeged only to find no spots available in the Park4night spot as the locals had taken every spot available – so had to reluctantly move.

Our campsite for tonight: Szikos – GPS 46.2718N 20.0225E

About 15kms away, this designated Camping area only opens on 1st May and even though the boom gates were open, staff would not allow us to stay there even though we wouldn’t be using any of their facilities – all we wanted was to park inside the fence. They were getting the site ready for opening in three weeks time.

We parked outside the gates in a beautiful forest area and were really happy we were not allowed in to the campsite as it was just so magic here in the forest.

Thursday 5th April

Still very flat and agricultural countryside but really green and lush.

Villages are more modern than Romania and Bulgaria with a more affluent feel to this country. Fuel prices are similar with diesel ranging from $1.75 upwards per litre. Food and alcohol are more expensive.

Our campsite for tonight: Famalia Camping, Pecs

There is only one campsite listed near this town but it is published as not opening for the season until 1st May. Thought we would try our luck as the weather had warmed up. Arrived to locked gates but as the pedestrian gate was open, wandered in.

Lovely treed campsite with concrete pads – some not too level. Was met by the boss lady who spoke no English, however did speak German. Said she was not open until May but after using my best German and telling her we were all the way from Australia, she gave in and said one night only. She locked the pedestrian gate just after we parked and gave us access to the key.

Typed information provided in English was excellent and with Lidl and the bus stop into town only a minute away, we were soon on our way into town, only four stops away and around $2.00 each way each.

The central town square was alive mostly with university students and a few bus loads of German tourists so it was not difficult to see everything very quickly. City Hall was amazing as was the cathedral and the many museums.

Had a late lunch on our favourite gyros and local beer (quite a lot more expensive than Romania and Bulgaria) and people watched for some time. Did lots more sightseeing before heading back.

Had a very quiet pleasant night in a very large space that I am sure come 1 May will be very busy.

Friday 6th & Saturday 7th April

Thanked the boss lady for allowing us to stay out of season. She was really lovely and proceeded to lock both the vehicular and pedestrian gates as soon as we went through – don’t think she wants any more guests until May.

Travelled through some beautiful countryside today. A few hills now and then which were being ploughed ready for the spring. There were rectangular patches of different shades of brown and green dotted across the valleys and in the bright sunshine (for a change) was just beautiful.

Shops are now selling colourful potted flowers ready for the window and balcony ledges and in many of the towns there is much activity planting these in public places.

Our campsite for two nights: Balatonfoldvar – co ordinates 46.8455. 17.8658

Situated half way up the eastern side of Lake Balaton, this mixed parking place stands at the top of a hill with spectacular views across the lake. There is a new museum here with a spiral staircase leading to a viewing tower showcasing views across this massive lake. No services, however the museum has some free Wifi that reaches out to the car park.

The Museum and Observation Tower shaped like a ship in honour of a Hungarian sailor

Walked down to the small town along a path that is also a bike track. Evidently there are over 200 kms of bike paths around the lake. In fact the bike paths everywhere in Hungary stretch for miles and miles through and between towns.

Our overnight view from Ziggy over Lake Balaton

We watched the yacht races on the lake from the marina and Boardwalk. There is an international Laser youth sailing regatta on over the weekend which has brought young people from many countries as competitors.

This is a great spot and wonderful little town so stayed an extra night for some R & R.

2018/03/29 – Romania – Turda to Oradea

Thursday 29th & Friday 30th March

We were one of the first to arrive at the salt mine shortly after 9am. Received the old age entry fee (over 65’s) of around $5.00 each and quickly descended the steps down, down and deep into the shaft. Wasn’t looking forward to coming back up again later as these old knees are barely hanging in there and want to make sure they last until we come home.

This salt mine is very different to Wieliczka in Poland and Salzburg in Austria and in our opinion no where as good. However, the mine is very interesting and would be more so for the younger set as at the bottom of one of the oldest mine shafts, they have fitted out this massive area as a “play area” with two ten pin bowling alleys, numerous table tennis tables, mini golf, snooker tables, a Ferris wheel, and an area where you can hire a row boat and paddle about for 20 minutes.

This area has been very well done and soon we were ambushed by coach loads of kids who quickly took over. We arrived in an echo chamber and after listening to a school load of little ones screaming at the top of their voices, we headed back to the safety of the top floor and then out to the carpark which was now filled with coaches.

Left by 11am and headed north through some very poor and industrial areas of Romania. It is hard to believe people can live in some of these places that barely have a proper roof to protect them in the freezing temperatures.

Stopped to have lunch beside a roadside restaurant and were soon approached by a beggar with a child – so heartbreaking that they need to resort to begging.

Our campsite for two nights: Capiora, Firiza- GPS 47.740120N 23.602400E

Not far from the large town of Baia Mare is a turnoff to Firiza. The roads were not great but the scenery up and through the mountain was fabulous.

The small town of Firiza consists of only around 50 houses, three of which are bars (nothing like back home – they are in private houses), no shops and this great place where we stayed for two days.

A really beautiful bushland setting with a fabulous restaurant and accommodation. Only room for a few motorhomes and with a cost of only $8 per night including electricity and good internet, it really was worthwhile staying on and chilling out here.

The food was just amazing (particularly the goulash) and with two courses and two large beers costing $24 for both of us – a real bargain. Had to have dinner there two nights in a row as the food was so good.

Care must be taken driving on some of these roads – you can come across lots o0f different types of vehicles

Nothing was too much trouble and the owner Gabriele, speaks excellent English. She gave us a huge amount of information on places worth visiting in Northern Romania.

Saturday 31st March

Filled up with fresh spring water, said our goodbyes and headed off around 11am.

First stop was Sapanta which is close to the Ukranian border. We turned down one street and came face to face with the Ukranian soldiers and border guards – turned back quickly.

The “Merry Cemetery” is very unique and is one of the attractions that has put this small town on the map.

