Yet again Special Agent Nancy put into a few words what it took me a novel to say.
I swear she could make a trip to the dentist sound like fun.
http://specialagentnancy.blogspot.com/2018/10/sweden-gin-to-hell-and-back-againand.html
WISHFUL THINKING APP, DANUBE RIVER CRUISE and BIKER CAMPS
2018-10-05
Note to self: Check the route for Ferries.
When I was leaving Sinaia, it was getting cloudy. The guy at the hotel asked where I was going, and I said Bulgaria. He said that it was supposed to have Tornados there. I used my phone’s “Wishful Thinking App” and put on sunscreen.
It started raining shortly after. It was not a hard rain, but with my wandering route, it did slow me down.
Continue reading “WISHFUL THINKING APP, DANUBE RIVER CRUISE and BIKER CAMPS”
I’M GOING HOME – Wherever that is
2018-10-01
With apologies to Tim Curry “I’m Going Home”
Well, wherever THAT is.
FRIENDLY ROMANIANS and the SERVICE INDUSTRY SNARL
2018-10-01
Romanians are friendly, in a cold New England cold sort of way.
You don’t see a lot of people smiling on the streets. More than in Lithuania though. People stare at you as you go by. Well, they stare at me, but I look out of place almost anywhere. And saying good morning seldom gets a response.
Once you break the ice though, they are great and very friendly people. If they think you need help, they will stop to help if they think they can. Otherwise, you are a pink unicorn.
Continue reading “FRIENDLY ROMANIANS and the SERVICE INDUSTRY SNARL”
PELE’s CASTLE
2018-10-01
Note to Self 1: Thinking it is Monday does not make it so.
Note to self 2: If going to a major tourist destination, check whether it is a weekend.
There were many places that people recommended I go to on this trip. One was Pele’s Castle in Sinaia, Romania. The other was the Peoples Palace in Bucharest. Since I had decided not to go to the Romanian Coast, which was a wise decision due to weather, I chose to go to Pele’s Castle and Bucharest.
TIBOR THE GREAT and SNOW
2018-09-29
I left Sighisoura fairly late, with no real plan. I was just taking side roads as much as possible and seeing where they went. I was roughly heading towards the Parcul National Munti Rodnei, a Romanian National Park on the Ukraine Border.
On one road, I saw an interesting monument of wood. I stopped, and there I met Tibor the Great, a Hungarian Armed Forces Officer, Retired. We talked about all things great and small. He explained that Transylvania, this area of Romania, is almost entirely Hungarian, and proud of it. They speak Hungarian, not Romanian, and follow traditional ways of living. The Monument was put up by the various towns in the area, and each town has it’s own wooden monument.
Tibor the Great
full size
SIGHISOURA, Romania
2018-09-25
As I stated in an earlier post, Sighisoura, Romania is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for the story Dracula.
You can visit the room where he was born (how do they know that) for only $1.25
CANADIANS TASTE LIKE LAMB
2018-09-24
My hosts at this Pension were very nice. I mentioned that they invited me to dinner. They said that they were having two Canadians for dinner. I took that to mean that there would be two Canadians eating dinner with us. Well, when I got to the table, there were three place settings. Me and my two hosts. Where were the Canadians going to sit?
Remember, this is where Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler was born. Vlad was the inspiration for the Dracula story. His father was Vlad Dracul. Another wonderful Romanian man from way back. Maybe having Canadians for dinner was a tradition here. Romanian Goulash?
BACK IN TIME
I AM DONE – SIBIU, Romania
2018-09-23
Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
I am done. I don’t mean I am done traveling, I just mean I am done doing what I have been doing. I have been playing tourist for too long. I have been riding around and seeing nice scenery, but I have also been stopping at some UNESCO sites, and Cities, and other tourist destination.
Dracul Disney, Myths about Myths, Retiree Discounts and Romanians
What to do next. There are some areas in Northern Romania I want to see, and Bulgaria is looking interesting. I am nearing the end of September. I have insurance for the bike through October. I have to either plan to get more insurance and continue on, or to store my bike somewhere (plenty of options) and head either back to the states to visit family and friends, or somewhere else. The Divers Den Dive shop is going to Honduras again. Might be a good trip to do with old friends. It would be nice to see family and friends around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Maybe get out the Honda and ride around the country. Well, if I start in November. Much of the country is cold and bleak in December. I am planning on being in New Zealand sometime in our spring, but what do I do between Christmas and New Zealand? Tahiti? Scuba or Motorcycle? I am open to suggestions. I want to do it all, so hard to decide. I am feeling great, really enjoying my time, but I will need a change soon enough.
Continue reading “Dracul Disney, Myths about Myths, Retiree Discounts and Romanians”
WHITE CLOUDS, an A** and a GO PRO
I don’t have a GoPro camera on my helmet to take photos and movies while I ride. I don’t normally want one. Then there are days like today.
SAN Post – Finland etc
SAN has a great post on a portion of our trip together. As usual, far more story with far fewer words than my posts.
http://specialagentnancy.blogspot.com/2018/09/finland-art-nouveau-tanks-and-one-hot.html
TRANSYLVANIA, TRANSALPINIA, and SEQUOIAs
Last I left you, I was in a hotel that was much better than the other hotel. That’s useful information, right?
Hungarian Goulash
I had to go to Romania to have authentic Hungarian Lamb Goulash with 4 Hungarians, one from Niantic Connecticut
What a Difference a Wet Floor Makes
Moara Cu Noroc, Romania
2018-09-17
I stayed in a summer lake resort area last night. But it was off season, so not a lot of guests, and nice and quiet.
I wandered towards Romania, on as many side roads as possible, a nice days ride.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
2018-09-15
Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
Well, I may not have mentioned it before, but I don’t like cities. At least at first. Cities often grow on me. It does not mean I would want to live in one, but visiting them can be good.
Obviously having a terrible time
full size
BATH TIME
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
2018-09-14
I walked 4.5 kilometers for a bath today.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sz%C3%A9chenyi_thermal_bath
The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe.
This pic of the outside does not even begin to show how big this place is
full size
TRIUMPH BUDAPEST and the IRONBUTT
2018-09-13
www.facebook.com/TriumphHungary/
I stopped by the local Triumph Motorcycle Dealer to buy some maintenance items and see if I could work on my bike there.
I could just do it at my Air BnB but here if something goes wrong or I need something else i am covered.
I do all my own work on my bikes. See my tire/radiator fiasco if you want to know why.
The dealer had a great time watching me work on the bike, changing my brake pads and other maintenance, especially after I told him it had over 150,000 Km and was a 2011.
He had to photo my Ironbutt plate, and my odometer. He said he would put them up on Faceplant, but I have not seen them yet, here two days later. So, no photo yet. He was pretty amazed by my description of the Ironbutt Rally.
BOOT MOLD
2018-08-30
This is a post from way back in the wettest parts of our Norway ride. You know you are riding in a lot of rain when you start growing things on your boots. Usually I just grow things IN my boots.
Nancy’s boots starting their own Garden. 
full size
