Motorcycle Explorer November 2016 Issue 14 | Page 121

Exploring the town, we confirmed our previous
impressions of an indifference to strangers that was
very detectable to us. But as time progressed and
we unwound from the tautness we’d developed our
experience changed slightly. We began to crack the
tough exterior to find a warmth beneath. The extra
time we spent gave us room to allow understanding
of our differences to develop and create some
positive experiences.
On the day we left we experienced the best
morning of our visit, having several conversations
with locals as we packed up the bikes. We were in a
better, more approachable frame of mind and I
suspect our heavily-packed, foreign-plated bikes
parked at the roadside for two days had roused
some curiosity among the locals too. The most
notable interaction was with a lovely, toothless and
sun-wrinkled old man with a smile as warm as
summer, a twinkling eye and expressive face. He
told us of his bike, of his visits to England and held
my hand to his heart joking with Mickey in
appreciation of the fact that I rode. Amazing what a
few words and some heartfelt gestures can
communicate.
We hit the Bulgarian border feeling that our
experience had turned. Again the border guards
went out of their way to help us, changing money
and finding us shade to wait in. As we crossed the
Danube we took pictures for a holiday-making
family, chatting to them and our other fellow
passengers, a lorry driver who gifted us a drink to
take with us.