Day 61 - Tulcea to Mahmudia (22 miles)

Our perception of time is a fascinating thing: twenty-two miles often slips away hardly noticed when part of a long day, but when today that was to be my total those twenty-two miles seemed to take so much longer and require more focus. Maybe I am out of my routine after two days of not cycling or, now that the end of my journey is only a couple of days cycling away, some element of apathy is seeping in. Maybe as I head for another day off, this time for a wildlife tour in the delta, motivation has yet to kick in again. Whichever, today's short trip required more effort from the mind than I had anticipated.

The route out of Tulcea was lengthy and cobbled until I picked up the quiet road to Mahmudia and beyond. There was a sense of some forgotten part of the country as it passed through fields and small villages that had seen better days. The route ran along the Danube's St George branch escarpment, high enough to be able to occasionally enjoy views down to the river and its surrounding fields and woodland a mile or so away, but also in a position to be affected by its contours and to introduce a few inclines into the ride.

I arrived at Mahmudia in time for an early and extended lunch. The village sits right on this branch of the Danube, small, quiet and with a sense of space and prosperity. I ate pizza overlooking the water before heading to my accommodation a little further along the river where I got the impression I wasn’t expected: a gap toothed old woman rushed around preparing a room, responding to my questions voiced over Google translate with a stream of Romanian, seemingly oblivious to my inability to understand the language. Eventually we settled on French as a supposedly common tongue but I faired no better there so eventually I sat in the garden and just let things take their course.

Her chores done, the woman finally ushered me into my room. It is small and simple but perfect for my needs and currently protecting me from another late afternoon thunderstorm that is making itself heard and felt outside. The storm encouraged me to check the forecast for tomorrow but thankfully everything looks like it should be fine for my day on the delta.