HagelBlog

I took a ride south out of Burgas yesterday, a scouting ride to see how difficult it would be to ride along highway 9 out of town.  There is a roundabout that’s difficult to get through, unless you’re riding on the wrong side of the road to get through it (see point B on the google map).

For the most part the road is wide enough to be comfortable, but there are a few bridges and a few sections where the road narrows to the point where you’d have to rely  on traffic going around you.  I saw two other bicyclists (helmet and bicycling outfit) going the other way, and even a few gypsies riding a bicycle on the other side.

It was a Saturday, so I saw a few large trucks uncomfortably close … keep your eyes open on what’s coming up behind you.

At point C on the map I have to get off of the highway onto a road that runs alongside the highway … if I can remember where it is this road will get me away from the trucks and most of the tourists, certainly away from the people doing 100kph on the highway!

I’ll bring the camera this time.  On the way out of Burgas I’ll be passing around the Port of Burgas and some of the more industrial railway areas, then there’s some pretty scenic riding after that.  I’ll be passing a bit south of Chernomorets – I may just ride to this little town instead of Sozopol if I’m feeling too tired, if the 30% chance of thunderstorms actually ‘thunderstorms’ … we’ll see.  The next post will contain a description of the ride and lots of pictures

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At the bottom of this post is linked the slideshow from picasa, showing the ride yesterday (May 1, 2012).  I’m also creating a youtube video, being uploaded as I write this line.

So how did the ride go, what’s it like for an American riding in Bulgaria, here on the beautiful Black Sea coast?  Well, let me tell you – from where I live in Burgas, at the left-most part of the ‘C’ that is the bay here in Burgas, I look north to the top of that ‘C’ and what do I see?

The city of Pomorie (po-Mor-ee-uh), a certain jetty  off the southeastern part of it.  It’s often hazy that far off, in the early morning in fact it appears that this peninsula is actually floating over the sea.

The ride begins outside my apartment on Tsar Simeon (Republikanska to you Burgasli), south to Gurko, east to Mitskevich and further east to the entrance of the sea garden, one of the entrances.

On a really sunny spring day like this you can count on the sea garden being crowded with people, lots of young parents pushing baby strollers, young couples … coupling, old people enjoying the new warmth, and these days boys and girls riding their own bicycles.  A few people my age riding bikes as well.  There is a painted bike path but few of the walkers have any respect for it, so it’s in and out and around the crowds.  Watch out for little ones dashing away from their families in front of you!  So ride slowly in the sea garden.

[More when the youtube video is fully uploaded]

And below is the youtube video I put together.  It’s 23 minutes long …