September 6, 2003
Saturday Sep 6: Haskovo to Plovdiv
After my longest cycling day to date (80 km) I am in Plovdiv, and will be here until Monday, so tomorrow is my first full day of rest.
Today I was up at 6 am and on the road just after twilight to get the 80 km to Plovdiv. I am staying in a private home where they rent out rooms - it is in Old Plovdiv which dates back thousands of years, and is perched up on a few hills. The restaurant where I ate on the hill was really expensive compared to normal, and with a drink came to about $10 CDN. But the ambience was incredible - grapevines,and trees in the courtyard dining area - maybe the best photo yet, and the food was great, too.
Tomorrow I will spend the day exploring the town and its sites: Roman amphitheatre (looks similar to the one in Merida, Spain), and other things dating to 5000 BC. The rest of today will be to catch up on e-mails and maybe browse junk (souvenir) shops. I cannot really get anything, though - yesterday I sent back my camping gear and a few gifts as the weight is not bearable anymore. Today felt much better.
Monday I will head either toward Koprivshtista (an old traditional village) or toward Sophia, the capital. I have not yet decided.
A few people warned me about gypsies, but so far I have seen hardly any and they do not even bat an eye at me. Like many books say, I think their image is more legend than anything.
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Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 430 km (267 miles)
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