To Pitesti and My Birthday Four

Yes...I am still here. I am writing this on Friday 23 rd in an effort to catch up. The previous two days were long and very warm. Hot even! We would arrive about 5.30 and have an hour to be ready for a walk to a restaurant for dinner. All good fun but no time to blog.

So...my birthday. Thanks to those who sent much-appreciated wishes. My friend Di, had given me a pair of bizarre glasses before I left with instructions to wear them on the day. I hope you  are happy Di. They did become a talking point. I wore them as I put on my celebration socks for the day.  My words to Tony about keeping “mum” were thwarted by our tour group, consequently Nicko led the Birthday rendition at the morning’s briefing.
Again we travelled through extensive cereal agriculture before we reached beautiful rolling hills of lush forest and orchards. Our coffee stop was a little Tyrolean-like. Glasses. We were on the famed Transalpina route, loved by Romanians and tourists alike. We stopped at a scenic dam and who should be there but Moto Guzzi Mike. Glasses. There was a lovely variety of wildflowers growing “in the woods”and there must have been more berries because the road side stalls appeared again.
At the top of the pass there was another Glasses opportunity. The scenery above the snow line was quite specky. Not happy for one rider who we encountered near a bend  and who needed assistance to upright her bike!
Down on the plains and a couple of hours of riding through narrow roads lined with houses on their quarter acre blocks. That seems to be the Romanian rural norm. A variety of simple to elaborate, mainly concrete rendered homes, on land large enough for some home crops.
We eventually arrived at a large white-washed mansion in a beautiful park-like setting for lunch. Some of our over-heated kiwi friends went straight to the pool for a quick dip. It was decided that Karyn’s birthday warranted cake all round. Glasses and another rendition.
We lingered longer at the restaurant as the remaining kms were through congested roads to an “uninteresting town.”“ Nicko’s words. However my arrival was made more special as a bottle of white wine awaited. Topped off a great Birthday in Romania.

Ps not sure how much more blogging I can do before we have 3 nights in Instanbul. Keep checking k
Xxx