Its brightly coloured church spire and roof tiles together with colourful tomb stones attract tourists by the busload. Just outside of town is the Peri Monastery which boasts to be the worlds highest wooden building.

The woodwork is just amazing. We were unable to get inside the church but were able to climb up the steps into the tower to get a birds eye view of the property. The steps leading to the tower were carved out of one tree trunk. We had planned on staying in the carpark here which looks safe and quiet but it was still early so moved on.

Peri Monastery and the tallest wooden building

We travelled on through many towns that had wooden churches and monasteries – a distinct feature of this part of the world. Some of the wood panelling at the entrances and doors to these and also to many houses, were incredible masterpieces.

Found a spot to park just outside Sighetu Marmatiei at a museum but the ground was so soggy and wet, could not park there without fear of being bogged so moved on again.

Another of the wooden churches in Sighetu Marmatiei

Our campsite for tonight: Wassertalbahn, Viseu de Sus – GPS 47.714611N 24.442820E

Hadn’t planned on such a long day, but ended up being a very interesting day with so much to see.

Wassertalbahn built in 1930, is about a km outside of the town and hosts a train museum as well as being a working station. We arrived here at 6pm and as the office was closed, the security guard told us to park and see the office in the morning.

The gates were closed at 8pm and the site is monitored by cameras and an onsite security guard during the night. Only us and the stray dogs were the parks occupants for the night.

Sunday 1st April – Easter Sunday

Rained heavily through the night and the carpark was awash though did not stop the coaches and cars filing into the carpark and boarding the steam train which leaves at 9am and returns at 3pm. It is a very popular tourist attraction and the train was full, even off season.

Played dodgem potholes again today, think we are becoming used to the roads a little more now – though my driver might not agree!

Travelled on to Bitoza to a small town that boasts being the prettiest town in Romania. The town runs along a waterway with some parts on the other side accessible only by small bridges. Our recommended campsite happened to be on the other side and with the road awash and muddy, did not want to tempt fate by trying to cross.

Today is Easter Sunday and in Europe, traditionally a day that is highly celebrated beginning with a long visit to your local church until about midday followed by eating, drinking and being with family for the rest of the day.

When we arrived in Botiza the cathedral services had just finished and we watched as the congregation left in droves and walked home down the middle of the street (umbrellas up and trying to avoid the mud and slush on the side of the roads). Most of the women were dressed in traditional Romanian costume and waved when they saw us taking photos. Again such a shame that the rain has dampened the traditional spirit of this day.

Some happy local ladies after Easter church service

The original Orthodox Church on this site was built in 1694 and is now overshadowed by the new spectacular cathedral which was completed in 1974.

Very typical of this area – most houses and business have hand carved entry gates to the property

Only a few kms away we stopped at the famous Orthodox Barsana Monastery which is a famous pilgrimage spot even though it was built in the 1990’s. There are at least a dozen buildings in this complex set on acreage with a backdrop of beautiful mountains and valleys.

One of the 12 buildings at the Barsana Monastery

From here we tried to find a campsite (though there are none listed in any of our apps).

Travelled through town, and like most of these towns, it has only a one street frontage with little or no places to stop.

Our campsite for tonight: Halfway between Barsana and Stramtura – GPS 47.795880N 24.082424E

A dead end bitumen road off the main highway that is wide and flat. A restaurant is on the corner and down the street, what looks like council vehicles are behind a locked gate. There are rolling hills and green pastures across the road.

The restaurant was quite busy most of the afternoon but there is so much space here and is well lit.

Monday 2nd April

Today is meant to be a public holiday here, however the council workers were arriving by 7am to start their day. Woke us up when the cars arrived but soon we were back in the land of nod for another hour.

Took out the pinking shears and trimmed my drivers woolly mane. Quite a reasonable job and navigated well around the edges. Certainly has been worthwhile buying the hair trimmers in Oz before we left over a year ago.

Travelled up and over the mountains again today and soon we were travelling through a winter wonderland with light snow falling. The roads over the mountain were excellent, just as well as there were tons of hairpin bends to navigate both up and down towards Baia Mare.

Very windy road through the snow near Baia Mare

It is so hard to describe our joy as we pass through village after village, each with their own individual and special characteristics. The little old ladies walking the streets all look similar – about 5ft nothing tall and almost the same around the middle, skirts down to their ankles, bright coloured aprons and scarves and boots. We take so much for granted in Oz and it certainly brings home how lucky we are. These people have virtually nothing and live in houses that would barely withstand a strong wind. They go out during the day in horse and cart and bring home timber for the evenings fire. Some places here are so old world charm still. They smile and wave as you go by.

Our campsite for tonight: Carei

This is a beautiful and well laid out town but with no designated camping spots in any of our APPs. Our first challenge was to find somewhere to camp. There are lots of parking places and finally we chose one directly opposite a grand castle and magnificent church.

Weather has been woeful over Easter but as we arrived here, the sun came out so took advantage and strolled through town.

Spent a couple of hours walking around and stopped at a bar to people watch for a while before heading back.

It is 7.30pm now and the sun is still out – hope Mother Nature allows us some more tomorrow.

Tuesday 3rd April

Wow – a cloudless warm sunny day! Haven’t had many of these and hopefully will dry up some of the slush we have had to drive and wade through over the last couple of weeks. Such a shame, as to experience these quaint villages and majestic wooden churches and cathedrals would be 1000% better in sunny conditions.

We are heading now towards the Hungarian border and have a few Romanian Lei left over so decided to spend one more night in Romania.

Our campsite for tonight: Oradea – GPS 47.055012N 21.938210E

A beautiful well laid out town with the parking right beside the river and only a couple of blocks from the central town mall area. The advertised rate in our APPS are incorrect. The cost is 2.6 lei per hour (under $1.00) from 7am to 6pm and free after that. Once we had worked out the ticket machine, we paid the cost to 6pm and then headed down to the mall.

Such a surprise – so many wonderful buildings in a huge square, where local vendors were displaying their wares in timber stalls.

