Šarkamen to Negotin on E4 Day 41

Today I looked forward to a night indoors at the "Guesthouse for Adventurers" in Negotin.
First a visit to the ruins of a Roman palace a short way after where I pitched my tent last night. The ruins, the remains of a few walls, towers and buildings, were spread over a wide area. With no signs telling me what I was looking at, I did not stay long. Once a very important place the ruins are now in a remote spot reached by a long gravel road. In the village of Šarkamen 5 kilometres later, a passing man made sure I had seen this important "vrelo".
After Šarkamen the road changed from gravel to tarmac but with more patched up potholes than original tarmacadam. It joined a more major road in good condition from which I turned off to follow a parallel, if ocassionally muddy route across large fields and occasional woods. After some early rain the sun was now warming the day. The skylarks were belting it out overhead and I also heard a cuckoo. May blossom bloomed on branches of hawthorn.
At the village of Jasenica there was a shop and, as is common in Serbia, some benches and tables outside with some men talking with bottles of beer before them. I joined them for a coke and a "7 day" cocoa filled croissant and tried to answer their questions (in Serbian). I generally assume they are asking what on earth am I doing walking through their village with a huge pack on my back, and recite a phrase I learnt saying I am English, I am hiking and detail the places I have come from and going to (generally misprouncing them).
The E4 route does not go directly to the next town of Negotin but circles around it going via a village called Vidrovac. The path from the main road to Vidrovac was clearly an old ridge path but had become overgrown in the parts not used by farmers and their tractors. There were some views from the path looking over the plain around the Danube with several towns and villages visible.
I left Vidrovac via an informal rubbish tip soon joining a road into the next village of Miloshevo. Then I headed directly to Negotin and it's long suburbs, keen to arrive at the guesthouse, a blister on my right heal hurting and causing my gait to give my hip some pain. Finally there I was, made most welcome with a very refreshing beer, and a chance to shower and wash my clothes, which were starting to get smelly! The "Guesthouse for Adventurers" is also known as "Guesthouse for Cyclists" (Negotin is in the Eurovelo 6 route) and Prenoćište Stanisavljević, and the owner Bojan, is a very helpful person.
Later I was guided to a restaurant with a quartet on guitar, two accordions and a double bass (which he seemed to be playing with a pair of spoons). Always self conscious I was pleased they focused on the other diners. They were sharply dressed young men and women mainly in black with some white touches, one women in red. The musicians and waiter wore faded jeans. As I walked around Saturday night Negotin, many more similarly dressed people were strolling around enjoying each others company.

34.6 kilometres walked today. A gpx file of my route can be downloaded from wikiloc.com or wandermap.net. The route can also be downloaded from my.viewranger.com as johnpon0029.

