Targa Jiu.

After a start yesterday in Romania with an extensive and very bumpy road (where my bycicle again got seriously damaged. I managed to get myself back on the main track. Naturally wise not as spectacular. But got where I wan't to be. In Targa Jui. To admire some of the very special sculptures of one of my favourite sculpters, constantin brancusi. Who originates from this area. 

Meanwhile my bike got a serious update. 

And I tried to score anything for dinner. 

Where the city looks very outgoing. It's all about drink's. The max you find is some fast-food. 

Getting drunk with serbians.

Finally it had to happen. Arrived this afternoon after the most spectacular bycicle trip, through the 'iron gate' in a village, close to Kladovo. Installed myself on the local campingsite (for free) connected to a restaurant. So where can I order my dinner? All together about 8€ beer included. 

A Guy at the bar was celibrating his birthday. Took me into town to hang out with his friends. So go a little drunk there. But finally got the real feel of being into Serbia today!!

Reunited with the Danube

Made it to the Danube river today. On purpose I avoided the metropole called Belgrade. It is a charming city, which I visited a few times whith pleasure. Even had an exhibition there, a decade ago. Titled 'putevi' or 'roads'. Still my theme, so to say! Since then I I visited a lot of places along the Danube. Turned the river and my experiences along it into an art-project, called 'potamos'. But still there are places undiscovered. Like the city of Smeredovo, where i'm today. 

And as before, I'm surprised again about the combination of a run-down city, next to such a beautiful river. And the same combination of all these old 'communist' constructions falling apart and all the friendly people, walking out on the streats around sunset. Happy. 

In a supermarket today I communicated with the shop-keeper. In my broken serbian (I just mix my knowledge of czech an russian and hope for the best) He guessed that I came from Belarus. Is this a compliment?

On the River bank Sawa

Close to Belgrade I installed myself in a hostel next to the river Sawa. After a 130 km journey.  In the Vojvodinia, a region as flat as the Netherlands. And with all the rain today I could have felt at home. Got completely soaked. But on the still on the road. Na putu, as they say. 

A room with a view.

 Arrived in Serbia. Loznica. Booked in a local hotel near a spa resort. My room is overlooking a small park, where you can buy little souvenirs and where the locals have their evening walks. The hotel itself is a clear remain of 70/80 communist architecture. As there is so much in these countries. For me it is as much distant as it has become familiar. 

From now on the language and all signs are in cyrillic. Good that I did a one

year russian course once. Not to understand. But at least I can read the roadsignes. Helps me to get to Беoград

Today I stopped at a garage in Bosnia, because my Luggage carrier broke on two spots. The Guy welded it for me and didn't charge anything. Then you really realise you're on a pelgrimage. 😆

Somewhere on the road in Bosnia.

This morning I left Sarajevo. But not after paying the old Centre a visit. 

Then I got into some issues again. First my navigation app. sent me again up into impossible hilltracks. 25% or more uphill. You don't even do that on a mountainbike, without luggage. 

I tried walking. But just to find myself lost on an impossible track. 

Went back to the old town. And started all over. 

On my way to Serbia. And I sleep somewhere in the middle of the road. Above a gass station. 

Sarajevo

Yesterday I arrived at Sarajevo. Well just before the old town. A long road from Mostar. Mostly uphill. 

For the first time my navigation let me down. Starting in Mostar it sent me up streets climbing a 25% ending on a dirt track. So I took the main road. With of course much more traffic. But at least no potholes. And, best of all, at every few kilometers stalls where you can by fresh fruit and slivovice. 

Mostar

Where as so far my journey into herzegovinia was very much under influence of croatians, Mostar has the border within. Part of the city still croatian. Part dominated by mosques. And alluhu-aqbar. 

But anyway, like Dubrovnik, one gets the feel it's a place for the young and beautiful to visit.....

Medjugorje

Yesterday after a long sweating day, I arrived in the holy place in Bosnia. 