Across, the bridge and over to the other side, we found another walking mall that stretched for a km or so where locals and visitors were enjoying the sunshine in outside eating areas. Many of the old buildings are being restored and will probably be open for the summer months.

Returned back to the main square where we enjoyed one of the Romanian delicacies Sarmale (spiced meat wrapped in cabbage leaves – great but not as good as mums cabbage rolls).

2018/03/24 Romania – Busteni to Turda

Saturday 24th March. – ROMANIA

Romania has a population of around 22 million people, with a land area of 237,500 sq. klm and the capital is Bucharest.

Romania is a member of the European Union but is not in the Schengen Zone.

Romanian is the official language and the Romanian leu (plural – lei) is the currency.

Australians do not need a Visa to travel in Romania and can stay for up to 90 days.

Wild camping is allowed with permission from the land owner/manager or local government.

Leaving Bulgaria we only had around 10kms to travel to the Romaniam border but still the roads were heavy with snow, mud and slush.

Through the Bulgarian customs we went only to be recognised by the customs official who said “We saw your lovely motorhome parked in Lidl last night”. We thought that was very funny and received the passport stamp and tick of approval after paying the €2 toll to use the bridge across the Danube to Romania.

Next on to the Romanian customs counter where we again got a Royal Romanian stamp and a fleeting look into Ziggy from 2 customs officials. They didn’t even come inside but merely glanced through the habitation door and spent the next few minutes talking to us about Australia. Another easy border for us to cross.

Bought a vignette for around $8 for seven days a few meters on and then began the most horrific 300 metres we have ever experienced in our life. Just about 200 metres from the border gates, we noticed the traffic was not moving in any direction and saw trucks lined up for as far as you could see heading our way towards the border gates.

We suspected there may be an accident and within minutes saw a car blocking one and a half lanes, in a pot hole, with underneath bits hanging off everywhere. It had hit a massive pot hole in the road and didn’t make it up the other side. We were lucky enough to be able to get around it but found another 20 or more potholes of a similar size where we had to change to first gear to get up and out before moving on to the next one – this is no exaggeration!!! Hate to think how bad it would be a few hours later with the number of trucks increasing the size of the potholes through every crossing.

Pot holes are impossible to see when covered with snow and or melting slush which turns to water and then it is difficult to determine the size and depth.

Do hope they spend some of the money they get from the Vignettes to fix up this bit and soon.

The roads are horrid in general except for some of the newer highways and we did hit one pothole at quite a speed and were so relieved no damage was done.

We did so enjoy driving up through the centre via the scenic route which was breathtaking to say the least, but each time we arrived at a potential camp for the night, most were snowed in or not open. There is something so serene and special about driving through snow covered mountains where trees are dripping with snow and streams part covered in snow gently meander down the mountainside.

All sorts of traffic on the mountain roads

Frustration again set in (as well as an exhausted and tired driver) and when we were within a few kms of our final choice Brasov and were stopped by the police to let us know the road was closed, it was the final straw.

We had seen a Lidl a few kms back so thought that was our best option.

Our campsite for tonight: Lidl – Busteni

Nested into a corner of the carpark, we hoped no one would notice us and slept peacefully until 8am next morning.

Sunday 25th March

No new snow overnight and we were pleased to see some of the ice in the car park was beginning to melt. The sun had actually come out for the first time in days.

Headed back toward Brasov and hoped the road was open today. It was and this time we were rewarded with breathtaking scenery all the way through the mountains. This is a very popular part of Romania with ski fields in many of the towns along the way.

The roads were also very busy as skiers enjoyed the huge snow dump and took advantage of it to get in some last season skiing.

Our campsite for tonight: Brasov, (Aleea Tiberiou Brediceanu). GPS 45.6407N 25.5950E

Brasov is very special but there are few places that a car can park in, let alone a Ziggy Bus. The centre is full of apartment blocks with only street parking available for owners with stickers.

Our overnight parking spot – up against the Old Town wall

This car park is quite difficult to find as our NAVIE kept taking us round and round the block. Finally we used the above address and soon found the spot right next to the Old Town Wall. Being a Sunday, there was not a spare spot anywhere with buses and cars double parked. We found a spot just out of town by a sports field and did some chores until later in the afternoon and then ventured back at 6pm and luckily found one or two spots available.

Took a long walk into the Old Town where we were able to get some photos before dark.

Monday 26th March

Back to explore more of Old Town this morning. So many beautifully restored old buildings, street after street after street with the Main Street, cobble stoned and a pedestrian way only. The town square is the most spectacular with the Black Cathedral being one of its feature buildings. Sadly closed on Mondays so did not get past the front gate.

Bought a Romanian delicacy called Kurtos from a street stall. Tastes a bit like a donut but is long and hollow with the outside tasting like toffee. It is pastry rolled onto a cylinder and then cooked as it turns past a heated element – yum! Romanians love their pastries and nearly every person we saw was eating some kind of pastry. Also noticed a lot of dentists around – too much sugar eaten I think!

The snow is now melting fast – thank goodness and as we travel through the countryside – the white hills are turning into brown hills with only patches of snow seen on the hills.

Our campsite tonight: Sighisoara (8 Strada Anton Pann) 46.2188N 24.7882E

This campsite is on a road at the bottom of the citadel where there is room for cars and coaches. Parking costs less than $2 per day from 8am to 5pm and free after that. The parking attendant is very busy and strictly monitors every vehicle that stops.

What a trek up the hill – over 100 steps to get to the entrance at the top and then another 200 or more going up the different levels to the church at the top. Certainly worked off the Kurtos by day’s end. The clock tower in the square is one of the main attractions and appears to have figurines that move through openings under the clock – probably at midday we think.

One of the sets of stairs under cover leading to the top

We are in the heart of Transylvania (home of Dracula). We even passed by a house which proudly declared that “Dracula was born here”.

Every citadel in Romania we have visited has been packed with school kids of all ages and each has been so interesting. Seems like nearly every medium plus sized town has its own citadel.