Vrelo Sarkamen - ruins of a Roman Palace

Blossom

Enjoying a welcome beer at the Guesthouse for Adventurers

Vratna to Šarkamen on E4 Day 40

Highlights of today were the natural bridges in Vratna canyon and the privilege of attending part of an Christian Orthodox service at Vratna Monastery.
Dry, warm and cosy in my sleeping bag I listened to the rain pattering on my tent while I munched on some biscuits and prepared to get up. To avoid everything getting wet I packed my rucksack inside the tent (an awkward manoeuvre in the confined space) before taking down the tent and packing it last. The rain made the steep path into Vratna canyon slippery, requiring great care, yet the view of the two natural bridges made the effort worthwhile. Monumental, grey limestone arches framed the river below. The lack of leaves on the trees made them move visible than they would be later in the year. Several yellow spotted, black "fire salamanders" were on the path, barely moving as I stepped over them, maybe cold and sluggish in the rain. There was a high viewpoint you needed to climb up to, but I gave up on it after climbing a little way, tired after some long days, I feared I would fall on the slick path climbing up, or more likely coming down.
On my return from the bridges the monastery was open and I went into the church. A black robed nun was reading at a lectern. She spoke English and made me welcome. A sister later arrived and asked if I was hungry or needed lodging in the nearby Vratna village. She said I could stay for the 2 hour long service at 8:00 am and I confirmed it would be OK just to attend part of it as I had a long way to walk today. While waiting for the service I admired the paintings which, typical of Orthodox churches, covered all the walls and ceiling. There were pictures of Jesus in various scenes from the bible - baptism, last supper etc. and of course the Virgin Mary, plus lots of saints all with gold halos, all looking solemn, even when welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Today was the Orthodox Good Friday and the service was led by a bishop. A priest and three nuns participated and I was the audience. I did not understand the service (in Serbian) yet gained some serenity from the 20 minutes of listening to the liturgy.
After retracing my steps of the previous night to Vratna village I took a track over the hill to the village of Jabukovac, where a signed indicated there was a more direct path from the viewpoint in Vratna canyon that I could have followed. A café (kafana) with those silvery windows that you cannot see through looked closed but an "all terrain vehicle" outside and a desire for coffee made me try the doors. It proved to be in business and I enjoyed a Turkish style coffee, small, strong and black, served with a piece of Turkish delight (more flavoursome than the British version) and a small glass of sparkling water. The other customers then quizzed me on what I was doing in a mixture of languages (none of which was English).
After a walk south down the tarmac road, I had prepared two alternative routes to the next village, Plavna, one going into another canyon and a longer one taking a route around it on tracks I was more certain actually existed. After yesterday's failure to find a suitable path I wisely chose the longer, safer alternative, mainly through farmland. After Plavna, at a road junction just beyond the cemetery, I saw signs for the canyon but not in the place I expected. It looked exiting, there was meant to be a natural tunnel there, maybe a trip for another occasion.
As the farmhouses thinned out on the road to Šarkamen I found a place among trees to camp, hoping there was no-one around to upset. I camped a little earlier than normal as I wanted to give my tent time to dry out after the soaking it had this morning. It was still wet as I went to sleep.

31.6 kilometres walked today. A gpx file of my route can be downloaded from wikiloc.com or wandermap.net. The route can also be downloaded from my.viewranger.com as johnpon0029.

One of the natural bridges beyond Vratna Monastery

Vratna Monastery

Fences were typically made of local materials in this part of Serbia

Ljubichevac to Vratna Monastery on E4 Day 39

A good day's walk in sunny conditions until 4:00 pm when a river and an incorrect route meant a long detour.
I always carefully pack out my rubbish after camping although at last night's camping spot no-one would have noticed it given the amount of fly tipping of builder's waste, plastic rubbish deposited by the Danube and detritus left by fishermen and other visitors. Things became tidier later as I walked along the Danube embankment, slowly being overtaken by a barge, passed a pumphouse clearing the lower lying ground beside the river of water.
I was delighted to find the restaurant on Brza Palanka riverfront open, and had an omelette, bread and coffee for breakfast. They also advertised rooms. It's a pity I did not know before as I might have pushed on yesterday to reach them.
From Brza Palanka I walked up a long valley to the Blederija waterfall with its tufa deposits before heading uphill onto the plateau. There were direction signs on this part of the route, part of a "Tourism Triathlon, hike, bike and canoe". Unfortunately not enough signs at crucial junctions to tell you where to hike. Nevertheless I progressed along my route planned with Google Earth and Wikiloc.com trails following the path indicated in the small scale maps in "Rambling through Serbia".
The plateau was cut into by steep sided valleys of which I planned to cross two. At the top of the first valley I lost the path, or more likely none was there, but managed to slither to the bottom of the slope through the trees. I could see the track up the other side but with the water level so high in the brook that ran down the valley, a little wadding was required giving me wet boots for the rest of the day.
I reached the second valley about 4:00 pm. Getting down was no problem this time but the river was in full flow. I might have crossed at the planned point with some care but it was apparent that instead of a path up the steep and rocky valley side opposite I had traced a stream on Google Earth - or as far as I could see a small waterfall. In consequence I had to retrace my steps and follow the track along the valley floor to the village of Urovica. Not a route consistent with the "Rambling through Serbia" booklet but my only certain way of getting to Vratna.
Fortified by a Coke and chocolate in the long village of Urovica I reached Vratna Monastery a little after 7:00 pm as it was getting dark. As it was after the Monastery's closing time I pitched my tent out of sight in the woods and rested after a walk today much longer than intended.