Finally I can add another country to my list of all the ones I visited. Heading for 50 now...

But the question is: when do you have been in a country? I could say, like yesterday, after a good cup of coffee. 

Some people count an AirPort (that is too easy) some a serious visit to the toilet (also a way one can look at it). But, like most, I keep it to have at least spent one night.

This morning I payed a visit to the sacred church. But without offence, it didn't impress me at all. Not because i'm not religious. I liked pilgrims places like Lourdes and Santiago. Was impressed by the devotion I experienced at taj mahal. 

But maybe here you have to be italian or polish to understand. Because those ones are mainly here. 

Finally, my baby arrived

I didn't believe in it anymore. But finally my dear travel compagnon arrived today. Totally sane and ready to go!

And so am I. 

And there is always to say a lot about the working attitude in Mediterranian countries. Not that I fully agree. Because often I've seen people working hard

In temperatures here, where nobody in the north would manage...

As the Mediterranian also concerns Croatia, just one thing. The AirPort staff didn't always made up their promises exactly. 

But today they said to deliver my bike between 18 and 19 Pm. 

The guy was here at 18.30. Sharp !

Hello europe😆

Stuck in Dubrovnik

For the forth day in a row, i'm stuck in Dubrovnik. Me i'm a bit of a globetrotter. I spent 19 hours on Nairobi AirPort. Being locked out of the restaurant late at night. Just to find the waiters sleeping on the couches once they had to re-open for breakfast. 

Or Indonesia where I waited hours and hours for the bus company of my choice to Java. Just to find that the opposing line that left hours before us (on time) had ended upside down in the bush. Or in India where our tourist bus had a hold of hours, in the middle of the night. We all got kicked out and had to wait because the driver had some 'small business' to arrange in the nearby village. 

Or Mali, when I arrived at 5am instead of 5pm the previous day in Mopti. Spending half of the night aside the bus, when the driver disappeared looking for a spare-part.

Or Bolivia where we had to wait half a day or so for the bus, crossing a flooded river, where there was no bridge. 

But that was just third world. A 24h delay at max. Now i'm in the Western world, the EC. And yes, they can do better! Of course! A 72hour delay, to start with. With special thanks to easyJet who isn't capable to handle a bycicle on their plane for a few times in a row now. 

 

And According to lonely planet (they're not always right 😆) Dubrovnik is a great place to be. That's right. So I found out with my ex- partner years ago. But one week was definitivaly enough 

"Regardless of whether you are visiting Dubrovnik for the first time or the hundredth, the sense of awe never fails to descend when you set eyes on the beauty of the old town. Indeed it’s hard to imagine anyone becoming jaded by the city’s marble streets, baroque buildings and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic, or failing to be inspired by a walk along the ancient city walls that have protected a civilised, sophisticated republic for centuries." LP

Basecamp Dubrovnik

After a long search my bycicle has been found. Still in Amsterdam. And hopefully on it's way tomorrow. 

Some struggle belongs to a Nomadic journey, which you undertake, espescially when your out on your own. I hope just not to encounter too many of these. 

'Basecamp' Dubrovnik

On my way to my starting point in Mudugorje I landed today in Dubrovnilk. A charming small holiday town on the adriatic coast. One can imagine worst places to get stuck. 

This because my bycicle diidn't arrive with me. I'll have to postpone my official start for a while. Hanging out like a tourist. 

preparing to go.

In a few days from now, I will hit the road again for my next pilgrimage-based Art Project.

This time it will take me across the Balkan. From Međugorje in Bosnia to Csíksomlyó/Mircureia Ciucn in Rumania.

All this together with my good old frien, my bycicle. I hope to meet a lot of people on the road and to discuss with them the concept of pilgrimages, holy places and religion in these days.

Apart from that I'm looking forward to hook up with my friends from the "Nomadic Village" somewhere in southern Rumania, who have there own interpertration of being on the road and creating art meanwhile.