We took another way down into the new part of town which would have been far easier than the first 100 steps and stopped in a bar for a well deserved beverage.

Tuesday 27th March

Left before 8am but not until the attendant asked to see our receipt. He arrived at 7am!! If you stay longer, then another day’s payment is required. At less than $2 a day – that would not be a problem at all.

Travelled to Sibiu where we parked right in town at the beginning of the walk to Old Town (co ordinates 45.7920N 24.1488E). This car park is very busy and though it has a number of large spaces for motorhomes, this does not stop the locals from parking there in their cars. We were warned about getting there early hence the early departure. The cost here is 1 Lui per hour which is $0.33 per hour. You can stay as long as you like including night time but opted not too as we thought it may be too noisy with cars coming and going all night, though looked very safe – a great spot to visit this town.

Most of The Old town is a pedestrian only zone and stretches over many streets of beautiful churches, clock towers and beautifully restored old buildings. It has two large squares in the centre with many more smaller ones on the outskirts. Spent several hours there finishing in a restaurant for lunch. Sat by the window people watching as the restaurant quickly began to fill up. Almost got invaded by a school group of 20 or so children around 10 years old – thankfully there was not enough room left so they moved on – phew!

Decided not to stay here for the night and moved on.

Our campsite for tonight: Alba Iulia – 46.0645N. 23.5748E

Arrived here just before nightfall and began working on our blog when we were surprised to see another motorhome pull in. Think we have only seen a total of 2 motorhomes in the last few weeks.

One of the many wooden churches in the area

Recognised the motorhome and its occupants from a place we stayed at in Greece (Thessaloniki) so spent the rest of the night talking with Arthur and Anais, a young couple from France about their travels since last seeing them and exchanged great spots to visit. It was certainly great to get some feedback on places to stay in France when we return there later in the year.

Part of the Orthodox Church in the Citadel area

Wednesday 28th March

Spent the morning catching up and up loading photos before venturing up the hill to the Citadel. What an amazing place and we found it only by accident. There is no reference to it in any of the research we have done.

The city within the walls is so well laid out and not of the same vintage as some of the others we have experienced but just as intriguing. Hundreds and hundreds of school kids were everywhere – obviously school excursions just before Easter. Really worth an overnight visit.

There are two spots to camp around the Citadel, we chose the quietest one.

The rain began to fall quite heavily so we quickly headed back to Ziggy and left not long after for Turda.

Our campsite for tonight: Turda – Aleea Durgaului – GPS 46.5878N 23.7924E

Arrived here just before 5pm and did a quick drive past. There is a carpark right at the entrance that offers day parking for under $2.00 for cars only and another carpark a little further on for buses, motorhomes etc at an hourly rate of 1 lei (33 cents).

The entrance to the mine – no they are not our children

We parked in the recommended motorhome parking which is around 200 meters from the front entrance and overlooks beautiful green pastures.

Looking down the shaft to the lake at the bottom

The salt mines of Turda (Salina Turda) open at 9 am in the morning and we are looking forward to seeing these and comparing these to the Wieliczka salt mines in Poland and the ones just outside Salzburg in Austria, both of which were outstanding.

Super quiet place to stop with again no other motorhomes around.

2018/03/19 Bulgaria – Valley of the Thracian Kings

Monday 19^th March

Woke up to another miserable, foggy, cold and wet day and travelled mostly with the demister on. Travelling along highway 6 was so much better today and soon we made short work of just over 100kms. Not too many pot holes to fall into. Scenery again of lush green valleys – such a shame the sun was not shining.

We have found the people here really great though very few speak any English.

Only a short 12 kms off the highway took us through the mountains to this wonderful village, though visibility was hampered by heavy fog and light rain.

Our campsite for tonight: Koprivshtitsa – GPS 42.6426N 24.3598E

The campsite is in the heart of the village and again we were the only ones there. The attendant at the boom gate wandered over as soon as we parked and relieved us of around $5 and then locked up her office and was not seen again for the rest of the day. Hardly worth her while I expect. No one else came in.

Spent a couple of hours waiting for the rain to stop and given our experience yesterday at the monastery decided to venture out and try to take some photos – fog or not. It was freezing outside so put on all the gear including hats and gloves and braved the elements.

First task was to find the tourist office which wasn’t easy as everything here is in written in Bulgarian. Their alphabet is even more difficult than the Greek alphabet but it was a joy walking through this UNESCO heritage town and eventually after asking a few people (using google translate) we found the tourist office.

Armed with a brochure, a map and tickets to go through 6 of the museum homes here – three only open today and the other three tomorrow, we set off in search of the first one. Quite a challenge as the English brochure we had did not have the Bulgarian translations so the names on the museums were totally different to what was on our brochure.

No that is not a veil – just the way the snow fell

Such a wonderfully interesting afternoon walking through the cobble stoned streets and going through the museums. The fog lifted a little so did manage to take some photos but hope tomorrow will reward us with some finer weather.

It was bitterly cold outside so ventured back to Ziggy for a couple of warming vodkas. Light rain turned to sleet and then to snow for a short while and the temperature inside dropped considerably. Turned on the gas heater which remained on all night.

Tuesday 20^th March

Woke up to a winter wonderland with snow quite a few inches deep. Must have snowed through most of the night. Just so beautiful outside and light snow still falling.

Back into the snow gear and went in search of the three remaining museums. So much prettier than yesterday with everything covered in snow.

They have nine months of winter here in this valley.

Captured this winter wonderland with lots of photos. There is just something so special seeing trees with their branches under the weight of snow and valleys and mountains blanketed in white.

Once down in the valleys, the snow was melting quickly and turned to slush with still lots of pockets of snow here there and everywhere.

Our campsite for tonight: Kazanlak – GPS 42.6261N 25.3976E

On our way towards Kazanlak it had stopped snowing and even had a couple of patches of blue sky though no sun. We saw the sign to the Valley of the Thracian Kings so took a detour. There are several tombs in the area and most are signposted.