An enormous 47.1 kilometres walked today including attempting find a path avoiding Urovica, plus 870 metres of ascent. 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.

Barge overtaking me on the Danube

Blederija waterfall

Kladovo to Ljubichevac on E4 Day 38

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.

Trajan's pier, once part of a Roman bridge across the Danube

Dog in the Danube

Tekija to Kladovo on E4 Day 37

A warm and sunny day in which I crossed the mountains to reach the Djerdap dam and then walked past Roman and Turkish forts to reach Kladovo.
I left Tekija early and after a short walk along the road headed up the valley side with some good views of the Danube behind me, eventually reaching the plateau which forms at around 500 metres. Yellow crocuses carpeted the ground in places, brilliant in the sunshine, along with the little blue flowers. I  was warm even with my thinnest base layer, an extreme contrast to the snow of a few days ago.
I came off the plateau a little before where the "Rambling through Serbia" booklet implied because I wanted to see the Djerdap dam. The last part of the path I chose was overgrown with brambles but I managed to push through, walking through the trees at the difficult bits, although it does my clothes and rucksack little good as they catch on the trees and brambles. Future travellers on the E4 may wish to avoid this section. Then it was along the road to the dam where a road crosses to Romania. I tried to get a closer look at the dam but was accosted by a guard and asked what I was doing. Perhaps he thought I was a refugee trying to get to Romania the other side of the dam.
Nearby was the Diana Roman fort. According to the sign it had been built and destroyed by invaders a number of times. I did not go too close as it was unclear what the procedure was. There was no sign of a ticket office and there were dogs roaming.... So off I walked through a few villages and by the Danube. While the water level seemed low above the dam, below the dam it seemed high, half covering some beach umbrellas. I was surprised there was such a wide lake below the dam. Large volumes of water were gushing through some of the gates of the dam, which seemed a bit of a waste of  potential hydroelectric power.
Continuing along the road, among other industrial fabricators I passed a major shipyard just as the workers were finishing for the day. Soon after was the Turkish fort, or at least it's thick walls and entrances. Inside there appeared various modern recreational grounds.
Tonight I went for a posh 4 star hotel in Kladovo, the Danube Aquastar. Very nice with helpful English speaking staff. The town is pleasant as well with a pedestrianised street with cafés where I indulged in a banana and Nutella pancake earlier, with a lemonade made with real lemons, sugar was provided so you could adjust sweetness to your taste. As I write this in the hotel restaurant the orange street lights of Romania twinkle across the Danube and Annie Lennox is singing in the background.

32.7 kilometres walked today with a 750 metre ascent. 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.

