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The Black Sea, at last: Rowed Trip expedition update

Colin rowing behind cargo barge

Five-plus months into their epic, self-propelled journey from the northern tip of Scotland to Syria, adventurers Colin and Julie Angus share another exclusive Rowed Trip expedition dispatch about their travels by oar and pedal power.

“Our journey down the length of the Danube River in our rowboats was perhaps the most straightforward part of our expedition. Long, easy oar strokes combined with a healthy current allowed us to move quickly, sometimes 100 kilometers in a day, through eight different countries. Unlike the labyrinth of roads and canals we followed through Britain and France, the Danube offered a natural route that was impossible to get lost on.

Romanians enjoying riverfront beach

“The tidy landscapes and renowned architecture of Germany and Austria contrasted sharply with the sprawl and blank concrete apartment buildings of the former Eastern Bloc countries. Nonetheless, each had its distinct charm. Slovakia has rock-bottom prices, growing tourist infrastructure and excellent ice cream. Hungary has some of the most spectacular sandy-white beaches on the Danube and a beach-worshiping population to make use of them. Serbia has excellent meats (grilled and cured), and neighbouring Bulgaria has great cuisine as well, along with pleasing wines.

Lady in Serbia

“Our final country on the Danube, Romania, initially was daunting. Julie and I were accosted by packs of stray dogs, entertained by a frolicking rat the size of a poodle, and were dumbstruck to see people fishing for sustenance at the outfall of a nuclear power plant. Nonetheless, Romania is where the Danube reaches the Black Sea, a destination we had been looking forward to. After emerging through an industrial maze of loading cranes, factories and breakwaters, we reached the vast sandy beaches that the Black Sea is famous for. From here we will row 400 km along the idyllic beaches and cliffs lining the Black Sea all the way to Turkey.” — Colin Angus, e-mailed 8/6/08

Colin cycling aong side of canal (permission denied to row through it)

See the full Austria-to-Serbia slideshow here.

Until the next dispatch…

— Andrew, senior producer, Los Angeles Times Travel

[Photos: Colin and Julie Angus / Rowed Trip Expedition]

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 11:07 am by Andrew and is filed under Eco-Travel, Europe, Outdoors & Adventure, Rowed Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

2 Comments on “The Black Sea, at last: Rowed Trip expedition update”

Andrew Says:
August 12th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Julie emailed this update yesterday: “We’re in Kovarna, Bulgaria looking out at a communist mural of Billy Idol–apparently the town is very proud of the rock concerts it once hosted.”
Andrew Says:
August 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
When I asked about the differences between fresh water and salt water rowing, Julie replied:

“Rowing on the Black Sea is quite different from the Danube. You’ve got the waves to contend with, which are always coming on your side. There is still a slight current, about 1 km/hr but we go slower than most stretches of the river. We have to plan our stopping points carefully to ensure we’re in a sheltered place.”

“Right now we’re trying to figure out how to cross into Turkey…… There is no border crossing on the water and the first port of call is Istanbul, several days rowing from Bulgaria.”

Any tips from old border crossing hands out there for Julie and Colin on entering Turkey?