Emily and Erin bike across Serbia and Romania: Sept. 5: Experiencing real Romanian Roads

[ES]
After a lovely and grounding two and a half days in gorgeous Sibiu we headed east by bike towards the Fagaras Mountains and the Brancoveanu Monastery. We took our time getting out on the road as the local intel from Leni was to wait until the morning traffic rush has passed. We enjoyed the ride out of Sibiu and then started on a smaller but kind of busy road east. It was to be the best paved road we would see all day. Fortunately the traffic thinned out after eight miles or so and we were then mostly on our own going through villages. We passed several flocks of sheep each accompanied by a shepard - mostly men but once a little boy on his phone.

And then began our education in the condition of most Romanian roads. Leni has told us that there have been many instances of road failures because the contractors deliberately skimp on the amount of material for the road base. We encountered large sink holes and collapsed road sections along a section of road that looked newly constructed/paved. While nearing the top of the hill on this deteriorating road we looked ahead and saw colorful people on the road gathering around a truck. They were cyclists! And not only that but jovial lady cyclists from the US all in their 50s and 60s. Most were from Florida but one was from Folsom, and they travel every year together to ride somewhere new. They had a support van and had just finished the climb on the other side of the hill that we would go down. It was a fun surprise to talk with them, and I could see that they have a ton of fun together and likely drink a lot of wine.

After a glorious downhill we began the first of several gravel road stretches. We knew these would be very small roads/tracks as they were the only option to avoid the major highways. Between villages we wouldn’t see anyone on the tiny bumpy/cobbly/dirt/grass track but we did pass a family with a horse and cart. We had one section of route finding along the Olt River that was challenging and tough terrain but we eventually found our way.

Our (digital) map said through here...

We were looking for arm exercise.

The grassy parts were surprisingly pleasant.

Looking back to riding in Serbia along the Danube, nearly every town or village we went through had at least one or two stores and all seemed well utilized. Not so in this part of Romania. Most of the villages we have traveled through did not have a store or cafe but all have an old church of two at the center. It would be a lot harder to access food here, though it seems many people are growing a lot of their own food. We passed through a couple villages that felt much more poor. Most places so far (and for sure in Serbia) have felt like people are getting by and have some pleasures, but several places today felt pretty disadvantaged yet populated by many generations including many kids.

We took a break for lunch in Scoreiu on a bench outside a house. Soon we said hello to a lady who stepped out of the house and next four kids who started to chat with us though we mostly just communicated by laughing and introducing ourselves. We think perhaps their grandmother called the local school teacher to come over because soon she arrived speaking English. School would start next week though she said it was difficult for students who live in the outlying areas to attend as they are often helping their families farm. Also combined classes in a small school is challenging for students to learn but she is teaching them English and French. She seemed very realistic and dedicated and had taught the parents of the kids’ we met. We were offered coffee which was above and beyond nice’ and then we had to continue. The older boy followed us with his bike and when he saw the direction we were headed across a field he was very insistent that we should take the main highway instead. It seemed that often there were many dogs that were along that way and some had bitten children. As he seemed very concerned we reluctantly turned around and went on the highway. Sheesh was that highway stretch extremely not fun. Just super large trucks in both directions. Luckily we only had to be on it for 1-2 miles and then we turned off. Phew.

The rest of the journey was filled with interesting road conditions and climbing closer to the edge of the mountains. We ended our ride in a forest of beech and spruce with some active logging and this landscape felt more familiar and calming after a day of so much stimulus. Our destination for the night, an active Orthodox Monastery which is the only remaining one of its kind after the ruling Austrians dissolved the rest in the 18th century. It was much more of an active spiritual place that tourists could also visit - not a tourist site with interpretation of the past. A very full day, we will see what awaits us next.