Romania – Serbia
Through a mutual acquaintance, we got in touch with Jesper Dybdahl, who runs the website www.backroad.life
He is a big off-road motorcycle enthusiast and has enormous knowledge of Eastern Europe and the Balkans via his many trips. He was kind enough to give us a series of big scenic routes where we could see big beautiful landscapes - which we love so much.
The next stage of the trip we take a mountain ridge in Romania, which Jesper has recommended.
We have been given a route description that goes through the Transylvanian highlands and it takes us out on the most beautiful small roads. It is as if we are alone in the world and can just enjoy it all in peace and quiet. There are no houses, no electricity pylons, planes or other signs of civilization as far as the eye can see.
In the middle of nowhere we come to a monument to two great statesmen.
General Ion Culcer and Colonel Dumitru Cocorascu. Both with a great military career in the time around the First World War.
There are some steep roads here in the highlands. Both up and down.
Here it goes downhill with 19% just around the corner. Good thing we're not on bikes.
We are now driving towards Serbia, which is the first country from the former Yugoslavia that we are going to. We are a bit excited about how they feel about Danish tourists, as we were not on the same side in the Balkan war.
Almost 25 years have passed, however, so we hope we are welcome.
Serbia is not a member of the EU, so we have to go through the whole mill like in the old days with passports, registration certificates and insurance papers. As we have comprehensive insurance on the car, we have only brought the red insurance card. This causes some confusion, as the customs officer only recognizes the green as proof of valid liability insurance.
The nice customs official unfortunately cannot accept the red card, but tells us that we can buy insurance in a stall further down the road. It will apply for the number of days we stay in Serbia.
No problem, these kinds of challenges can be solved and fortunately for a modest amount of money.
In Serbia we find shelter for the night, out in the countryside with an elderly gentleman who has made a small primitive campsite between his pear trees.
It turns out that he has won several awards for his amazing Raki pear brandy. He says that large buses often come to his house, with people who are going for raki tasting and to hear about his distillery.
He is a pleasant man and he gives a great overview of the production of Raki. He speaks Serbian, which is not exactly our forte. But as an old home brewer from Jutland, Johnny can easily understand the process. And somehow they come to a common understanding of the production of the clear drops.
We are naturally offered a glass, these are strong cases.
Good thing we don't have to drive again until tomorrow.
It could well go on and become quite festive here.
We buy a few small bottles of raki for only 1 euro each, so we have some souvenirs to take home. Our concerns about whether we are welcome in Serbia have been completely put to shame.
After a few glasses of raki, he proudly displays his home-made arrangement for grilling piglets. He loves roast suckling pig and likes to fire up the grill when many guests come. However, the strength has started to fail a little, it is not so exciting to stand and turn a spear all day either.
So now he has made a water mill that can spin when he turns on the water. Via bicycle chains, the spear is pulled around.
The problem has been solved - and there is a fully roasted piglet for everyone.
