Less climbing and more roads than on previous days as I headed south on the Danube.
"Rambling through Serbia" has the route going up one side of a lake and down the other side, returning to where you started. I rebelled against this because I find it demotivating to walk several kilometres in order to return to where I began, and secondly, I could not see a path on the north side of the lake on any map or on Google Earth.
Instead I followed the road out of Kladovo to Trajan's pier, which is all that is left of this Roman Emperor's bridge across the Danube. Not much but it looked good reflected in the water on a still, sunny day. The only other person there was a man selling decorated bottles and boxes from a table, some background folk music added to the atmosphere. Then I strided down the south side of the lake. Rushes lined the edge of the water and adjoining drainage channel, swans swam serenely.
The only climb of the day followed as I made my way through woods uncertain as to which track I should be following to reach open farmland on the plateau. A few kilometres later I was in Vajuga, the first of four villages I walked through on the edge of the Danube. Sadly none appeared to have a bar or café where I could get a cup of coffee (I thought longingly of the little village bars I used to frequent for coffee while walking through Hungary). In places I followed the road, in others I diverted off it. One such diversion went through small vineyards where people were busy on their vines. I was offered a beer, but it was a bit to early...
I had hoped to stay in Ljubichevac (a settlement with bigger than typical houses) but the rooms were still closed for the winter as it was too cold, although I was feeling distinctly hot in the sun today.
So I am camped right by the Danube beside some abandoned farmland. A barge has just passed going upstream, a few bats are flying around and some noisy, nearby fishermen have finally left. Various howling from distant dogs and cars on the road a kilometre or so away mean this is not the quietest camping spot so far.
33.5 kilometres walked today, mostly on the flat. A gpx file of my route can be found on wikiloc.com and wandermap.net. The route can also be found on my.ViewRanger.com as johnpon0028.
"Rambling through Serbia" has the route going up one side of a lake and down the other side, returning to where you started. I rebelled against this because I find it demotivating to walk several kilometres in order to return to where I began, and secondly, I could not see a path on the north side of the lake on any map or on Google Earth.
Instead I followed the road out of Kladovo to Trajan's pier, which is all that is left of this Roman Emperor's bridge across the Danube. Not much but it looked good reflected in the water on a still, sunny day. The only other person there was a man selling decorated bottles and boxes from a table, some background folk music added to the atmosphere. Then I strided down the south side of the lake. Rushes lined the edge of the water and adjoining drainage channel, swans swam serenely.
The only climb of the day followed as I made my way through woods uncertain as to which track I should be following to reach open farmland on the plateau. A few kilometres later I was in Vajuga, the first of four villages I walked through on the edge of the Danube. Sadly none appeared to have a bar or café where I could get a cup of coffee (I thought longingly of the little village bars I used to frequent for coffee while walking through Hungary). In places I followed the road, in others I diverted off it. One such diversion went through small vineyards where people were busy on their vines. I was offered a beer, but it was a bit to early...
I had hoped to stay in Ljubichevac (a settlement with bigger than typical houses) but the rooms were still closed for the winter as it was too cold, although I was feeling distinctly hot in the sun today.
So I am camped right by the Danube beside some abandoned farmland. A barge has just passed going upstream, a few bats are flying around and some noisy, nearby fishermen have finally left. Various howling from distant dogs and cars on the road a kilometre or so away mean this is not the quietest camping spot so far.
33.5 kilometres walked today, mostly on the flat. A gpx file of my route can be found on wikiloc.com and wandermap.net. The route can also be found on my.ViewRanger.com as johnpon0028.
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| Trajan's pier, once part of a Roman bridge across the Danube |
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| Dog in the Danube |
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