Austria - our perfect destination

Having scurried out of Slovenia to escape the persistent rain we arrived in Austria for just a bit more rain before the dark clouds cleared and we were blessed with beautiful weather, hot and sunny in the daytime and cool in the evenings (although when we were up in the mountainous ski resorts it was quite chilly during the night). We started our Austrian adventure in the south at Rosegg, a pretty little town on the river Drau, conveniently situated right on a cycle path which follows the course of the river and this begins the theme of our stay in this beautiful country - cycle paths! We stayed in the car park by the cemetery, the neighbours are quiet and most cemeteries have a water tap which is very convenient!

Our favourite spot in the mountains- so tranquil

The first impression of Austria is how impeccable it is everywhere, the beautiful chalet style houses, often of pine construction with colourful window boxes and manicured gardens. There is no litter anywhere but one thing astounded us about this rather pristine country, if you go in a bar or restaurant you may encounter a smoky atmosphere. Apparently the smoking ban was overturned by the Freedom party, against the stern advice of the medical profession and cancer charities, notably the leader of the party is a smoker himself! I have to say it was Weird and not very pleasant to go back to the days of sitting in a restaurant next to a smoker, it's like going back in time!

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And then there is the scenery, we fell in love with the breathtaking snow capped mountains, the lush valleys, the fairytale villages and the abundance of clearly way-marked tarmac cycle paths, we arrived in ebike heaven! As we progressed slowly north towards Strasbourg, we were blown away by the stunning beauty, having never been a skier, I now understand the draw of the exhilaration of skiing combined with what has to be the most amazing scenery in the world.  We found plenty of places to park for a night or two without any disturbance, being off season the ski lifts are closed but the car parks make great places to stay! Everywhere we went we were wowed by wonderful views, the hot weather melting the snow from the mountain tops, the meltwater rushing down the hillsides in torrents and falls. One place we stayed next to the river we had to get used to the constant roaring of the gushing water, it was like White noise!

Top of the mountain 5606ft above sea level

One day we cycled up a mountain alongside the ski lift, the road just went up and up past heaps of compacted snow, it was still warm enough for short sleeves, in fact right at the top where the air is thin the sun was really hot! At the summit was a lovely restaurant where we sat and enjoyed a coffee, taking in the superb views. Without our ebikes we would never have made it to so many places we visited. 
We stayed in Austria for over a fortnight and when we left we both felt really sad to be leaving such a wonderful country. One day we will return as we only explored a tiny bit of Austria and just maybe the weather might be as fantastic!

A lovely spot for a picnic lunch!

Hungary, Slovenia and into Austria

Cycling Lake Balaton, Hungary 

As we left Romania and headed through the open border into Hungary we certainly felt that we would return to spend more time in both Romania and Bulgaria on another trip - especially the coast which we had heard lots of good things about. As we travelled into Hungary we could tell we were moving towards Austria and Germany - the roads were in good condition with excellent signposting, the surrounding countryside very tidy and organised, the towns and villages we passed through much more modern.

Lunch! Cheese Langos and chicken filled Gyros

Our first stop was in a car park of an Arboretum at Szekesfehervar, which was right on a cycle path so handy for a pedal off to explore our surroundings. We stayed a couple of nights then headed to the Lake Balaton area and a campsite for a few nights (catch-up on my washing). Hungary is a land-locked country so they make a big thing of the Lake, it's a major tourist attraction with a cycle path which circumvents the lake, on the way are lots of cafes and restaurants with large lawned areas for people to laze in the sun or swim in the lake. We stopped and had lunch, it was lucky they had a menu with pictures because we don't speak a word of Hungarian, it may look like a pizza but the base is entirely different- it's deep fried dough, no wonder it was so tasty! I'm often asked how we get on with language in all these different countries and the answer is that we get by with asking in English first, sign language, pointing at things and Google translate, it also helps if you don't get too disappointed if you don't get quite what you wanted!

Leaving the campsite but not wanting to leave the area we found a Park4night spot in the wine growing area, just a car park but great views across the countryside to the lake, there was also a water fountain nearby with a constant flow of icy cold spring water. We had a very
peaceful night here but the weather changed from hot and sunny to cold and wet so it seemed a good idea to move on into Slovenia. We always try to use bad weather as "down time" for moving on our next destination, unfortunately there was a huge band of rain across Central Europe and from this we could not escape!!

