The absolute highlight of Bulgaria was the beautiful climb from Velinko Taverno over the mountains, riding south towards the border with Turkey.
Apprehensive of climbing in the heat of the day we managed to start early, setting off by 9. Climbing up out of the town was hard enough, legs not warmed up and the road surfaces all over the place. Town planners had decided to resurface all the roads all at once it seems.
Afterward a few km on the main road, the climb started proper, winding up though the trees. We crept up slowly, not really getting faster than 9km/hour – my phone chirping every time we went over 10 km/hour as the dynamo would give enough power to start charging.
There were a few steep sections but mostly we just able to spin up, slowly but not out of breath.
We made the first summit in time for second breakfast, and sat on a meadow looking down across the valley to the lake. The sun was warm but not so warm to make us seek shade.
We started the big climb.
Slowly, slowly spinning up. The trees were glorious. The road quiet.
At 1 or so we break for lunch, a bench under a shady tree on the edge of a field. Not far from the road but it will do.
We cook lunch together, then take turns to have a bit of shut eye. A cup of tea, and then off we go again.
It’s hot. We’ve kept out of the sun for the hottest bit of the day, but the heat coming off the road is intense. But the mountain is closing in around us and the road is switching direction back and forth. The trees give occasional relief, and then moments of blissful cool as we pass under rock faces that have shaded the road all year.
The heat doesn’t last too long, we keep going up and the worst of the heat subsides. Up and up we go. Stopping to refill water at springs built at the side of the road.
A vista opens up and we take a detour to another meadow overlooking miles and miles of forested mountains. As far as you can see the hills rise and fall, greens turn to blues as they greet further and further. It’s heartwrenchingly beautiful.
It’s hard to leave, but there’s more mountain to climb.
The switchbacks start, climbing up them like a staircase, the mountain side is steep you can look down and count the levels we’ve climbed below. The road itself though never gets too steep.
As we near the top you can feel the difference in the trees, the sky opens up, there’s more space and suddenly there it is, the trees part and you are flooded with sunshine.
My hair stands up as the sunlight hit. I am so lucky to look at the world like this. We stand and soak it up for a while, the view is spectacular. I am flooded with appreciation for it all.
The last little climb and then we begin the descent. It’s cold coming down, envigourating though. The different pace shocks the system. Suddenly it’s all about the ride. There’s no more time to appreciate the wildflowers and the caterpillar crossing the road, listen too the birds or notice the patterns that the shadows of the leaves make on the road, or the changing quality of light as the day draws on. The descent is fast, your attention is focused on the road, the surface, the bend ahead. stay alert. Try to relax. It’s late now though, unwise to try the full descent, so we pull off the road and find a little quiet spot to lay our heads.