Monday 5th June. Didn’t cycle far to next campsite – although did go a couple of miles passed it – from roadside it wasn’t well advertised and hidden behind trees and Google maps took me up a steep hill beyond it – clicking on the link on the campsite website took me back to the correct place. Tent up, panniers and tent abandoned, and I set off on a circular route to see 2 more painted monasteries.

Not far on saw a very young boy guiding a cow on a rope across the road – guessing the boy was about 6 – no idea how old the cow was. There was a man with them as well keeping an eye on things, which I was glad about and also that I stopped and kept my distance as the cow became very skittish when a van drove passed too quickly. Cow safely up track and I carried on

With or without monasteries, this was a fab route with beautiful scenery. In an anticlockwise direction, it took me from Cacica (famous for it’s salt mine) up to Plesa at 2379 feet – 19% incline at times and I have to confess that even without panniers I had to get off and push Bertie up the last couple of switchbacks. A lovely swoopy downhill to The Monastery at Humorului and then mostly downhill to the busy town of Gura Humorului. A wee there and back to see my last painted Monastery at Voronet and (2nd confession of the day) I have to admit to being too hot, tired and hungry to take it in – it was amazing but didn’t have the same wow factor, not because it was any less stunning but think I was too tired. A wee detour to the tourist info – not sure if it was closed for the day or permanently closed but I found myself in tourist hell – big park with trails for cycling and walking, outdoor climbing wall and tree top assault course and zip wire – all sounds fab but it was absolutely heaving with people and just too too busy so I escaped back to the town and continued with my bike ride. Road busy for a few miles after town but there was enough of a shoulder to ride on for most of it, a nice easy uphill followed by some more fabby downhill and then back to the campsite.

A wee stretch of cycle path – some bits better than others
Look out for the hole
Humorului Monastery
The famous blue of Voronet Monastery

This is a link to the route without the couple of extra wee detours I did. https://romaniatravel.guide/s/cxRKT

Back at the campsite I got help from the owner to plan my route for the next couple of days and later on he gave me a glass of his homemade cherry brandy and a plate of biscuits – I love these wee campsites – you wouldn’t get that at a big site.

Views from the campsite – great wee spot