Bulgaria and back on a WR250R to join the ABC/BBS crew

[catcitrus]

the next instalment--not sure what day it was--but I was early compared to my prebooked ferry:

So packed from the Cervia campsite and pottered down the coast to Ancona. Getting to within 5 kms is ok--but the rest of it is a maze and you need to be on your game--narrow roads , turns, potholes, poor signs etc. I guess as its an old city, and honestly very attractive, building a road in and out that is "convenient" is not possible. I found the main ticket office and using my best charm and grey hair set about changing my ferry time. Ancona is a major ferry port in the Adriatic, but in early season very quiet. I had booked on line some time ago and got a discount-about 170 quid return--but look at the the map--its a long way to Igoumenitsa in northern Greece. Anek lines swap with Superfast --so it was up to the Superfast counter. lovely young ladies , smartly dressed and straight on the case--no problem--but I would have to top up to the normal rate--then another check and because I was over 60 I get a discount anyway--so no extra charge--the Italians look after their old folk (vote labour!)---the ferry left at 4-30 pm and arrived in Greece at about 10 in the morning--and I was now about to gain 2 hours on UK time. The ferry terminal had a really nice restaurant so I settled down out of the heat to a plain, but nice , pasta and something meal.
The ferry was Superfast X1 and made the Dover /Calais stuff look like rowing boats. About 3 or 4 times the size, extremely well appointed, and with stabilisers and the calm Adriatic you wouldn't know you were moving at 20+ knots. The ferry was only about 1/4 full at best--and the purser announced that discounted cabins were available. I treated myself after camping for a few days--80 Euros but aircon, shower, quiet and cool--had to be done. I grabbed a snack and then crashed for most of the trip.
from the ferry:



Dawn breaking as we get close to Corfu

Igoumenitsa is probably the worst port to embark from--NO facilities once you are dockside. As I was landing I was "out of town" as quickly as possible--its not a place you want to really visit--although there is a good campsite on the beach just up the coast. I sorted my gear out (multiple layers are necessary to add and remove--you need to store these so leave room). It was now mid 20s C easily--and my "borrowed" Husaberg enduro jacket was great (courtesy of my son)--plenty of vents and no stupid waterproof membrane. I also run with freestyle MX pants which are heavy cordura but breathe and have a wide cut leg that drops over your boot without fuss--comfort in the heat. I wear MX reinforced gloves most of the year for feel--and of course being a fabric they also breathe. I have a hydration pack and also carry water in one of the tank saddle bags.
Up the road to Thessaloniki then--good EU road that must have cost a fortune--but NOTHING on it and NO services--you have to dive off to a village to find fuel--and there are precious few signs of them! There are the occasional tolls at about 1.7 Euros, but I don't believe the Greeks pay--they don't use the road anyway. It really is a lonely place with very few signs of human habitation or activity. My plan was to visit Meteora on the way up (featured in the Bond movie with Roger Moore--For your eyes only)--however, I screwed up my navigation and went way past it--but I would get to it on the way back as you will see!

a quick edit--this vid has surfaced of the quick boys braaaaping around Samokov. A bit out of my league--and to be honest I didn't have the tyres, skill, or was willing to risk it bearing in mind that I wanted to ride home--you get a flavour of whats on offer

[catcitrus]

As its still raining outside I'm stuck inside for the moment--so will press on:

Anyway, after a rather boring few hours staring at scrub hillsides--nothing on the roads! I approached Thessaloniki and thought--"big city, right on the Aegean--there must be a few campsites"--wrong!--the roads got worse , the traffic heavier--and I then went right around the coast road through all the traffic--following my nose. Generally unhelpful responses form the odd petrol station--and on the outskirts its grubby. On the waterfront most of the population of Greece was hanging about in the crowded cafes and bars--but seemed happy enough--it was a nice warm day with the water lapping a few yards away so whats not to like !! (but it was mid afternoon, and I think a working day). I eventually gave up when someone said the nearest campsite was 60 ks south! I got back on the ring road and headed north. More of nothing--and time was dragging on. I eventually pulled into a 24h truck stop (rare) and filled up--and asked about camping. The young lady was actually very helpful, asked her boss--and they let me camp on the grass at the back of the stop. They had a pretty well stocked cafe and also a shower for 2 euros--result! I actually spent an untroubled night and was on my way north at about 9 am next day (camping was free--and better than wild camping).
I had been on the E90 to Thessaloniki , and was now on the E79 to Serres. At Serres I turned due north to Sadanski which is just inside the Bulgarian border.

