Here is my experience (in photos and broken English), summer 2005, 22 June - 27 June.

        I did a tour crossing Bulgaria from west (Pernik town)  to east (Varna town - the Golden sands - a resort at the sea side). Maya was there trying to find some job for her (not successfully in the end) and I needed to see her strongly, so I headed to east, deciding to restrict meals to the permissible minimum while doing it - I had to lose some kilos I was adding in the winter.

         I took the shortest road - the south side of the Balkan (to Sliven town), after I crossed it at its eastern low part, reaching in the end Varna town. It is very nice road between mountains without any traffic.

           This season in BG is maybe the best one. Days are the longest, everywhere flowers, the sun is strong and hot.

Soon the reality changes your thoughts ... 10% hill ... and so weak knees .... walking now.  Newer mind the tire, I kept on moving 14  hours each day slowly (including stops for coffee, lunch ...) - many hills this first day and a little off-road on the end, no way, I love it.

         Soon the hard day will be over - 14 hours bicycling and walking;  the day kilometrage  already is satisfactory, scenery is perfect - all around mountains, mountains, mountains.

       And time for dinner - here it is  ... a little bag peanuts (100 g) and a big bottle of juice or mineral water. And relax ... muscles, joints, bones hurt and hurt - it means I am still alive, and I feel as if all my troubles already are somewhere far away behind me.

        But ... something is missing, I still can not guess what is it ...

         Next sunny and fresh morning. Not easy to sit on the bike, I am not so sure but it seems the tour can continue.  Luckily 18 kilometers down the hill of first. 

    All around a perfect sceneries. Last summer I camped for a night down this river (up, right).

   At the left photo many useful herbs having big and soft leafs can be seen ... in some cases it can be so useful !

      My usual lunch - a cup of chicken soup, "Shopska" salad (we love it - tomatoes, cucumbers and white cheese) and a little bread.  40 minutes relax ... what a pleasure ...

         On the road again. A nice river coming from the mountain - it is the time to bath in it and wash the wearing. The sunshine will dry equipment for less of an hour, never mind it is not so important - it will dry on me.

         Coffee time - twice a day for 25 - 30 minutes.

         The evening is coming, the distance again is enough, over more there is nice camp place - just behind the tent is the irrigative channel with clean and not cool water - nothing better I need for the moment.

         Again refreshing in the water and dinner ... but this time to the mineral water and peanuts - a little bottle of  the world - wide unknown whisky "Black ram" (I rename it with much love "The crazy ram") distillated in BG under Ireland (how much I love this country!) License - only  US $1 for this little plastic bottle. I believe, a little bit of it is useful in our age - it makes vessels wider, lowers the blood pressure, removes the risk of heart attack or insult, or said by other words - it will help us to die in a very nice condition! ... Soon aches in my bones and joints begin attenuating and the night may come ... today's 130 km as if were not so hard.      

          Later in the night a strong north wind appeared for an hour, but I am still  heavy, so the tent can not be shifted by the wind. I know - tomorrow the weather will change.

         Next  morning  is sunny again, but I do not believe it is true - it had to be cloudy.

         Maybe you are surprised - no photo of my breakfast - it is because the zoom of my camera is too small ...

        Later clouds on the mountains appeared and the rain run after me - 7-8 km back my right shoulder, but I know, all the day the rain will be behind me. I keep myself 10 kilometers in front of clouds - if I must be true, it is due to the strong tail wind all the time.

     Today's kilometrage is not 130 km. There is a serious reason for it. I will visit my friend Dimitar - a priest in little remote town - Syngyrlare. (me, he and his little nephew are on the photo).

      Villagers here have never seen such touring bicyclist, and they are so curious - who is this one, so I whispered him to told them I am a sinner expiating heavy sins bicycling long distances day after day - he imposes me to do it, so I am coming here to report him ...

           We spent a nice evening  "... talking of the moon and sun ..." and drinking his perfect rakia - a local kind of very hard drink (50 - 55⁰ C₂H₅OH) - prepared by him personally, I believe -  heaven helped him to do it ... Sometime I feel a little envious of this man – in time of darkness, he needs only to raise his eyes and look his chief crucified on the wall …

           The feeling of pleasure increased considerably of the fact that outside there was a powering rain lasted  3,5 hours - 48 liters per square meter, next day I listened it to the radio ... not easy to turn it in gallons per square foot ... but it was a little more than the month norm of rain for this latitude...

       Again a perfect morning ... fresh and clean ... Now I will cross the eastern part of the Balkan - far away of the main roads, cars, noise, dust, smoke ... I have never bicycled here before. It is so curious!- so small country, so many tours I have done in my life and so many places I have never been ... Bicycling today is easy, it brings me really a pleasure. I feel much stronger.

        One more day, 129 km more; the sea side - my end point - is close. Next day I will reach it, next day I will see Maya.

          The next sunny morning - an interesting place close to Varna town - remains of a stone wood - since the late Jura. For a moment only I regretted I have not lived in this period - too much meet walking around you (everywhere dinosaurs...) mmmm! tasty maybe! Maybe it is a mirage resulting from these several days on peanuts and chicken soup only ...

          It was a lazy day - only 57 kilometers, but so nice to be on the beach for an afternoon after this not easy tour and swim into the sea waves - unluckily no nice photos from this place.

       The last day and the last 50 km ...  Back in Varna town - a little tonic and cup of coffee, a walk in Varna harbor and back home by the night train ... and Maya with me :). 

       So these 6 days of bicycling, I lost 5 kilos of my weight.

       If extrapolate this result, it means 10 kilos for 12 days, 15 kilos for 18 days ... is it true? Yes, I repeated such a tour beginning at 19th of July (the last photo) - in Rodopi mountains, and after - in the beginning of August (me and Maya together) again. The result in the end was remarkable - I really lost 15 kilos, after all that I was again in a nice shape, able to run up the stairs ... a new person ...

       Yes, some time it was a little hard, but it was worth, I am sure.

       Do you want to do the same? If yes, I will be with you. To do it, you will need 5-6 EURO (US $7-8) per day only.