Great place to stay, loads of walks and cycle rides but the rain would not stop!

We easily crossed the border into Slovenia (dusty old border control point with nobody in it!) and headed to the small town of Ruse where we stayed on a dedicated Motorhome parking with free facilities including electric hook-up which was very useful whilst we sat in the van for two days waiting for the rain to stop - which it didn't. At times like this we are eternally grateful for all the films downloaded onto our hard drive (Thanks Paul!)
So once again we hit the road and headed into Austria, here we fell in love with the breathtaking scenery, the snow capped mountains,the lovely towns and villages, but most of all the abundance of amazing cycling on well marked tarmac trails - we also had wonderful weather! Ebike heaven!
Don't miss my next blog post to find out what we got up to in Austria!

Our favourite stopover in Austria at Zedehaus

From Bulgaria to Romania

Crossing the border from Bulgaria to Romania took two hours sitting in a queue of cars and vans, the huge lorries had even longer to wait as all our vehicles and documents were checked (including the vehicle registration) by a rather grumpy official. We also had to pay 6€ for crossing the New Europe border bridge, thankfully they took Euros as we didn't have any local currency. Once we arrived in Romania it felt calm and orderly, the small single storey buildings were tidy and well kept, their gardens well manicured in contrast to the rather scruffy and rundown houses in Bulgaria. One thing that struck us about both countries was that nothing was new (except in the city areas) there is no building work going on and time just seems to have stood still. 

We found the people friendly, although at times they stared at us like we were aliens (which I suppose is true in a way!! 👽) 

For our first stop we parked right by a convent which was a 10 minute walk from the Danube, we stayed a couple of nights and ventured out on our bikes on the riverside track. It was a peaceful place to stay except for the bells in the night calling the nuns to prayer (at 2am - really?!). We then moved on to a campsite which was rustic to the extreme. The photo is the toilet- just a hole with no running water ( no - we didn't use it except to empty our own toilet!) the shower was outside under a water tank (cold water only - for those brave enough to try it) the water into a trough was cold mountain water and flowed continually. 

No electric just a warm smile from the elderly lady and her husband who owned the place, she spoke no English and we spoke not a word of Romanian but we managed to communicate. We paid £3.65 to stay for one night so can't complain! The area was in the mountains and very scenic, it even boasted thermal baths but when we went to see them they were rather crowded with tourists and disappointing so we didn't indulge this time! 

The weather was rainy which hindered our exploring so we moved on to our final stopover, another convent where we were driven mad by the church service being broadcast by loud speaker into the car park, we took ourselves off for a walk into the local bar in the village to escape (it went on for 3 hours!!) we had a couple of beers for 8.80 ROL (about £1.65) - the cost of living is definitely cheaper in Romania.

We got the feeling the Romanians were, on the whole, hard working and conscientious people which I wonder is a throwback from their communist past ( it was a communist country until 1989). Having said that, when we went to the supermarket we didn't leave the van unattended as there were a few dubious looking characters hanging around the car park which made us feeling a bit uneasy. We only stayed for five days, but we both agreed we would like to return to spend more time in this interesting country. 

A typical Romanian home well kept and very brightly coloured!

Leaving Greece we head into Bulgaria

After over five weeks in Greece we head north and cross into Bulgaria. Having never been to this country we didn't really know what to expect, we hoped their roads were less pot-holed and chaotic than Greece and we weren't too disappointed, the main roads were in better condition and the drivers a bit less crazy, but venture off the main roads and many of the side roads were in a terrible state and the van was shaken to bits in all the holes and broken surfaces!

Our first stop was at Rupite where we parked on a grassy area next to another thermal pool, which turned out to be a very interesting place to stop as it was only 1 km from the remains of the ancient city of Heracles Sinitica, built almost two thousand years ago by Philip II (who's Royal tomb we visited in Greece) and once ruled by his son Alexander the Great. We were also right by a park area with a Church, cottage and gardens of a great lady called Vanga who was famous for her prophesies and healing powers. 

