The Paschal Tour 2010 - part 5 (cycling in the glorious Wallachia)

This Jiu's Valley is an important thoroughfare and besides the road there is a railway, too.


For more then 30km the views are amazing. The road slightly descends following the river's course.
Here there are the historic boundaries between Transylvania and Wallachia.


After pedalling 24km from Petrosani we get to Lainici Monastery. This is one of the best cinobitic communities from Romania.


The old church has glamarous wall painting and dates back to XVII-th century.


I am very happy to find here a suggestive painting epitomizing the ladder of life.


Cycling just another one kilometer we run into an imposing cross. It's here that the outstanding general Ion Dragalina was deadly wounded in the First World War.


As we keep on cycling we get to a panel where we find out that rafting adventures are provided for the tourists on this boisterous river.


Soon we get to the small town of Bumbesti Jiu where the Jiu's Defile ends and we meet another friend of Liviu and it's time for a little break.


We take leave of the Middle Carpathians and we cycle on the worst possible strech of road from our tour.


Soon we get to the municipality of Targu Jiu, the main town of this county of Gorj.


From here we cycle on a tableland type of terrain with numerous ups and downs. Suddenly we are flabbergasted by an awe-inspiring phenomenon of nature. The sky seems to be illuminated by 2 suns.


We get hungry and we come to a stop at an interesting restaurant to have a decent meal.


Then we carry on cycling, the night overtakes us again and we continue cyclling till Baia de Arama where we find a cheap guesthouse that has only one big bed in our room but after a tasty dinner and a few beers and over 150km we manage to sleep very well.


The next day, we have a big climb, we have to beat the Godeanu Pass(1050m). It's a long and tiresome climb but the real obstacle is a steady drizzle that has soaked us through till the pass where we are lucky to find a rustic restaurant.


Here we can dry our wet coats beside a hot stove and we enjoy some good sour tripe soup and tasty red wine. Long live our bike trip!


Soon we have to go and we have to cycle another 36km till Baile Herculane, but it's going to be a long descent.


After a few kilometers we get to a huge rock where we take another picture of us.


The scenery is admirable. It's a pitty the weather is nasty.


But we are thrilled to cycle down the Cerna Valley on such a splendid route.


Soon we get to the county of Caras Severin where we meet fruit trees in bloom.


Here we make a halt at a restaurant for it's time to eat something.
Here we decide to separate for I want to prolong my trip with a few days and Liviu has to hurry to Timisoara for his holiday will be over soon and his office' job is awaiting him.


Thank you Liviu for this magnificent trip together!