In this valley (The Valley of the Thracian Kings) the town of Shipka has one of the most amazing monasteries consisting of two very different pieces of architecture joined together. The Monastery of Hram-Pametnik, has several gold domes which can be seen from miles away.

There is no cost to see the monastery, however they do ask for a small donation if you want to take photos. Such a great building and would strongly suggest a visit if in the area.

Only a few kms to the town of Kazanlak and our campsite for tonight is just at the bottom of a hill with about fifty steps to the Tomb of Kazanlak Thracian King. The original tomb is closed unless you are part of a group and have prearranged a tour, however they have built an exact replica a short distance away which you can inspect of a couple of LEV. Really interesting.

The campsite is a carpark which can take about 10 motorhomes and the same number of cars. Set out in search of a taverna but could not find one close by that was open. The carpark is quite busy until around 10pm but very quiet after that.

This town is also famous for its rose gardens and ruse museum. June is the rose festival month so is the best time to be here.

Wednesday 21^st March

Were woken up by three lady workers who set about sweeping the carpark and picking up any rubbish. We watched as they created hand made brooms with the branches of fir trees by attaching these with rope to long wooden sticks – suspect this is how their forefathers made brooms. We have found the women doing similar jobs in all the villages and towns which are clean and free of rubbish and with very few stray dogs. Such a shame Greece does not do this as it is so full of rubbish and no one seems to care.

It was our intention to spend a couple of days in Veliko Tarnovo. Such an interesting city to drive through with the Citadel towering over this huge city. We drove through the Old Town and saw amazing cathedrals which were unbelievable and then spent the next three hours trying to find a place to stay.

Our ideal spot was totally torn apart with earthmoving equipment taking up most of the carpark. Think it was being renovated with new lighting towers in place and the rest being levelled to be ready for tourists in the summer months. We stopped for lunch here but were given the royal stare by the workers so moved on. Three other car parks were not suitable for motorhomes or were full.

Frustrated to say the least we moved toward a farm stay a few kms out of town. This took us off the main road and up a single land track for about 1.5kms. On arrival we found a car and trailer bogged at the entry with no way around it. The owner (a Brit) came out and told us it would take about an hour to tow the car out so we had no option but to reverse back the 1.5 kms over a snowy and muddy narrow winding track to the main road. My amazing driver made it look so easy. He said he had never had to reverse as far before, even in good conditions.

There are very few camping spots in all of Bulgaria and most particularly in the north.

Our campsite for tonight: Polski Trambesh – opposite police station.

It was not very late in the afternoon with nothing promising on the horizon. Drove through a few towns but could not find any place off this busy highway that was not muddy and slushy.

This is a small to medium sized town and off the highway so decided to stay here. Found a wide level street in town and settled down and people watched for some time. We certainly created a lot of local interest and we feel not too many motorhomes have passed through here.

Fresh snow once again at our overnight spot in Polski Trambesh

Felt very safe being opposite the police station and had a very quiet night after around 11pm. Temperature had dropped by 12 degrees by bedtime so expected a cold overnight temp.

Thursday 22^nd March

Again woke up to a winter wonderland with snow several inches thick outside. Overnight temperature was -1 with a maximum of 0 expected during the day. It was snowing again with heavy flurries.

Not long after we left town, conditions worsened and soon we were in blizzard conditions. The windscreen and wipers started to ice up even using the demister was not keeping up with the outside conditions.

We were happy to get off the highway and took a side road to see the Ivanovo rock churches. Passed a 4WD car bogged in snow on the side of the road with no one inside. The roads were icing up so we hoped we would not end up as he did.

Visibility was poor when we arrived at the churches so took a couple of photos and headed back to Ivanovo before we got stuck too. Filled up with fuel and gas and the attendant told us our next stop was ideal to spend the night.

Our campsite for tonight: Basarbobo Rock Monastery – 43.7659 25.9658

Only around 10kms from the rock churches, this place is just another one of those “must see” spots. The monastery is Literally carved into this incredibly unusual and spectacular mountain and rock formation. In front of this is a new and more modern monastery and church which is occupied by two monks.

The snow was falling quite heavily when we arrived in the carpark but took the time to enter the monastery gates and take photos of this amazing place.

Didn’t venture up the rock face today as weather conditions were woeful but remain optimistic about tomorrow.

Sat in Ziggy and watched the heavy snow flurries fill up the surrounding trees, monastery buildings and carpark – just so wonderful and serene.

Friday 23^rd March

It must have snowed all night as outside was a sea of white, white and more white and the snow was still falling heavily. The snow was so thick in the carpark that the entrance was nowhere to be seen. The snow on Ziggy’s roof was at least 6 inches thick and totally blacked out the solar panels. We enjoyed the scenery whilst hoping that a snow plough would come along and clear the way for us.

The Navigator de-icing Ziggy while we wait for the snow plough

The trip down the mountain and to the town of Ruse was really scary as the snow had turned to ice and visibility was poor.

Our campsite for tonight: Lidl, Ruse

Lidl came into view and we drove into the carpark and turned off the engine with a sigh of relief. With snow piled high on all sides of the road on all roads, there was no where else to park that wasn’t snowed in. Regardless of what happened now, we had our food chain at the doorstep and hoped no one would ask us to leave.

Lidl closed at around 9pm and didn’t hear a sound until 7.30am next morning.

2018/03/14 – Hello Bulgaria

BULGARIA

Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th March

Felt so sad this morning as we are leaving Greece today – neither of us wanted to leave but we still have so much to see in other countries.

We have had a really great time in Greece and would tour here again “in a heart beat”.

The only 2 criticisms we have of Greece is the number of stray cats and dogs roaming around everywhere and the amount of rubbish just left scattered all over the country side and beaches

After driving for just a few kms we approached the Greece/Bulgarian border where firstly we received a good behaviour stamp in our passports from Greece and then a few metres away we were at the Bulgarian border gates.