We stayed for 2 nights to make the most of the natural Spa with its lovely warm water and green clay for a mud face mask as well as visiting the ruins and Vanga's garden. As you walked to the public area there were market stalls selling local produce - honey, jams, olive oil etc but we didn't have any Bulgarian Lev yet so couldn't buy anything. I had wondered what to do about cash in all the different countries we planned to visit out of the Eurozone, but found the solution- using my pre-loaded cash card (loaded in GBP) we took about £50 worth of cash out from the ATM, that provided a kitty for smaller purchases in the country, larger purchases like in the supermarket or in a restaurant we used the credit card. When we left, any currency we had we used to buy diesel in a garage before we crossed the border. This worked really well for Bulgaria and later Romania and Hungary.

National theatre Sofia

From  Rupite we headed to a Camperstop in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. The two guys who ran the site couldn't have been more helpful, they even lent us money to pay for a taxi into town where we could get some cash. We had a wonderful day doing the tourist thing wandering around this vibrant city with a whole mix of modern and ancient buildings. We had a huge rainstorm in the afternoon but luckily we missed it! We were having a very nice lunch in a typical Bulgarian restaurant. After a delicious salad starter, the main course we shared was a loaf of bread scooped out and filled with a whole variety of spicy sausages and meatballs. This was followed by a scrumptious desert, after that we were as stuffed as that loaf of bread!
The next day, leaving the Camperstop and our new friends Bobby and George we headed to Romania spending our last night by a quiet lake not too far from the border. It was so tranquil..... but for the constant buzz of all the insects (especially the mosquitoes) needless to say at dusk we stayed in the comfort of our van and admired the view from there!

Lunch Bulgarian style!

Hot springs, Royal tombs and our last week in Greece

Always on the look out for something interesting to do or see, our next stop was the natural hot springs of Thermopylae, bathing in the water of a natural spa is not something we have ever done, the sulphurous water, rich in minerals are reputed to be very therapeutic. The Ancient Greek Hercules used bathing in the hot springs to regain his strength after his legendary labours and Hippocrates lauded them to be beneficial so if it's good enough for them it has to be good enough for us! The water temperature is a steady 40° - just like a hot bath but not quite so fragrant, the sulphur smells like bad eggs so you have to put up with that. We lowered ourselves gently into the water, adjusting to the heat gradually, but once you were in it was bliss (although a bit stony under your bum - it's a natural formation in the rocks) It was a unique sensation with the warm water flowing around you and the green algae appearing in clumps from time to time, but despite everything it was extremely relaxing. I'd like one at the bottom of my garden at home please!

From here we headed to a village called Vergina to visit the Royal tombs of Philip II the father of Alexander the Great and were we in for a treat! The Royal tombs were discovered in 1976 and had not been plundered- the funeral was a lavish ceremony with many artefacts put in the burial chamber for his afterlife. The funeral took place in 336 BC. The massive doors to the tomb and chambers had been restored in situ in the underground vault and the magnificent artefacts are displayed in many glass cabinets in the dimly lit museum. The golden oak wreath in this photo was placed on the body on the funeral pyre, it survived not only the fire but over two thousand years in the tomb. The beautiful gold and the detailed work of the wreath was just stunning as was the Kings' suit of armour and the bronze banquet sets. It certainly was well worth the visit.

The next day we headed out for our last cycle ride of our stay in Greece, cycling up into the hills and a remote monastery, a place of peace and tranquility, an escape from the hustle bustle of modern life. This photo was taken just by the monastery- what a fabulous view!
For our last night in Greece before heading into Bulgaria we found a place to park in a National park, right on the edge of Lake Kerkinis. There was an incredible diversity of bird life- pelicans, cormorants and flamingos, as well as roaming horses, herds of cows and unfortunately rather too many mosquitoes, but that's the price you pay to park next to a beautiful lake.

Roaming cattle at Lake Kerkinis

Leaving the Peloponnese and heading north

The bay at Gerolimenas 

Greece has a lot more in store for us! After a wonderful stay at the tiny bay of Gerolimenas and some brilliant cycling we headed towards the busier area of Kalamata overnighting on a beach by a busy road which we didn't enjoy - much too noisy for us! From there we headed to the archeological site of Messene, the ruins of a city built in the 4th century BC through some very narrow and winding roads. This vast ancient city stands on a hillside with panoramic views across to the sea and has an amphitheatre, agora (market), a temple and most spectacular of all is the enormous stadium and gymnasium. We were taken aback as we came down the hill to suddenly see this massive complex devoted to sport (and later used by the Romans for gladiator sports including the use of animals)

Just half of the Messene stadium with an old relic in the foreground 

As with all of these ancient sites you need to sit quietly and imagine the lives of the people who lived, worked, played and maybe fought for their lives in this place. The magnificence of the structures just brings home how sophisticated their culture was over 2000 years ago and for the wealthy what sumptuous lives they led.
And talking about sumptuous- our next stop was at the port of Napflion where we arrived at the start of a four day Yachting show, the Marina was filled with over a hundred yachts all showing off their finest assets and plying their potential customers with expensive champagne.

