No need to go to the Balkans for that: Edinburgh is quite bad enough.
Feckin amazing.
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Wow just stunning Wim 
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day 6, 325 miles
Not an epic a day as yesterday I’m afraid, but to be expected as today’s main objective was to cross Serbia.
When I got to the border I duly presented passport and bike registration, and all was well. Or so I thought. 2 miles into Serbia I wass pulled over, and ordered to follow the mobile pigsty, back to the border. Apparently I had not seen Serbian immigration! After a good telling off I received a wee stamp in my passport and was sent on my way. 
The first 100 miles were boring. Filthy, stinking towns, rubbish everywhere. There’s also little choice, as there are not many through roads, let alone motorways. Fortunately further East things got better, and the roads and scenery were nice.
When I got to the Romanian border I did not make the same mistake twice - first Serbian, Romanian next. Much to my surpise I was set apart from the queue, and made to wait half an hour. After that, customs glanced at the top layer of my left hand pannier, asked whether it contained drugs (no Dutchie jokes, thankyou ), and when told it did not I could go. Pfff…
Romanian border.
After all that ado I could finally cross the Danube.
Off to digs and a well deserved beer!
Tomorrow heading to the main objective: The Karpathians!
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Another epic day from where I’m looking Wim. Ride safe tomorrow mate.
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I made it to Iceland.
The freezer shop…!
Amazing @Vulpes - every day’s an adventure 
.
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Transalpina is on the cards tomorrow - probably some nicer pics! 
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day 7, 202 miles, a hundred of which glorious!
I left my hotel at 9’ish, having had a lovely breakfast of guacamole and poached eggs on toast
and proceeded towards the Carpathians. At first it was pretty rural and flat, but not boring. Especially with the packs of feral dogs lying in wait to leap out of the verge to scare the bejeezus out of innocent passers by! 
Next I rode through jiului national park. Absolutely gorgeous, great riding, but nowhere to take a photo, so pics nicked from the net.
Onwards and upwards, into the Carpathians. And soon enough I had arrived at my second-most important objective, the Transalpina
This was just a prelude, road surface not that great. I then got to the pass proper:
It would appear the Romanians did some cleaning up, as 3 weeks ago the sign looked like this:
FANTASTIC roads! No views though, as the road is cut through a dense forest.
Halfway along there’s a big dam.
On I went towards Sibiu, where I booked a hotel, stopping in the shade to cool down a bit. Still 32C 
Arrived in Sibiu, dropped stuff in digs, and now enjoying a well deserved…
An excellent day. A leasure day tomorrow, only 90 miles or so, towards Bran (Dracula town). I need a rest now, I think.
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Fantastic Wim! What an epic trip. I take it the Tiger was a good investment then?
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I love it mate. Oodles of grunt, yet easy to ride. It’s got me out of a couple of pickles already. And as of today, with some numpty stopping suddenly without checking mirrors, I can confirm ABS works! (2 inches to spare… 
).
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I hope you packed plenty of clean underwear.
Nah, inside out, back to front, rinse, repeat
Brown ones Dave, I’m ok
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day 8, 108 miles
A short but pleasant ride today, so as to be able to recuperate and recharge. From Sibiu I rode to Brasov, then to Bran.
It was nice to see the storks.
Brasov:
Bran. This is “Dracula’s castle”.
And now for some sustenance - a lovely chicken schnitzel with rosemary potatoes. 
A nice, relaxed day. Tomorrow for the main event, the Transfăgărășan!
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The castle looks far more scary on the telly
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Been there… 
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day 9, 241 miles
Today was the main event, the Transfagarasan pass.
This pass for me was the reason to come all this way. I left Bran early(ish) and got on my way. The first bit out of Bran was actually really nice.
I finally got to the foothills of the pass, and it did not disappoint:
Some of you might have noticed I have been drinking this:
This was hoping I might encounter the real thing. Well, it came to pass!
I actually saw three in all. Very special.
On to the pass proper. This is coming up the South slope:
After the top (which was absolute mayhem, a veritable anthill of Romanians… (I should not have done this on a Sunday )):
An absolutely fantastic day. Tiggers nose will now be pointed home, crossing Hungary tomorrow.
And just to celebrate the sightings:
Bike’s asleep…
I would have liked to push on a bit, but it was just too hot at 35C… 
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