Barges on the Danube

Spring flowers

Turkish fortress

Veliki Strbac to Tekija on E4 Day 36

Today I saw one of the trip's highlights, the Iron Gates of the Danube, where once the full volume of the Danube rushed through a narrow gap in the rocks. Now the rapids are no more, the Djerdap dam has created a lake.
Waking early I climbed up to the top of Veliki Strbac following one of the classic Serbian hiking trails. By 7:00 am I was at the top watching barges steam through the Iron Gates. From Veliki Strbac I walked to Mali Strbac, lower but with a path closer than I liked to where the cliff dropped down to the Danube far below. The weather was good. White fluffy clouds in a blue sky, but the gorge of the Iron Gates was too deep for the sun to reach. Occasional gusts of cold wind made for more difficult clothing choices.
Then it was all the way down through the trees, steeply in places, to the road at Golo Brdo. Golo Brdo consisted of some scattered farms near the edge of the Danube. There is a famous tablet of stone commemorating Emperor Trajan somewhere near but I could not find it, maybe you need to be in a boat to see it. In approaching the road I noticed a "No Admittance" sign referring to the track through a farm I had just walked down. Assuming this is meant to include hikers, future walkers may want to avoid this farm by avoiding Golo Brdo altogether as there is little reason to visit and there are other footpaths marked.
Climbing out of the valley two things upset me. First that I had left my walking stick somewhere, it was not essential so I did not reclimb the Strbac summits to find it, I brought it to fend off dogs, now I would have to focus on behavioural tricks my wife told me to use. Secondly a fluffy little dog followed me for several kilometres. I worried that it would forget its way home, or that it wanted to start a new life with me or that it was a stray. Shouting at it to go away and throwing stones in its direction did no good, it just moved out of range.
Once I had again climbed to the top of the mountains beside the Danube it was time to find the way down to Tekija. I followed a path on the Djerdap map which appeared to correspond to the route in "Rambling through Serbia", but it proved difficult to find the path among the fallen trees and undergrowth. There had been a footpath sign to Tekija but maybe it referred to one of the side trails I passed.
Reaching Tekija I planned to find a room for the night. The Tourist Information office at Donji Milanovac said ask at the restaurant which I did. The waiter there said walk to the centre of the village and ask anyone, which I did. While I was looking helpless a man who spoke English offered a bed in his house.
First he had to visit an old friend for a massage. An old injury had disabled his arm to a significant degree. His friend gave me coffee and fish soup, and gave him an arm and upper body massage. I gave his friend a postcard of my home town.
Then it was off to his house for the night, he chatted with other friends on the way, it seems a close knit village. His house was like many in that it had three rooms. A bathroom, a combined kitchen and dining area, and a sleeping area. A wood fired range heated the house and was used for cooking. He offered me his bed but I chose to sleep in the dining area in my sleeping bag so I did not disturb him.

30.7 kilometres walked today, with an ascent of almost 1200 metres. 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.

The Iron Gates from the top of Veliki Strbac

Barge heading upstream through the Iron Gates

A flower in the trail like a Lenten rose

Donji Milanovac to Veliki Strbac on E4 Day 35

No snow! Not on the tracks I was following anyway. A day along broad ridges either wooded or with greenish fields of grass that had suffered a lot over the winter.
After purchasing my lunch, a bread with cheese on top and ham inside, I checked out the National Park Visitor Centre (closed being the weekend) and the Tourist Information office (could not advise on future accomodation options as they were outside the municipality - not very helpful).
I climbed out of town, which is pretty from a distance with its red tiled roofs. All the town was recently built when the Djerdap dam was constructed and the old town flooded. After a steep climb it was down again to a inlet of the lake created by the dam. A lot of exposed sand, it looked like a tidal estuary but clearly was not. Then another steep climb through oak and beech on a track and followed by a road section to the village of Miroc.
After that a long ridge walk passing farms, mostly with grass fields but with the occasional orchard or small field used for maize. Late in the afternoon I reached the Buronov caves where again a stream disappears into a cave. There are many large cave systems in the area.
One sight today which pleased me were the flowers: primroses, little blue things with six thin petals (scilla?), and wild, yellow crocuses. A sign of spring along with the occasional yellow Wytch hazel blossoms, and the bursting green buds on the Elderberry bushes. Another point of interest were the conical structures used to make charcoal that dot the area.

As I was approaching the main footpath up Veliki Strbac a man from one of the many farmhouses offered me a "schnapps". As I had almost completed the day's walk I accepted a small glass (but prudently refused a second). It was very good and smooth. The bottle had some wild plant in it, "pirin" I think he said.
I am now camped among trees hoping for a fine day tomorrow so I can see the view of the "Iron Gates" of the Danube for the Strbac summits.

32.4 kilometres walked today with an ascent of 1380 metres. From Donji Milanovic to Monsa a gpx file of my route can be found on Wikiloc.com, and WanderMap.net. The route can also be downloaded from Viewranger.com as johnpon0027. From Monsa onwards 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.

Building for making charcoal

Traditional haystacks with blue flowers among grass

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