We roll out of the hotel drive just after 8am. This is going to be the 'long day', around 400km. 6hrs without stops.
The first few tens of km are across flat land and some rolling hills, but we're soon into the mountains again following the E79 or DN66 (Route 66) that cuts through the Carpathian’s Defileul Jiului National Park. The road is narrow squeezed between the river and the ravine walls. This means there are no safe places to stop to take pictures of the lovely scenery. But we find a spot eventually, just below a scree of loose rocks high above that makes us all think of Baz at the Adventure Rider Centre in Spain spraying gravel everywhere.
But the stop is clearly being used as a makeshift toilet with paper and even remnants of someone's digestive process at the edges. Not nice.
Steve walks further up the road and finds that's there's a proper parking spot a few hundred metres away. Good views of a waterfall there. Always the way!
We've covered 200+ km now and I start to think about petrol. My bike only has a reserve light but I know the engine's approximate range from my own experience. We should be good for 300km. But I don't know for sure so plan to fill up while we are in a populated area. Then the worry is about whether petrol stations take cards, so we get some cash.
We're in the valley floor between two areas of mountains and enter a town called Petrosani. It must be a from the Nicolae Ceaușescu era, a decaying industrial area of concrete apartment blocks inspired by Soviet Russia. It has two large towers that dominate the skyline. I find these places fascinating, reminding me of how the east end of London used to be and how some parts of Wallonia are today. As we leave the town the concrete structure of an old railway line runs above us.
We stop for fuel. The bikes have each used about the same of fuel which is surprising as the engines are very different. 10.5l for 296km, quite impressive.
Our first point of interest today is the impressive and pretty Corvin's Castle, which we view from a distance for all of ten minutes. We don't have time to go inside, but we get a few pictures.
We stop for coffee in the town centre and Danny is swamped by a huge cappuccino.
Then it's a motorway blast, which we all hate, but it's the necessary evil to get efficiently from one area to another. By the end of today we'll all have sore arses!
We find a lunch stop in a town called Blaj, where I have a massive ’sandwich’ (naaan) filled with tuna.
Then more rolling hills before reaching Viscri, a preserved medieval village and fortified church from the 15th century. Just off the main highway, the approach road is a busy place, kids, families and horse and carts are out on the road. The people have distinctive features and I think they are a Roma community.
We buy tickets to go inside the Viscri church and get good views of the village and surroundings after climbing the tower, even though we only have 20 minutes left before it closes. I take a work call on the way down! Out of office is not out of office. In space no-one can hear you... unless you're on a Bluetooth headset in your helmet!
A 20 minute ride away is our hotel near Rupea, situated right next to the E60 highway, so it's a bit noisy, but the traffic almost disappears at night. Just before we reach it, we see a walled structure on top of a hill and stop to take pictures.
We park our bikes like we did the previous evening, with front wheels touching other, and wrap two chains around all four wheels for security.
I go for a very short run up the hill and into a cow field, but stay away from the bulls as they're making worrying noises.
Breaking all rules we eat dinner in the hotel. The waitress is from Nepal and we chat, but the service is very slow. Two Greek salads we ordered came in a naan bowl. Very innovative and very tasty, but so much food for a starter! I order fried "crap", but fortunately it isn't, even though it's trout not carp.
414km today.
Tomorrow we visit Dracula's castle at Bram.
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