Into the Orient

After a convoy out of Bucharest, it’s a straight run to the Bulgarian border where we cross the Friendship Bridge over the Danube River, and stay in a riverside hotel. This is our final chance to watch the Danube on it's journey to the Black Sea.

We cycle along a series of secondary roads and follow the Cyrillic-only signs past the UNESCO-recognized rock monastery at Ivanovo, on route to Veliko Tarnovo – a town perched on the cliffs high above the Yantra River. The town has a history dating back 5000 years, was the former capital of Bulgaria and once voted the most beautiful city in the country.

Then we follow even quieter roads through Bulgaria’s hilly interior. We spend a night in Kotel with its talented Roma population of musicians who can be found playing in restaurants and orchestras all over Bulgaria. After another stop in Malko Tarnovo we head to the Turkish border.

We will have a few days getting to know the friendly people of Turkey over kebabs and coffees before we arrive at our final destination, exotic Istanbul, which straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosporus Strait. The same city, known in antiquity as Byzantine and, later, Constantinople, served as capital, in succession, of three empires. Istanbul remains one of the world’s most majestic, enchanting and vibrant cities. There we will gather together one last time for a celebratory dinner, and reflect on the epic journey just ended.