At the border the truck queue was horrendous--they are checking every truck for migrants. I got through easily with just a passport check--and no vignette necessary. Its like a small outpost at the border with all kinds of shops etc. The currency is the Lev, but they will accept Euros in a few places--its pegged to the Euro at 2 Lev per Euro so you know where you are on spends.
The scenery starts to change almost instantly--much more verdant (still on the E79)--and the road sweeps through a river valley so its a bit more fun than the wide open plains of Northern Greece. There are a lot more in the way of roadside stops, petrol stations stalls selling all kinds of veg and "stuff"--and generally a much more lively and friendly air. The road heads to Sofia--and the border to your left is pretty close--firstly Macedonia and then Serbia. Its a well used road-essentially the gateway to Northern Greece and on to Turkey from the north--Hungary and Romania (I've been to all these countries so hence the southern route). They are building a brand new "motorway" alongside the E79--serious engineering and money--but nothing wrong with the current road (for me --looking around). There is a bit of evidence of the communist past--but frankly they are moving at a great pace. The roads are definitely "lumpy" in places--no place for a sports bike and if you also have fillings! There is evidence of all the major petrochem companies and truck and car companies moving in and setting up shop--and they are scrapyard masters so there is no problem keeping cars mobile--and most of which looked pretty good--there is obviously plenty of money about.
Eventually I got to Dupnica and turned right towards Samokov. I was now running to the northern side of the Rila mountain range and national park--plenty of snow on the tops. Where these next shots were taken is very close to a VERY long (now disused) runway built by the Russians for the Antonovs. The road is a patchwork--enduro suspension required!!


Eventually I arrived in Samokov, had a dodgy address for the hotel, and got rough directions form a friendly stall holder and ate spicy meatballs with bread--to the Dragushinovo boutique chalet hotel !--its very nice--but up a dirt road in a small village just outside Samokov--and Brit run--much more of that later.
For starters here's a shot on arrival looking SW to the mountains and the ski resort of Borovets--the season had just finished.
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g969 ... egion.html

[PaulinBont]

Great read! Thank you and keep the RR coming
There is a municipal campsite at Alexanderopolou

[catcitrus]

Thanks for that--I think it was still "pre Garmin" in that I hadn't spotted the campground route in the Accommodation menue--thing is too clever--requires practice--I went through uni with a slide rule!

[ChasF]

Chris, you're an inspiration!

[Desmo]

Hi Catcitrus
Brilliant report ,your bike does really well. Great packing tip too.
Desmo

[catcitrus]

next instalment:
So I had arrived--great relief--one chain adjustment which I think wasn't really necessary--with a trail bike there is a lot of suspension movement, especially unladen to fully laden--and you need to check it with you and all the gear--not easy on your own! I have no cush drive but its a smooth engine, light clutch--and being brought up on old Brit stuff I tend to synchronise well and be gentle with changes(on road!).
It was Wednesday--I wasn't due until Saturday!--and the staff were doing a thorough spring clean after the winter season. The first night I camped in the garden--and they cut the grass around me!--a week ago it had been 5 inches deep in snow! The second night I slept inside on the floor of a room--and the third night I got a room allocated. Self catering was not a problem and I got to grips with the local supermarket(somewhat odd range of goods!)--great prices. Word of caution--there are Romanies around and be mindful to secure stuff or take it with you--however, I didn't have any problems.
Matt and his wife Naomi were the hosts--but he's been out here for 9 years or so, runs a ski school in Borovets, the Hotel, an import business and warehouse for Berghaus, Adidas and other top brands, a wakeboard operation on the big lake to the north, and has been persuaded to take on British Consular duties for the area--so if you lose your passport, get arrested, fall ill etc he's the go to person. Naomi is headmistress at the Brit school in Sofia--started small but has grown a lot and now has mostly Bulgarian students preparing themselves for English speaking Universities etc--they are BUSY. It seems that most of the land in Bulgaria was/is family owned--and after the death of communism they got the land back. Thats why its possible to ride over vast tracts as they really don't mind. There is no government influence or interference beyond strictly controlling the forestry and creating national parks. There is a thriving offroad scene, a KTM dealer in Sofia, Honda in Plovdiv etc--Its NOT in the dark ages!!

