Day 8. Sunday 28th June. Kosice. Slovakia to Camping Noroc, 18k’s south of Baia Mare, Romania.

Our departure time this morning 9.10am. Must be some sort of record for us. Have conceded that the sun beating on the side of Poki was the motivating factor.

While the campsite has beautifully presented and immaculate facilities, it’s close to a main road plus, a wedding was being celebrated on-site and that must have gone on for hours! Saturday nights a the worst for camping, anywhere!

More castle ruins, en-route.

Our destination today, Baia Mare in Romania, Driving through Romania 56 years ago it was spelled Roumania!

Lots of border crossings!

Not too long after leaving our campsite, Jen received notification on her NZ phone welcoming her to Hungary! The drive over a moderately hilly, winding forest road, sublime. No border marking or indication we had left Slovakia..

The second border crossing

Typical Soviet era house with tin sheeting roofing.

Note the down piping. We don’t want that water in our yard…:)

Last night I watched a YouTube video on a British guy who had transplanted a Mercedes Diesel engine into a SWB Defender and the owner was complaining about a lack of performance from the new engine. One of the many reasons given, the snorkel intake was pointing backwards. He said that he had noticed the trend, and thought it flawed. Ah huh! So is ours. So this morning I undid the nozzle clamp and rotated it 180deg. “The reason for the slight reduction in power was caused by a vacuum at the backward facing entry point of the snorkel, starving the turbo of oxygen”, he said.. I must say, I noticed the accelerator pedal seemed lighter today. never too old to learn new tricks…:)

Stopping in a small village for supplies then within 40min we were back in Slovakia!!! All the time Ukraine beckoning within a stones throw, but Jen not interested. We might get taken out by a Russian drone!!!

Back into Hungary through a daunting, decaying border point with not a sole in sight to stamp our passports. Somehow the sat-nav has decided not to use any motorways, despite having that avoidance being cancelled.

Romania and EU spending.

Crossing into Romania it’s obvious the EU are spending lots on the roading system through the whole area we have been driving through for the past couple of days. Massive new motorway systems linking all countries with a rapid roading system, much as China are doing through Mongolia and the Stan’s, into Europe. Even minor roads are being completely rebuilt.

Camping Noroc.

Our original destination for the day 285k’s to Baia Mare but en-route Jen found this campsite approximately 18k below Bia Mare, in a tiny settlement and in the large back yard of one of it’s inhabitants. There are two other couples already established. One of the couples, from France, riding their 750cc parallel twin motorcycle and sidecar. Brand new and very well built with no plastic panelings. They are riding from Brest, in France to Kiev to visit their son, his wife, and their children. Jen was silent…:)

There is a menagerie in the back yard. A couple of ducks, one quacking constantly, looking for its chicks, I said to Jen. Sure enough, 30 min later 9 ducklings wandered past, mother stuck on the other side of the fence unable to get to them but they simply wriggled through the netting and she was overjoyed..:) An hour later she is at it again. Must be a rubbish mother…:)

There are chickens, goats, dogs and a pig too. I can almost hear the cockerel crowing at 4am tomorrow morning!!!

Oh, and crossing the Romanian border, the clocks went forward another hour. Now two hours ahead of London.

Cricket

The 3rd test with England is still balanced, even though England have lost 4 top batsmen for 103, in the chase for 270 more runs to win the game. The last day tomorrow. It’s not over till she sings..:)

Our women cricketers, the current holders of the cup, were routed by England and bundled out of the T20 World Cup competition in a disastrous fashion. Dropped catches the main culprit through the series. There’s an old adage, catches win matches.

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