We were ushered into the trucks lane but with only one oil tanker in front of us, we soon took our turn to check in and have passports stamped, provide vehicle registration and then a very quick visual internal inspection by one guard. Quite easy with no questions asked.

They did not ask to see drivers licences, vehicle insurance, proof of ownership or any other details – a little different to what we had been lead to believe in travellers blog sites etc.

Purchased a vignette at the first service station which cost 15 lev which is just over $12 for a week for 3.5 ton and under. Currency exchange rate of $1AUD = 1.25 lev. Monthly vignettes are also available but opted for one week and will then top up if need be.

Bulgaria has a population of around 7.5 million with the capital city being Sofia.

One third of Bulgaria is covered with forests and 70% of the world’s rose oil comes from roses grown in Bulgaria.

When Bulgaria joined the EU on Jan 1 2007, their Cyrillic language became the 3rd official language of the EU.

Not far from the border we came across several horse and carts which we have learned are quite common here. Even the traffic signs include art work depicting them.

The countryside is just full of magnificent green pastures but trees are still leafless after the winter. Snow at the top of the mountains in the distance is still very visible and we have heard there is still lots of skiing to be done there.

Look closely – that horse is attached to the car by a rope and the car is being driven along the road

This is a very poor part of Bulgaria near the border and we passed through quite a few shanty towns along the way. Stopped at a couple of possible camp spots listed in Park4Night but there was no way we would have stayed there – this part of the country around Podkrepa and Haskovo looks like it is still in the Soviet era so we opted to head further to Plovdiv for our first night in Bulgaria.

This is typical – so many of the older people have nothing but have learnt how to be happy with nothing – they still smile and wave and try to talk to us – so many are crippled

Quite a long drive today think around 200kms where we experienced a mixture of road conditions. One horrible long stretch of a highway – around 40kms was so rough, our teeth rattled, my driver grumbled and just about everything in Ziggy sang out STOP!!!!

On the way we passed many buildings which looked like they may have been factories of some sort in the Soviet era and they were just standing idle – but were an absolute eye-sore.

Our campsite for two nights: Plovdiv – GPS 42.146568N 24.720989E

The trip through the town was quite uneventful and soon we arrived here.

This is a mixed carpark as part of a fruit market. It is free for the vendors and locals buying fruit and veges here during the day but for an overnight stay in a camper, the security guard charges 5 lev per night. There is a restroom and water here. Gates are locked at 9pm and reopened at 8am with a full security fence surrounding the property.

Took a short 10 minute stroll to Mall Plovdiv to an ATM to get some LEVs and then dropped into a small restaurant on the way back and enjoyed a super meal and two large beers for around $13 in total.

Just so peaceful and quiet here during the night.

Taxi fares are really inexpensive here and for a small 5 lev we were in the heart of Old Town, Saborna Street. The taxi ranks are everywhere along the main road so it was not difficult getting one.

Some nice street art in Plovdiv Old Town

Old town is set on a hill high above the town and was a real hoot which we thoroughly enjoyed. The ancient fortress on the top of Nebet Hill offered a superb panoramic view of the town below. The old town stretches through a huge area and it took most of the day to explore – so many great old buildings.

Unusual architecture in Plovdiv Old Town

Next to the Kapana Creative District adjacent to Old Town where we had a great late lunch. The equivalent of the Greek chicken Gyros from a shop called Hobo is priced at $2.40 and is very similar but is massive and left us feeling fully stuffed. A .5 litre beer here is around 2 – 2.50 lev or around $1.70. The Kapana District is very modern with a full pedestrian street that runs for miles with shops and restaurants along the full length.

The Navigator directing us around Plovdiv Old Town

We walked the full length past Danov Hill and the clock tower and down to Tsar Simeon’s Garden where we found several areas set aside in the gardens for men to play chess and cards in the open air. Lots of mums and kids in strollers were out and about in the rare but welcomed sunny day. Only disappointment was that the Lake Singing Fountains were not operational – maybe only operational in summer.

The ancient amphitheatre in Plovdiv Old Town which is still used for plays and rock concerts

Think we will be eating out lots in Bulgaria as everything is so cheap. Can’t wait to see the prices in Lidl.

Interesting street art and architecture in Plovdiv Old Town

Really tired after the long day walking, we chose one of the many restaurants to sit and people watch (and have another not so expensive drink) before catching a taxi back home.

Look closely – all the electric wires are on the outside walls of the house

Another quiet peaceful night.

Friday 16th March

Though overcast to begin with, the scenery today was just so magnificent. We travelled through the mountains today where the roads were etched out of the mountainside and the rock formations were so unique. For most of the journey, train lines were on one side, cascading rivers on the other side with Ziggy in the middle. Once in the valley the landscape changed to lush green fields and then to forests of towering pine trees.

Back up the next mountain, we were so high it began to snow and then rain and snow again. Snow is still quite deep in parts along the roadsides and down the mountainsides into the villages. The roads through the mountainside here are excellent.

Our campsite for tonight: Belitsa – GPS 41.9491N 23.5591E

This is our half way point selected on the way to Rila Monastery which we hope we can get to tomorrow. Travelled about 160 kms today with the road being very good most of the way. Lots of roads in this country are like a patchwork quilt and we wonder how many more times they can be patched up.

Our campsite is in the middle of a little village, next to a sports ground and children’s play area. Nothing much to see here so a relaxing few hours to read and rest up before hiking tomorrow.

Saturday 17th March

The next 100 kms of reasonably good roads took us to the little town of Stob and the Stob Pyramids. For a mere 1 lev we got to walk up a steep mountainside for about 1.5kms to the top.

We followed a pack of sheep for the first half of the journey and they were making better time than we were! The first part of the man made track was really slippery and muddy and then as it got steeper, was replaced by clay and rocks.

