With Motorcycle to NORDKAPP-Norway
Day-2 : 05 July 2016  Tuesday
from Ruse (BG) to Cluj-Napoca (RO)  >>>>Total distance : 520 km

After my first night on the route to Nordkapp I woke up early in the morning. I requested the guy in the reception to open the door of the garage. One guy opened the door and I took my bike to the open area in front of the hotel entrance. After I put the inner bag into the topcase I went to the breakfast hall which is on the 1st floor. The breakfast was included in the price and I have taken my breakfast viewing the Dunav river. There is no rain this morning but the weather is partially cloudy. Around 08:15 I departed from the Grand Riga Hotel heading Romania. Todays route is given herebelow.



Day-2 : July, 5th,2016 . From Russe to Cluj Napoca

The border between Bulgaria and Romania is around 4-5 kms from Russe. There is a long steel bridge made many years ago above the Dunav and this connects two countries. The vehicles must pay before crossing the bridge but they do not ask payment from the bikers. Due to repair works we had to wait on the bridge around 15 minutes. Then, I crossed Dunav and arrived to the customs on the Rumanian side. Here, they have checked my documents
and stamped my passport.

I started to ride in the direction of Bucherest. The roads are not so well but it is OK. Close to Bucherest at the morning time the traffic was heavy. I bought fuel. It is 5.43 Lei/liter. I took the connection to the highway just before Bucherest. The connection to the highway is really long and time consuming. The roads are under construction.

After reaching the highway, life gets easy. I took the direction Sibiu. The route goes  via Piteşti. Last time, when I was doing Balkans Tour in 2013 I had taken another route from Bucherst to Sibiu. I had driven via Braşov.

Because of the maintenance work on the main road the traffic was linked to side roads.It was better though. I rode nicely on the curved road with nice view. Around Ramnicu Valnicea I saw a restaurant where there were two motorbikes on the left hand side. They were trying to stop. Out of plan I rode into this station and I found out that the two guys are from Turkey. We sat a quarter of an hour there and we drank coffee. We chat a little bit.
They were doing their motocycle trip in Bulgaria and Romania. 
I appreciated very much to know these two guys. Hakan is the name of one of them.
Then I continued to ride to North whereas they continiued in the South direction to Piteşti.

I passed Sibiu. The weather was very good and clear so I aimed to stay in Cluj Napoca.
The roads are very good from Sibiu to Cluj. Long highways have been constructed in the meantime. Sometime on the side roads and many times on the highway I reached to Cluj Napaco.

.....from Wikipedia 

Cluj-Napoca (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈkluʒ naˈpoka] ( listen)), commonly known as Cluj, is the second most populous city inRomania,^[5] after the national capital Bucharest, and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (324 kilometres (201 miles)), Budapest (351 km (218 mi)) and Belgrade(322 km (200 mi)). Located in the Someșul Mic River valley, the city is considered the unofficial capital to the historical province ofTransylvania. From 1790 to 1848 and from 1861 to 1867, it was the official capital of the Grand Principality of Transylvania. 

As of 2011, 324,576 inhabitants live within the city limits. 

Cluj-Napoca experienced a decade of decline during the 1990s, its international reputation suffering from the policies of its mayor at the time, Gheorghe Funar.^[12] Today, the city is one of the most important academic, cultural, industrial and business centres in Romania. Among other institutions, it hosts the country's largest university, Babeș-Bolyai University, with its famous botanical garden; nationally renowned cultural institutions; as well as the largest Romanian-owned commercial bank.^[13][14] In 2015, Cluj-Napoca was European Youth Capital.^[15]

Since I haven 't booked any hotel, I had to look for a hotel. Right in the centre square (Plata Unirii) I asked a young guy to help me finding a hotel. He tried to find on the internet via his celular phone and he tried hard and called a couple of hotels for me. But we were unsuccessful because the hotels were fully booked. I continued to ride in the centre and suddenly I found Hotel Transilvania on the Regele ferdinand Street. It was phantastic. Right in the centre with an open private parking area with locked door. And the price is 165.-Lei.
I parked my bike in the backyard and moved to my room on the second floor which is easily to recognize on the picture (Second door left).

Hotel Transilvania, Cluj

Transilvania Hotel is located on the main street and with a private parking behind it.

