Buggeration and closed roads.

Today has been a little frustrating.  They say that even the best laid plans don’t survive first contact.  “They” might be right about that…

I didn’t mind leaving late because the conversation was good, came with English tea I’m not in a rush at the moment.  But when I stopped to take a photo and found the top from one of my panniers missing I did start to mind.  I minded very much indeed.  Spinning the bike around without taking the picture I headed back the way I had come racking my brains for the moment that could have caused the lid to come off.  I rewound all the way back to the village when I went over a speed bump and heard something metallic on the street.  Maybe that was my lid.  Using some very choice words, I redecorated the inside of my helmet a deep shade of blue and cracked on towards the village.  Luckily I didn’t have to go the whole way before I saw the offending item on the side of the road half way along a straight.  It must have come off during an overtake and was on the opposite side of the road to where it started its bid for freedom.  When I picked it up it showed no signs of lasting damage and fitted back in its rightful place without the need for a hammer and more unsavoury language.

Now I was behind and needed to get to the Transfagarasan Pass in order to get north and find a place for the night.

Buggeration.

On route I stopped at a supermarket and bought some food and filled the bike so I was ready to make time.  Finally, the GPS showed the famous name and images of the road ahead filled my mind, along with one of a policeman flagging me down.  I was brought back to reality by said policeman who told me the Transfagarasan is closed until 6pm in order to allow some lunatics to fulfil their Lycia clad cycling fantasy’s.  I smiled, did a U-turn and pulled into a nearby café.  It was nearly 1pm and the detour takes 4 hours.  I decided that I have come to ride the Transfagarasan and I will ride the bloody thing if it takes all night.  So I have taken advantage of the delay to catch up on my diary, eat some lunch and have a nap.  I can always wild camp later can’t I?  Oh, that’s right there are bears and rabid sheep dogs that eat bears in these parts.  Not to mention vampires, werewolves and other craziness. 

While I was busy minding my own business one of the aforementioned lunatics walked towards me and, rather than put a thumb to the tip of his nose and waggle his fingers at while singing “Na, na, na, nana!” He started talking about bikes and event turned out to be a nice guy.  He asked about my ride and offered me some good routes that confirmed what Gavin had told me and pointed out the real Dracula’s Castle overlooking us from the start of the pass.  Feeling good about the upcoming ride and with traffic starting to move I joined the line of crazed motorists and started my journey along the famous stretch of road. 

Dracula's castle.

Due to the extremely high build-up of traffic I was stuck behind a white Renault Cleo and can recall every detail of the bloody thing.  This was no good, I couldn’t ride the Transfagarasan at 40kph behind a car.  Feeling robbed of the opportunity to enjoy the best road in the world (according to some) I sulkily sat behind the car and trickled along in 3^rd.  Then I saw a sign for a 4 star hotel just off the road.  F*&k it, I’m not riding like this.  I pulled off, stopped outside reception and asked for a room.  The lunatics had beaten me to it.  Just when I thought it was all over 2 of them approached (I thought about abducting them and stealing their room) when one of them told me that they were going to stay somewhere else and I could have their room, no abduction needed.  I wish these bastards would stop being so kind, it makes it very hard to portray them as narcissistic blemishes on humanity.

I moved into my room and sorted out my kit, the bike and finally myself before heading to the restaurant for a steak and some wine.  All this for the princely sum of 40 euros.  Tomorrow:  The Transfagarasan Pass……. Hopefully. 

The view from my hotel room.