It was interesting to see how the other half lives, but it was a noisy place to stay so the next day we headed a few miles along the coast to a quiet bay where we were joined by Linda & Andy again. We stayed for a couple of nights, enjoying a bit of company and a cycle ride together before we headed further north to Acrocorinth where we parked high up on the hillside with Linda & Andy, the massive fortress towering above us. We had a wonderful peaceful night, the views were stunning as were the wild flowers. The flowers of the yellow broom giving off a heady fragrance.

If you look carefully you can just see 2 vans middle right

The next day we said goodbye to Linda and Andy and headed towards Athens, crossing the Corinth canal, an incredible feat of engineering,  it cuts through the narrow isthmus between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece. We decided not to visit Athens, we just couldn't face the hustle bustle of such a big city but continue travelling north, on our way discovering an overnight stop on a hillside in the middle of nowhere - the silence was deafening!
We just love the freedom of travelling to new places and finding somewhere to park up in the depths of the countryside. It's not to everyone's taste to be out there completely alone and isolated, but we feel much safer there than on a busy harbourside, it's all part of the joy of motorhoming.

 In the middle of nowhere, hardly a car passed us by

Always expect the unexpected 😯

Our journey around Greece has certainly thrown us a few surprises from shipwrecks to ancient sunken cities. Having left Vigklafia and said farewell to Andy & Linda we arrived at a rather unassuming harbour town of Plytra, the weather was grey and cloudy but good enough for a stroll along the seafront. We spied a sign for Ancient Asopos, not knowing anything about it I quickly googled it only to discover it was the remains of a city destroyed by earthquake in 325 B.C and now partly submerged.
As we looked at all the shapes on the seashore, you could image a thriving port from over 2000 years ago, many of the structures were still visible and the area is popular with divers who can see more of the submerged city. I would have loved to go snorkelling, but the sea was too cold and uninviting for me that day!

Some of the partially submerged ruins of the ancient city of Asopos

The next day we headed further round the coast and parked up by a beach with a massive shipwreck, a rusting hulk of a cargo ship abandoned by its owners over 30 years ago. It came to a natural rest on the beach having broken free from its moorings in a storm. It was reputed to have been used to smuggle cigarettes and when she was seized by port authorities, the smugglers set fire to the ship to destroy the evidence. Of course, there are also rumours that the enormous hulk is haunted but maybe that's just to increase its attraction to tourists!

Shipwreck Dimitrios and a very ancient wall in the foreground 

From here we travelled a few miles up the road to the town of Gythio where we stayed on a campsite for a few days to catch up on the laundry (Greece surprisingly is not very well blessed with launderettes so it was our only choice) We were able to get out on our bikes exploring,

 cycling to an ancient town snuggled into the hillside which was full of Greek people out enjoying the Easter holiday. On our way back we stopped at our new favourite thing - a Greek Bakery where we had a coffee and one of their delicious sticky pastries Baklava, an indulgent desert made with filo pastry, syrup, spices and nuts.

A very old house in Arepoli

We also discovered that Gythio has a small Roman amphitheatre tucked away in the backstreets - a surprise around every corner!
Our trip to Greece has revealed many unexpected wonders and I wish I could show you more of the hundreds of photos we have taken in our time here. At this time of year there is an abundance of wild flowers, in some places even the most experienced gardener couldn't improve on natures display in the fields and roadside verges. The poppies here have a deeply rich hue of silky red and the yellow broom gives off a beautiful scent and wherever we go I see another variety of flower I've never seen before, the variety is incredible.
We also saw a tortoise crossing the road on a mountain road and I later found that the tortoise is native to Greece and can be found in the wild as well as some very bright green lizards I have spied on our travels.
It all adds up to the unique experience that is Greece! 🇬🇷

The view from Acrocorinth, wild flowers in foreground