After putting all my stuff into my small room and having a shower I went out in order to discover the city. There are very nice old buildings well maintained. Some houses are not in good condition. 


In the evening I found a restaurant called BOEMA (www.casaboema.com). The ambiance and the food is perfect. Including the Cremé Brulé I paid only 
102.-Lei which is around 23.-Euro.

After the dinner I walked to my Hotel and wanted to sleep because of the next days ride.

Street V.G. Corvin

Catedral in the Piata Unirii

Some old buildings of Cluj

Monument

City Theatre and Opera House

With Motorcycle to NORDKAP-Norway
Day-1 : 04 July 2016  Monday
from Istanbul to Ruse (BG)  >>>>Total distance : 620 km

I started to prepare my stuff days ago prior to my departure. As technical tools I also added tyre prepare kit (I wish not to need them at all during my trip).

I did put also my rain gear and also gloves which I had bought for my Silk Road trip to Uzbekistan. I finished all my preparation on the 3^rd of July.

This time, I decided not to make any hotel booking in advance. I will act according to my mood and the conditions at all. If I am happy and the roads are good to ride I will go further, otherwise I will stop somewhere on the way. For this trip I have also added one tent, one mat and sleeping bag. So I feel safer. It can give some unexpected things but I need to try this version, too.

I made a short breakfast at home and I departed around 07:30. I took the highway TEM from Istanbul in direction to Edirne. I followed the route up to Hamitabat and then I decide to use country roads in order to enjoy riding. I followed the instructions of the Garmin Zumo 660. It took me really through small villages in order to make the route shorter.

Around Kavaklı just before Kırklareli I took again the regular streets and the highway to reach to Edirne. From the peripheral roads I took the direction to the border “Hamzabey”.

Hamzabey is the name of one of the border passes between Turkey and Bulgaria. 

Before reaching to Hamzabey I filled my tank at Lalapaşa town.

It took only 15 minutes to complete the procedures at the Turkish side. Then I passed through the Bulgarian side which was also reasonable. The roads are good and well covered. The maps of Bulgaria were not downloaded in my Zumo 660. I have got only

The maps of the North-East Europe which does not cover Bulgaria and Rumania as well.

I asked some people at the border how to go to Ruse (with the Turkish name Rusçuk).

I followed the instructions and found my way very easily. After Hamzabey (Lesovo is the name of the town at the Bulgarian side) I followed: Elhovo, Yambol, Kotel, Omurtag, Targoviste, Razgrad and finally Ruse. This is a very nice road through the country side and with a few nice curves for motorcycles.

According to the suggestions I also stopped for lunch at the junction where the road deviates for Kotel-Omurtag. There is a popular barbecue restaurant at the road junction.

Chicken barbecue and salad with “ayran” (drink of yoghurt) is only 4.-Euro.

The weather was very nice. Just 200 meters before reaching the Hotel a heavy rain started in the city Ruse. I did not changed and I preferred to hurry to the hotel. I stayed at the Grand Riga Hotel. It is a tall building constructed many years ago and they have renovated it. It is also cheap in price. 78.-Leva is the price incl. breakfast and closed garage for the motorcycle. It is roughly 40.-USDs.

The map of the down town Ruse.

View from the Hotel Grand Riga:- Tuna River

View from the Hotel Grand Riga:- Tuna River and the city

View from the Hotel Grand Riga:- Tuna River

View over the city Ruse.

 

The bank of the river Tuna.

Piers at the side of the river Dunav.

Piers at the side of the Dunav.

Floating Restaurants

One of the streets of Ruse down town.

 After the rain slowed down, I went out from the Hotel and walked down to the bank of the river Tuna. I enjoyed my walk there and took some pictures of the Tuna. Then I walked to the main square of the city Ruse. Svoboda is a big square and there are restaurants, cafés and bars around it. There are also some important government buildings like Court of Justice and the town hall. At one end there is a big hotel. There is “Monument to Freedom” in the middle of the square. I set down in a restaurant called “Happy Bar and Grill Black Mamma”. I ordered a beer a few sushi rolls and a fish with sauce. At the end I took a Crème Brule. Later on I walked through the streets and ended up my day in the Hotel Grand Riga.

Conclusion : Ruse is a Bulgarian city at the river Tuna and might be used as overnighting purpose from Turkey to the North. Hotel Grand Riga is offering closed garage and good prices. The location and the view from the hotel is very well.