Haven’t done a huge amount of walking or exercise over the last few weeks, so had a couple of short stops on the way. The pyramids are just amazing – not to be confused with the Egyptian pyramids, these were created by Mother Nature and are huge rock formations shaped like pyramids which constantly change shape in differing weather conditions. Today we were buffeted by strong winds and once at the top, it was extremely difficult and hazardous to walk along the headland track. Just amazing seeing hundreds of these pyramids dominant in two sections of the gorge. Really worth the walk, though preferably not during rain and high winds.

Continuing on and up through the Rila Mountains and National Park, the scenery was breathtaking with forests of huge pine trees and what would normally be a babbling brook following the road the whole way up, was now a roaring rapid.

Our campsite for tonight: Rila Monastery – GPS 42.1325N 23.3396E

Arrived at the monastery just after lunch to find that there was no parking left so moved past and up beside the monastery to the next carpark about 1.5 kms away. This was a huge flat parking area which still had some snow and ice on it but was quickly melting. Only one car and a small French motorhome here.

Stayed here for a few hours and then ventured back to the Monastery carpark and were happy to see very few cars left at 5pm. Suggest anyone coming here should arrive before 10am or after 5pm particularly on a weekend.

Just a little light left now and as the opening times are advertised as 7am to 9pm, we took advantage of what was left of the day to see the monastery with a view to returning tomorrow for better photos.

Just magnificent. You pass through an archway adorned with paintings into a huge square. The monastery is three floors high and fills all sides of the square with balconies looking over the beautiful church in the middle.

Inside the entrance to Rila Monastery around 6pm

We spoke to the security guard located just inside the archway and asked if we could park outside for the night. No problem and he suggested parking closer to the archway as there are security cameras there and is safer. Three guards patrol the monastery during the night.

Outside the monastery, the cobble stoned walkways lead to restaurants and picnic areas where the babbling brook (now nearly raging Rapids) flow just outside the walls.

Unusual architecture inside Rila Monastery

We were going to have leftovers but decided to eat out at the restaurant behind the monastery – should have had the leftovers – was probably the worst meal we have had!

Settled in for a more than peaceful night only to be woken up by heavy rain on the roof.

Sunday 18th March

Sadly, fog was so thick when we woke that it was impossible to see a few metres in front of us. Decided to wait a while for it to lift but soon after, heavy rain began to fall. Three hours later, after checking the weather forecast, decided to move on. We did not follow our golden rule of never leaving anything to see tomorrow that can’t be seen today – because tomorrow is always a risk.

Not a huge number of campsites in our APPs for this area around Rila Mountains. We didn’t want to go through Sofia so opted to take a short cut through the middle from Dupnitsa to Samokov 40 kms on what looked like a main road. Biggest mistake ever as this road is by far the worst road we have experienced in all of our travels. Potholes that you could take a picnic in and bitumen patches that became like speed bumps – just horrible, horrible, horrible. Avoid this road at all costs and go around through the outskirts of Sofia.

Our campsite for tonight: Kokalyane – GPS 42.587734N 23.420449E

Not a good day travelling and we were so happy to find a place that looked promising to park for the night (GPS 42.5832N 23.4265E). Wrong – this huge carpark was used for driving school practice during the late afternoon and not long after it became dark and we had finished dinner, we were harassed by three hot cars who used the carpark as a rally car circuit and came closer and closer at each turn – flashing lights and just sitting within a few feet of us – time to move on so quickly got out of there. Our fault as we were so tired, we broke one of our golden rules to never park in a big carpark unless it is in a reasonable sized town and only if there are lots of other cars or motorhomes there.

Only a km or so further down the road, we found the above parking area and settled down to a peaceful night. There are quite a number of smaller spots to park not far away.

2018/03/06 – Goodbye Greece

Goodbye Greece

Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th March

Took advantage of the abundant water supply to do some much needed clothes washing (hard to do by hand but a necessity) and hoped for some sunshine some time today to assist with the drying.

Had rained constantly through the night but this morning looked promising for maybe some sun later.

The trip across the mountains again offering sea views at every corner was a real joy, particularly as we saw blue skies and sunshine in the distance.

Our campsite for two nights: Stavros

Not a designated camping spot in our APPs however will give this a very high rating and had the most fabulous two days here.

This fishing village was a height of activity and our first stop for a few hours was right on the dock overlooking the fishing fleet. There was a row of about 10 fishermen sitting on the boardwalk side by side. They had telescopic rods fitted with multicoloured floats with a 6 inch tracer and a hook which they rubbed something on before casting out. They continued to throw burley out to where their hooks were and were bringing in heaps of fish during the afternoon. I thought how envious both my fishing brothers would be to see this. Ever so patient they sat there until dark.

We moved about 50 metres further down the boardwalk from the main dock for the night as we thought it might get too busy and noisy with fishermen coming and going during the night. Good call as we were rewarded with a super quiet night.

We were woken up in the morning by fishermen coming in by boat with their evenings catch and soon after the cars began arriving with locals eager to buy fresh fish – so interesting to watch the locals barter and select their fish. We strolled along the boardwalk and watched with interest as fishermen began clubbing their catch with what looked like very wide flat cricket bats. Turned out to be octopus they were clubbing – we think to remove the ink and other bad bits. This process took a long time and a huge amount of energy by the clubber. Spoke to some of the fishermen and again they had relatives in Melbourne!

Relaunching a fishing boat with a huge crane – Greek style

Ventured back to the main dock where the same fishermen were lined up in a row. Took out the deck chairs and sat and watched them for ages. Today the fish were not as plentiful but their patience was amazing and they sat for most of the day with just the occasional fish as a reward. Not something this navigator or my driver would have the patience to do.

Were entertained by the local school band as they marched up and down the waterfront beating their drums and playing their trumpets and horns (very much out of tune) but looked like they were having a ton of fun. Great to see.

Strolled up town mid afternoon but seemed like very little was open – must have been siesta time as later as it became dark, the tavernas came alive and people were walking everywhere enjoying a very balmy night – haven’t had many of these lately.

Retreated to our overnight spot and enjoyed another great peaceful night.

