Wednesday 25th September

It's been a mixed day. Pretty mental if I'm honest.

I stayed in a hotel last night. 25€ for bed and board. I treated myself. So I woke in anticipation of breakfast, and more so than usual this time. Was it going to be the muesli, or the eggs, or muesli THEN eggs and a pastry platter? The menu came, firstly it wasn't all you can eat. I had to choose one. One?! I said. Da. I saw eggs, poached. A banker on any day. But there at the far post left unmarked was the English Breakfast. Ooooh it had to be. The artery buster. With a coffee and orange juice. Out the drinks came with some bread, butter and marmalade. That's a nice touch, I thought, but I don't want to fill up on bread before the main event so I curtailed my urges, I sat on my hands, it would be worth it. After 20 minutes, still no hot eggs, sausage, the works. I went to investigate... Ummm excuse me, I ordered an English breakfast? Yes, you did, He said.. And I'm still waiting for it, I replied. You have an English Breakfast... Time stopped, I was short of breath, I think I need to sit down...This was my breakfast. I'd had a smorgasbord of continental delicacies and I chose the bread and butter. An open goal, and all,I had to do was tap it in. And spooned wide for 3 yards... This was a big lesson. Gutted.

So I left the hotel, and got back on the road. It was a hot one today even at 10 in the morning. The road between Negotin and Zajecar was 57km on the A road number 25. Not ideal but I had no other options. The legs were tired and it's always a struggle first thing so any immediate climbs hurt. On the open road it was just that, very open. Plains of arid lands stretched either side and the road wound down and up towards mountains in the distance. Oh what fun, one of those days of ascent and descent.

Route 66.

The heat sapped me and had to stop a few times but kept going until my next town for lunch. I climbed a total of 650m in that one stretch. I chilled in Zajecar and ate muesli on a bench. I was still quite full as I neglected to mention I'd raided the other tables for bread rolls at breakfast upon finding out my fate. So was sufficiently bloated on bread. People were collecting cookers around me and staring at the strange man eating muesli out of saucepan at 2 in the afternoon. I've learnt to smile and wave.

After lunch I headed towards my final stopping place, Knjazevac. A 100km day. It was lovely as it was cooler and the road was more quiet. I cruised and felt refuelled after my cereal hit. 

An old lady tends to her sheep. A common sight.

So I rolled in towards town as the sun ducked behind the mountains in the west. I saw what looked like a decent spot on a field near a factory. Tent up and started cooking. One dog didn't like me being there and came by barking but I was used to it and shouted him away and carried on. Dinner was cooked and I sat and enjoyed it by torch light. Just as I brought the spoon to my mouth i looked up and saw the reflection of 5 pairs of eyes from my torch. Then a snarl and the eyes ran at me... I think st this stage, my exact words were (and excuse my French), "oooooh fuuuuuUUUKC!". I immediately grabbed my helmet to beat them off and they stopped a few metres from me and scattered into the bushes. The adrenaline was pumping, real fight or flight stuff. I intended to fight, but my helmet would've done little and as for my trusty whistle.. I stood there shaking. And scanned the bushes with my torch. What do I do?! I must have been on their patch and they didn't like it. I could see them under the street lights barking at anything that came near and at me when I shone my torch and made for another approach but blew my whistle like a ridiculously ill prepared referee. 

Well I wasn't going to hang around to find out the final score. I packed everything up in record time, loaded the bike and scarpered still shaking... Yikes. That put the willies up me. I headed into town, bought a beer to calm my nerves and finished my dinner. I'm still drinking said beer so have no idea where I'm going to stay tonight. Perhaps further out of town into the country or maybe I can sweet talk a bed or sofa. 

Oh well, there you go. I'd been warned about Serbian dogs! The little buggers. 

Other than that, a fine day :) Bulgaria tomorrow. See you then 

Ben