The 17 or so riders were due on saturday, bikes shipped to Matt's warehouse, front wheels back in and then ride to the hotel. I had a spare rear tyre and oil and filter coming--but I really didn't need the tyre as the Mefo explorer was only 1/3 worn at worst.

My week was to be "chillin" and local exploring.

My first excursion was to Borovets--only about 8 kms away to the south--still some snow about!



The area is geologically active so they build with reinforced concrete pillars and fill in with bricks using lime mortar-it moves. I visited the hot springs at Sapareva Banja --there is a geyser there and thermal spa. .

I also made it to the "beach" on the big lake (Jaz Iskar) to the North (the site of the beach sprints later in the week!!).


As you can see--hardly a sole around--difficult to get used to such free riding with no hassle.

[catcitrus]

The next instalment--and so to a week of local(ish) trips. The other lads having a great time getting dirty, good food and banter. Naomi's mum cooked for us--slap up meals every night. A young English student, Emily, who has lived out here for years(and spoke perfect Bulgarian) ran around getting beers, coffee, helping with the full english breakfasts, evening meals and so on--superb. I did a trip to Plovdiv--second city after Sofia and on the Black sea route--the motorway(if you use it) is superb--good services, and even Mc thingy and Burger King stops. Plovdiv is a buzzing place--clean and as upmarket as any city in , say, Austria etc--and has a Roman amphitheatre which is still used. Also here is a shot from the balcony of a rather smart hotel (Kamelot!) on the lakeside.




Its also worth mentioning that the Storks were nesting in the village--they and their nests are protected--elegant birds on the ground and also in flight.

I'm sure that you've seen the video of the drag racing on the beach--I wobbled along at the back--soft and fine sand without knobblies is not stable!

We went out to a very nice restaurant in Samokov on one evening, and the last evening, Friday, we were taken to a "theme" restaurant in a village somewhere--with the Bulgarian trail leaders, Matt, Emily and all the crew--the bus had knackered suspension--not surprising!--great fun--and some dressing up as usual.I had several glasses of Rakia--impossible to drink neat as you are overcome by fumes before your lips can get to the glass--but fine with a drop of water--and no hangover! Earlier that day all groups met up at another lakeside restaurant for a long lunch--superb food--lots of it and cheap.

Its worth noting that the offroad starts right outside the hotel--up this bank!

viewed from my balcony!

I also explored a road that used to cut through the mountains to the south near Borovets--the top part has disintegrated and there is a barrier and police presence stopping you--maybe they will reopen it. The ride up is worth it though--wild crocuses showing through after the snow melt and some superb bridges and walks over the mountain torrent.






Even at lower levels you can just pull off the road , park up and have a picnic--and there was
evidence of fires in rings of stones--I guess ok?


And finally another shot from the balcony as things greened up and our stay was coming to an end--note the snow still on the peaks.

[nethen1]

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A few pics to tie in with your travels. Inc the beach race in which u did really well. Even after Tony roosted you in the puddle.


I'll get round to making a video one day. Do you remember the Barry Beer ? Great week.
Great RR , brilliant to have you around for the week. Your an inspiration to us all. (thumbs) (thumbs) (thumbs)

[WIBO]

Keep it coming!!!!
:)
.