Thursday 8th March

Again were woken by the same fishermen coming in so decided to move along quickly so that the locals could park here right in front of the catch of the day.

Across the road trailers were being set up for their market day. What a bonus for us to be right there within a few paces of the market.

Strolled up and down several times and picked up some really fresh fruit and veges – strawberries so fresh, red and sweet!

Next was the fish section where there were octopus, squid, calamari, whole fish and creatures we have never seen before. Bought some calamari and then headed back to Ziggy to find a recipe.

Our campsite for tonight: Nea Iraklitsa 40.875636N 24.315567E

There are so many beautiful places to stop in this part of Greece and the co ordinates above take you to a long beach with so many places to choose from. Only one small taverna (more like a cantina) here so very little traffic. Stayed here all afternoon and then walked a small distance to the town. Found a spot to park just on the outskirts of town.

In summer, there would be a cost to park here but the pay booth at the entrance was locked up and gates were locked open. Went back to Ziggy and moved to town for the night. Spent an enjoyable evening strolling through town and the Marina.

Looking towards Nea Iraklitsa from our overnight spot – that is a very clean beach by local standards???

Friday 9th March

Looked at a couple of campsites in Kavala but this is a very big town and busy port area and none of the three we looked at seemed to be safe or quiet so moved on quickly.

Our campsite for tonight: Keramoti – 40.8552N 24.6889E

This waterfront village is quite remote and is a small port where ferries and passenger boats commute to the Island of Thasos.

The campsite is just out of town (co ordinates above) and has a great beach setting but is remote with no housing around. This would be a great place to camp but we decided to go back to town and park on the waterfront where there was more activity and things to see.

Massive ferries came and went and large and small fishing boats loaded and unloaded and the activity around the small harbour was never ending. Walked to town but apart from the activity on the waterfront, a very sleepy little town.

Befriended a beautiful little stray dog who obviously had just had puppies. Couldn’t help but give her some food, though she was very wary of us. My heart so goes out to these poor strays as many are so thin and sad looking.

Had our first feed of home cooked calamari with Greek Salad – not bad, for first attempt but eager to try again soon.

Keramoti is a very busy port with lots of action to watch

Had a reasonably quiet night though the fishing boats coming and going were a little noisy.

Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th March

Our little stray returned next morning followed by her litter of 5 puppies – just so cute. She stopped outside the door as if to show them off so again put some food and milk out for her which she gulped down and never let her puppies anywhere near it. Guess she knew they would get the benefit later.

Interesting countryside – Very flat now with low lying marshy waterways and lagoons on both sides of the road – bit like between Key Lago and Key West in the Florida Keys in USA. Low bridges were created across the lagoons to houses and even a church on its own little island.

Our campsite for two nights: Fanari. 40.9627. 25.1261

Another special place here where there are many waterfront spots that are available to park in.

Did a walk through town and stopped for a beer on the waterfront and then dropped into a seafood market where we found our favourite calamari again. Purchased four large ones and watched as they cleaned it for me. My attempt at cleaning them the day before was pretty much correct.

Parked in the beachfront carpark (co ordinates above) set up the table and chairs on the boardwalk and out came the BBQ. Prepared two of the calamari, fully dried them with paper towels, laced them with some garlic oil, salt and pepper and then straight onto a very hot plate – four minutes each side said the recipe then garnish with parsley and lemon. Sat in the sunshine with only short sleeves for the first time in a long time (though only for about an hour before the sun disappeared behind the clouds) and enjoyed the calamari and a great Sav Blanc. Cars came and went and some beeped their horns and waved or gave us the thumbs up as they passed by.

Cooking the calamari on the CADAC in Fanari

Quiet night though this is a popular spot with people coming and going for walks along the beach. Moved at nightfall when the lights did not come on to a spot about 100 metres closer to town where we experienced a peaceful night.

Woke up Sunday morning to a height of activity. A bride walked past heading for the beachfront and cars and people came from every direction. By 9.30am we were totally parked in and used this as an excuse to stay for another night.

A brilliant sunny day and being a Sunday was the cause. We walked up town and found every available parking spot taken with the numerous restaurants fully booked out and people waiting for an available table everywhere. Stayed like this all day and did not change until well into the night.

Monday 12th March

Sadly our time in Greece is coming to an end. We both have fallen in love with this country and reluctantly make plans to head forward to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungry, Slovenia and Croatia – countries we have never been to before.

There are several more great waterfront camps near Alexandroupoli which we explored but opted to head inland towards Bulgaria.

Our campsite for tonight: Near Loutros. 40.9627. 26.0516

A “tree change” for today so headed north west into the mountains. The spot we had planned (co ordinates above) took us through a small village of only a few houses and then down to an ungraded track which was a little rough. It was getting late so opted not to go down today and parked in a great level spot in town where we had views across the valleys. (Co ordinates 40.9008N 26.0516E)

Woken up in the middle of the night by a massive storm, so glad we did not stay on the beach for this one.

Tuesday 13th March

Our trip today took us up a highway which ran almost parallel to the Turkish border. We encountered more police along the way than we have seen in the whole of Greece. Mostly on the other side of the road pulling up cars from Turkey.

We are only a stones throw from the Bulgarian border so will expect to go through the border tomorrow morning.

Bulgaria is in the EU but is not a Shengen country so we expect to be stopped at the border for passport control.

Our campsite for tonight: Kastanies. 40.651001. 26.472601

Parked at a cafe opposite a Reserve which is just great. The low bridge near the cafe across to the island is awash with a heavy flow of water across it so happily we stayed on this side for tonight.

A mini church opposite where we are overnighting near Kastanies

There is a security gated area adjacent to where we are parked and the security guard doing the border controls looks at us regularly.

After having a coffee at the cafe, we took a short walk into town where there not a lot happening so headed back as the storm clouds gathered overhead.

Another large storm hit us, this time with small hail stones but no damage done. Rained throughout the afternoon which kept us indoors just watching the comings and goings in the cafe.