In fourth on the flat; sick of the wind in Sliven 💨🚴🏻‍♀️

Day 59. 59km (53435kms)
Camping on the farm I slept soundly all night. It makes such a difference knowing you’re camped safely and with permission. I envied the two french cyclists heading east as I set out - at first cheerfully - into the westerly wind. Essentially flat; yellow canola and green wheat fields stretched far into the distance, the sun making everything extra vibrant, and me extra cheerful.

By lunchtime though my enthusiasm was dwindling. I’d hoped to reach Sliven in time for their weekly market but arrived instead, grumpy and agitated at 4pm. The latter stretch of the road had been dead straight which seems to encourage drivers to overtake each other irrespective of my presence in the oncoming lane. I suppose most drivers don’t understand how a strong wind affects one’s control of a loaded bicycle, indeed many are probably even ignorant of the windy conditions outside of their car. With each close pass I grew angrier and angrier placing myself mid-lane until an oncoming lorry forced me off the road and into the gravel.

Once in Sliven it took some time (and some chocolate) to unwind. The central area is a lengthy, leafy pedestrian zone with a couple of historic buildings, making a nice area in which to decompress. Two separate men approached to introduce themselves and welcome me; one encouraging me to visit the Blue Rocks National Park which backs the town to the north. So with no inclination for a big ride tomorrow, and after a second trip to the supermarket to stock up, I made for the outskirts of the park to find a camp. The reward of some *good* Bulgarian wine from a *glass* bottle completed my return to a state of Happy Camper 😊

#biketravel #bulgaria #cycling